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Assessment of Soil Erosion, Contamination, and Rehabilitation Potential in Mongolian Mining Regions: A Case Study in the Erdenet Copper and Molybdenum, and Baganuur Coal Mining Areas
(RWTH Aachen University, 2024) Sodnomdarjaa, Enkhjargal; Lehmkuhl, Frank, Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat.; Karthe, Daniel, Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
Mining plays a vital role in Mongolia’s economy, contributing significantly to export revenue. However, this economic benefit often comes at the cost of environmental degradation, particularly in regions surrounding major mining sites like the Baganuur lignite mine and the Erdenet copper-molybdenum mine. This study examines into the long-term impacts of mining on soil erosion and contamination in Mongolia’s semi-arid steppe zones, aiming to provide insights into the extent of degradation and propose strategies for mitigation and rehabilitation.
The study quantifies soil erosion rates in mining regions utilizing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, remote sensing data, and ground truth observations spanning nearly three decades (1989-2018). Results show a clear correlation between rainfall erosivity and soil erosion, particularly noting peak erosion in July 2018 in both study areas reaching 7.88 t ha-1month-1 in the Erdenet area and 9.46 t ha-1month-1 in the Baganuur area. Additionally, the spatial distribution of erosion underscores localized impacts near mining sites and adjacent industrial zones. In addition erosion due to mining activities have led to soil contamination with Heavy Metals and Metalloids (HMM), posing ecological and health risks. Various indices such as the Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI), Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (PIN), and Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) are used to assess contamination levels of the soils. Findings reveal elevated concentrations of elements such as Zn and As in Baganuur mining area and elevated concentrations of Cu, Cr, and Zn in Erdenet mining area. This concentrations exceed Maximum Permissible Level (MPL) of Mongolian Soil quality standard (MNS 5850:2019), particularly in proximity to mining and industrial areas. This underscores the urgent need for soil rehabilitation initiatives to mitigate environmental and health hazards.
Beyond soil degradation, mining activities have broader environmental and socioeconomic consequences. The study evaluates these impacts, emphasizing the importance of science-based rehabilitation plans and robust implementation of environmental regulations aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Continuous environmental assessments and rehabilitation initiatives are supported to ensure the long-term sustainability of Mongolia’s mining sector, safeguarding both natural ecosystems and local communities.
Based on the study findings, several recommendations emerge for mitigating soil degradation and promoting sustainable mining practices in Mongolia. These include:
- Implementation of erosion control measures, such as vegetative cover and terracing, to reduce soil erosion rates in mining regions.
- Adoption of soil remediation techniques, including phytoremediation and chemical stabilization, to address soil contamination and restore ecosystem health.
- Strengthening of environmental regulations and enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with national standards and promote responsible mining practices.
- Integration of environmental considerations into mine planning and operation processes, emphasizing the importance of continuous environmental impact assessments and monitoring.
By comprehensively understanding the drivers and consequences of soil erosion and contamination, stakeholders such as mining companies, government agencies, local communities, and environmental organizations can collaboratively devise and implement effective mitigation and rehabilitation strategies. This concerted effort aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of Mongolia’s mining sector and the well-being of its inhabitants and wildlife, all while promoting sustainable development.
The Study of Remaining Operational Life of Power Transformers
(German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology, 2026) Otgontsoodol, Tegshbayar; Vandandorj, Ankhbayar, Mr.; Purvee, Ariunbolor, Ph.D.
Power transformers are critical and expensive components of electrical power networks. Their paper-oil insulation system degrades over time due to heat, moisture, and oxygen. Once the insulation fails, the transformer cannot be repaired on site, making accurate remaining life estimation essential for utility engineers deciding when to schedule maintenance or replacement. This bachelor thesis studies and applies the main engineering methods used to estimate the remaining useful life (RUL) of oil-immersed power transformers. Four calculation methods are studied and applied:
(1) the IEEE C57.91 and IEC 60076-7 thermal models, which calculate the hotspot temperature and the rate at which insulation life is consumed under a given load [7,8,16];
(2) the Arrhenius-based degree of polymerisation (DP) kinetic model, which predicts how quickly the cellulose paper insulation loses mechanical strength [17,18];
(3) chemical diagnostic methods including dissolved gas analysis (DGA) [6,12,23,24,25], furan compound analysis [30], and oil quality testing [9,32], which provide indirect evidence of insulation condition without opening the transformer;
(4) frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) [11,15], which estimates the moisture content of the paper insulation.
