This paper highlights the role of automation technologies for improving the safety, productivity, and environmental sustainability of underground coal mining processes. This is accomplished by reviewing the impact tha...This paper highlights the role of automation technologies for improving the safety, productivity, and environmental sustainability of underground coal mining processes. This is accomplished by reviewing the impact that the introduction of automation technology has made through the longwall shearer automation research program of Longwall Automation Steering Committee(LASC). This result has been achieved through close integration of sensing, processing, and control technologies into the longwall mining process. Key to the success of the automation solution has been the development of new sensing methods to accurately measure the location of longwall equipment and the spatial configuration of coal seam geology. The relevance of system interoperability and open communications standards for facilitating effective automation is also discussed. Importantly, the insights gained through the longwall automation development process are now leading to new technology transfer activity to benefit other underground mining processes.展开更多
Overburden rock movements and fracture developments occur during mining activities. Consequently, relief gas reservoirs and migration in coal seams being mined as well as in near distant coal seams appear. We consider...Overburden rock movements and fracture developments occur during mining activities. Consequently, relief gas reservoirs and migration in coal seams being mined as well as in near distant coal seams appear. We considered a gas disaster management project and rules on stope relief of gas flows together and explored a gas reservoir and the evolution of stope surrounding rock fractures in the process of mining near distant protective layers by physical simulation, numerical simulation and field testing. Different techniques provide evidence of the rules of interaction of gas reservoirs and the evolution of surrounding rock fractures and are able to find accurately the gas-rich regions around the stope. Finally, we found that these rules can provide a basis for taking measures to prevent gas accidents in the protective layer of the coalface as well as for demonstrating and designing programs to drain high concentrations of gas from the gob.展开更多
Caving in coal mines releases significant amounts of dust and gas. This is exhausted from the mine by forcing the air to travel through the caved zones into a set of roadways known as bleeders. These bleeder entries a...Caving in coal mines releases significant amounts of dust and gas. This is exhausted from the mine by forcing the air to travel through the caved zones into a set of roadways known as bleeders. These bleeder entries are operated for the life of the mine, and therefore, they have to be kept in stable condition. Caving operations in coal mines are associated with Iongwall mines and complete pillar extraction. The pillars adjoining the caved zone sometimes show rib failures, posing a hazard for mine personnel travelling through the entry. In this paper, we present the results from analyses of bleeder pillars that are near the caved zones and are susceptible to damage because of the transfer of load during the caving process. In this study, bleeder pillars were simulated in a displacement discontinuity program. Results showed that the vertical stresses on bleeder pillars increased while the safety factor of bleeder pillar decreased during the caving process; however, when the caved zone completely consolidated, both the stresses and safety factor did not change for the remaining extraction. When similar extraction was performed at deeoer denths, vertical stress on pillars increased significantly_展开更多
文摘This paper highlights the role of automation technologies for improving the safety, productivity, and environmental sustainability of underground coal mining processes. This is accomplished by reviewing the impact that the introduction of automation technology has made through the longwall shearer automation research program of Longwall Automation Steering Committee(LASC). This result has been achieved through close integration of sensing, processing, and control technologies into the longwall mining process. Key to the success of the automation solution has been the development of new sensing methods to accurately measure the location of longwall equipment and the spatial configuration of coal seam geology. The relevance of system interoperability and open communications standards for facilitating effective automation is also discussed. Importantly, the insights gained through the longwall automation development process are now leading to new technology transfer activity to benefit other underground mining processes.
基金Project 2005CB221506 supported by the National Basic Research Program of China
文摘Overburden rock movements and fracture developments occur during mining activities. Consequently, relief gas reservoirs and migration in coal seams being mined as well as in near distant coal seams appear. We considered a gas disaster management project and rules on stope relief of gas flows together and explored a gas reservoir and the evolution of stope surrounding rock fractures in the process of mining near distant protective layers by physical simulation, numerical simulation and field testing. Different techniques provide evidence of the rules of interaction of gas reservoirs and the evolution of surrounding rock fractures and are able to find accurately the gas-rich regions around the stope. Finally, we found that these rules can provide a basis for taking measures to prevent gas accidents in the protective layer of the coalface as well as for demonstrating and designing programs to drain high concentrations of gas from the gob.
基金CERB (Coal and Energy Research Bureau) for supporting this research work
文摘Caving in coal mines releases significant amounts of dust and gas. This is exhausted from the mine by forcing the air to travel through the caved zones into a set of roadways known as bleeders. These bleeder entries are operated for the life of the mine, and therefore, they have to be kept in stable condition. Caving operations in coal mines are associated with Iongwall mines and complete pillar extraction. The pillars adjoining the caved zone sometimes show rib failures, posing a hazard for mine personnel travelling through the entry. In this paper, we present the results from analyses of bleeder pillars that are near the caved zones and are susceptible to damage because of the transfer of load during the caving process. In this study, bleeder pillars were simulated in a displacement discontinuity program. Results showed that the vertical stresses on bleeder pillars increased while the safety factor of bleeder pillar decreased during the caving process; however, when the caved zone completely consolidated, both the stresses and safety factor did not change for the remaining extraction. When similar extraction was performed at deeoer denths, vertical stress on pillars increased significantly_
