The Karnasurtsky mine is in the area of the Lovozersky tundra of Murmansk region, near the settlement of Revda. On the mine extraction of loparitovy ore — the main raw materials for production of rare and rare-earth metals is conducted (niobium, titanium, tantalum, and others). There is a name of the mine from the mountain Karnasurt (in translation from the Lappish “karnas” — crows, “urt” — the mountain).
The haulage is carried out on means of the narrow gage railway having sites with an exit to a surface over one kilometer long. Land sites are completely electrified. Total length of ways is about 20 kilometers.
Underground ways lie on three horizons: +430 meters, +350 meters, +280 meters (counting from sea level). The Earth’s surface of a way leave on horizontal adits and cross-cuts on the horizon of +430 meters. Communication with two deeper horizons is carried out by means of biases (inclined tracks of a narrow track) and vertical trunks.
In January, 2006 K-10 electric locomotives the same characteristics, as K-14 electric locomotives operated on the Kirov mine of JSC APATIT having, at that time, have been designed.
However results of a pilot haulage have revealed the following problems:
Underground road stretches in many places are watered, and here and there, water level hides a rail head. In the winter temperature difference between underground and elevated sites reaches 50 degrees (from-30 to +20 degrees). There are sites where the copper contact network is replaced with a steel wire.
In a consequence of it, during operation, engines often burned (since insulation resistance of windings fell). Therefore the decision in addition to impregnate windings with a varnish has been made, after that engines began to burn much less often.
Temperature differences have led to considerable formation of condensate on detachable joints. To reduce the number of refusals, it has been decided to pressurize in addition the frequency converter and to take measures for periodic cleaning of detachable joints.
Lack of reliable contact with a contact network has led to reduction of a resource of the condenser battery and, as a result, failure of power modules.
The management of the mine has made the decision on the organization of group, for repair and monthly technical maintenance of electric locomotives. The main problems of intra mine economy then the number of refusals has considerably decreased have been in passing fixed. The ten electric locomotives have been delivered to in total Lavozersky GOK.