All four methods are combined in a weighted health index (HI) formula that gives a single score for the overall transformer condition [3,10,19,20,21]. Full worked numerical examples are presented for each calculation step, and results are compared against published data from real 500 kV and 750 kV transformers [1]. The study confirms that neglecting moisture content leads to overestimates of remaining life by 20-40 % [3,4,22], highlighting the importance of including moisture measurement in any complete transformer condition assessment [3,4,11].
Technical and Economic Feasibility Study of Electrifying Coal Transportation: A Case Study of Tavan Tolgoi–Gashuun Sukhait
(German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology, 2026) Amgalanbaatar, Enkhjin; Purvee, Ariunbolor, Ph.D.; Enkhbold, Bold, MSc.
The Tavan Tolgoi–Gashuun Sukhait (TT–GS) corridor is one of Mongolia's most critical coal export routes, spanning approximately 250 km from the Tavan Tolgoi coking coal mine in the South Gobi to the Gashuun Sukhait border crossing with China. Currently, this corridor depends almost exclusively on fleets of diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks, resulting in high fuel costs, substantial CO2, NOx, and particulate matter (PM) emissions, severe road wear from high axle loads, and logistical inefficiency. Mongolia's commitments under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC mandate significant reductions in transport-sector emissions, making electrification of the heavy freight fleet a strategic priority.
This thesis presents a preliminary technical and economic feasibility study evaluating the CR130EVT wide-body dual-trailer heavy-duty vehicle — available in a pure electric variant (783 kWh lithium-ion battery, 600 kW rated / 900 kW peak powertrain) and a diesel-electric hybrid variant (≥170 kWh battery plus 400 kW diesel engine) — for deployment on the TT–GS coal transport corridor.
The study is structured around five analytical dimensions: (1) vehicle technical specifications and platform design; (2) axle loading mechanics and road infrastructure requirements; (3) multi-axle powertrain, electrical system, and control architecture; (4) traction force, power demand, and battery range modelling using sensitivity analysis over a 250 km route; and (5) preliminary economic comparison of the pure electric, hybrid, and conventional diesel options across per-km, per-cycle, per-tonne, and per-tonne-km cost metrics.
Key findings are as follows. The pure electric CR130EVT with 783 kWh battery capacity can complete a one-way 250 km trip within normal consumption bounds of 2.0–2.7 kWh/km with a 90% usable State of Charge (SOC) window (704.7 kWh usable), leaving a positive SOC margin at the destination terminal. Under adverse operating conditions (energy consumption ≥ 3.0 kWh/km, e.g. severe cold, strong headwinds, high sustained gradients), the practical range falls to approximately 234.9 km, necessitating a mid-route battery swap or charging support station at approximately km 110–140. A proposed three-station infrastructure layout (S0: Tavan Tolgoi terminal; S1: km 110–140 optional mid-route; S2: Gashuun Sukhait terminal) is presented. The recommended charging infrastructure configuration is Grid + Solar PV + Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), providing peak demand shaving and operational resilience, with an installed capacity requirement of 3–4 MW per terminal station.
Economic analysis at baseline parameters (electricity tariff: 300 MNT/kWh; diesel price: 4,250 MNT/L; EV energy consumption: 2.5 kWh/km; diesel fuel consumption: 1.3 L/km) yields total direct operating costs of 1,850 MNT/km for the pure electric variant, 5,175 MNT/km for the hybrid, and 7,025 MNT/km for conventional diesel — making the pure electric vehicle 3.8× cheaper to operate per kilometre than diesel. On a per-tonne-km basis, the pure electric achieves 28.5 MNT/t·km versus 79.6 MNT/t·km (hybrid) and 108.1 MNT/t·km (diesel). With one vehicle completing two 500 km round-trip cycles per day for 330 operational days per year, the annual operating cost saving versus diesel is approximately 1.71 billion MNT per vehicle. For a fleet of 10 vehicles, fleet-level annual savings versus diesel reach approximately 17.08 billion MNT. Payback period on additional EV infrastructure investment of 12 billion MNT (10-vehicle fleet) is estimated at approximately 1.09 years — a highly compelling economic case for electrification transition.
