To supply minerals and materials to the colony an open pit mine will be created. The quantity and value of minerals were used to determine the size of the pit and the equipment needed. This model will reflect the model of an example open pit mine in Chile called the “Escondida Mine”. The quantity of minerals needed was decided upon with the goal to make housing for the community in mind. Based on the minerals needed, processing plans were also determined.
Using the chart displayed to the right, specifically the Pathfinder data, possible minerals to mine were chosen. The mine will be used to extract mainly SiO_2,Al_2 O_3,Fe_2 O_3 and MnO_3. The silicon produced will be used in the production of solar panels along with windows and insulation for the housing. Aluminum will be used for walls and wiring in the housing. Processed iron can be used for pipes, nails, and heating. Lastly, Magnesium will be mined mainly for the use
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Assuming 2 drills will be required, an equation to determine the diameter of the drill can be represented by t=170d^2 [4]; where (t) is the tons of ore drilled per day and (d) is the diameter of the drill. Another major piece of equipment needed are haulage trucks. The number of trucks required can be determined using the equation N_t=0.25((T_p^0.8)/t) [4]; where (N_t) is the number of trucks, (T_p) is the tonnage of daily ore and (t) is the tonnage of the truck, which is estimated to be 189 tons. The next piece of key equipment are shovels. To determine how many shovels are required for the pit, the equation N_s=0.011 (T_p^0.8)/S [4] can be used where (N_s) is number of shovels and (S) is size of shovel in cubic yards. To first determine the size of the shovel required the equation S=0.145T_p^0.4 [4] can be used. The model output indicates 2 drills with the diameters 10.9 inches, 4 trucks, and 4 shovels, 15.95 cubic yards large are necessary to sustain this