Application of Modern Machine Diagnostic Systems to Improve Safety in the Underground Mining Process

Abstract

Currently used machine diagnostic systems are based on very modern solutions based on the acquisition and recording of their operating parameters in real time. Increasingly available and high-tech sensor systems mean that the number of recorded parameters is increasing and their quality is improving. These data are mainly used to assess the technical condition of machines and the processes they perform. In mining, these data can also be used to assess and, at a later stage, improve the safety of the underground mining process. Referring to this issue, the paper presents examples of the use of diagnostic systems for powered roof supports and longwall shearers to assess the safety status of the underground hard coal mining process. In the case of the wall support, the focus was on measuring the pressures in the stands of its individual sections. Temporary changes in the values of these pressures constitute a valuable source of information regarding the interaction of the support with the rock mass. In particular, this concerns the identification of the effects of the informational impact of the rock mass on the longwall excavation protected by the support. The research results presented in the paper, especially in the case of very dangerous dynamic impacts, indicate the possibility of both diagnosing the operating condition of the section and identifying symptoms of exposure to such events. This undoubtedly significantly expands the possibilities of using the measured pressures. Diagnostic signals from a longwall shearer are also widely used. The current intensities drawn by its motors while cutting the rock mass, as well as the advance speed and its position in the wall make it possible to analyze these parameters and their changes before, during and after the occurrence of various types of events. These data enable the assessment of the effects of the rock mass on its operational efficiency and safety status. It also enables the identification of symptoms that precede the occurrence of such events. The presented examples indicate the need for a broader and more holistic approach to the use of diagnostic parameters of mining machines. In particular, this concerns the study of the cooperation between the support and the rock mass and its influence on the efficiency and safety of the rock mass mining process. The subject matter addressed relates to very important and current issues, and the developed methodology and obtained results should be applied in practice as soon as possible.

Keywords

• machine diagnostics
• underground mining
• process safety
• production engineering
• mining machines