The hybrid CR130EVT is identified as a viable transitional solution during the infrastructure build-out phase, when terminal swap stations and mid-route support infrastructure are not yet fully commissioned. The hybrid's diesel engine provides operational flexibility without range anxiety, but its higher per-km cost (5,175 MNT/km vs. 1,850 MNT/km) and retained emissions make it unsuitable as a long-term primary fleet strategy.
Lateral stability analysis using a static roll model demonstrates that the CR130EVT combination maintains an adequate theoretical stability margin (critical roll angle θ_cr ≈ 34.3° at B = 3.0 m, h_cg = 2.2 m) but requires strict operational protocols: turning speed not exceeding 20–30 km/h on curves with radius ≤ 25 m; maximum working side slope limited to 6–8°; symmetric coal loading of 60 t per trailer body; and level unloading areas.
This thesis concludes that the pure electric CR130EVT, deployed with purpose-designed terminal swap stations and mid-route support, represents the most economically and environmentally advantageous long-term solution for the TT–GS coal transport corridor. Recommendations for next steps include a 1–2 vehicle pilot programme to validate field consumption rates across all four Mongolian seasons, followed by staged fleet electrification.
Revised Scope: Design and Implementation of a Portable Bus-Powered Dual-Mono USB-C DAC/AMP on the XMOS XU208 Platform
(German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT), 2026) Gal, Unubold; Supervisor 1: Kim Young Suk, PhD.; Supervisor 2: Nikita Abramov
This thesis documents the design and implementation of a portable, bus-powered USB-C digital-to-analog converter and headphone amplifier (DAC/AMP) on a 4-layer mixed-signal PCB. A review of the commercial portable DAC/AMP market shows that budget and mid-range devices typically rely on single-stereo DAC architectures, PLL-derived clocks and limited power distribution, while XMOS XU208-based designs have so far been restricted to desktop devices.
The design evolved through two architectures and three revisions. Version 1, a desktop architecture, produced simulation work including a MOSFET-based capacitance multiplier achieving -112.12 dB power-rail SNR. Version 2 initially used the CT7601CR MCU, which was replaced by the open-source XMOS XU208 USB audio processor due to its closed firmware ecosystem. The final design implements a true dual-mono architecture with two independent CS43131 DAC/AMP chips, three independent crystal oscillators for jitter-free master clock distribution, and a cascaded power distribution network (TPS7A9101, LT3045 and SGM2036 regulators) that isolates the analog supply chain from USB VBUS noise. It provides both 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced outputs within the USB 2.0 500 mA current budget.
Design decisions were based on manufacturer design guides, datasheets and established EMC literature, and a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) was performed on the final revision. The fabricated board is ready for assembly, and a three-phase verification methodology (power-on, firmware bring-up and audio performance measurement) is defined to validate the theoretical performance in hardware.
Coordinate Measuring Robotic Arm
(German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT), 2026) Sodbayr, Amarjargal; Supervisor 1: Prof. Young Suk Kim; Supervisor 2: Prof. Sungchil Lee
This thesis presents the design, development, and experimental validation of a coordinate measuring arm intended for educational and small-scale engineering applications. Conventional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are expensive and unsuitable for resource-limited environments; therefore, this work proposes an accessible alternative based on three-joint articulated arm mechanics, absolute rotary encoders, and RS485 Modbus RTU communication. The mechanical structure was designed using Autodesk Inventor and fabricated through fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. A Python-based software application was developed to acquire encoder data, compute end-effector coordinates using planar forward kinematics, and reconstruct basic geometric shapes including lines, triangles, and circles. A graphical user interface provides real-time visualization of the arm configuration and measurement results. Calibration methods including offset correction and global scaling were implemented to reduce systematic errors. Experimental validation demonstrated that the system achieves line measurement accuracy within ±2%, circle measurement error below 3.3%, and reasonable geometric fidelity for triangular shapes. These results confirm the feasibility of developing functional coordinate measurement capability using low-cost, readily available components.