Rag Aktiengesellschaft

Rag Aktiengesselschaft

Rag Aktiengessellschaft

Rag Aktiengesselschaft Ag

Martin Junker

Armin Mozar

Armin Friederich

Walter Hermülheim

Detlef Rother

Heinz-Josef Wilkin

Roland Pegel

Uwe Müller

A face equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, in particular in the underground hard coal mining industry, includes a face conveyor () arranged along the mining wall, an extraction device () that can be moved along the face conveyor (), and shield support frames () supported on the face conveyor () at an angle thereto. In order to determine the height of the face opening, a flexible hose level () with a liquid-filled hose () placed between the face conveyor () and at least one main component of the shield support frame () is installed in the area of the face conveyor (). A pressure sensor () is arranged on at least one end of the hose (). An inclination measuring device () is arranged on the face conveyor () and on the main component of the shield support frame ().

Face equipment comprising hose levels placed between the face conveyor and the shield support frames

A face equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, in particular in the underground hard coal mining industry, includes a face conveyor () arranged along the coal face, an extraction mechanism () that can be moved along the face conveyor (), and shield support frames () fastened at an angle to the face conveyor (). In order determine the shield height of the extended shield support frame () corresponding to the face opening height, a flexible hose level () with a liquid-filled hose () is installed between the roof canopy () and floor skid () of individual shield support frames (), and a pressure sensor () is arranged on the skid-side end of the hose (). An inclination measuring device () is arranged on the roof canopy (), and the pressure sensor () and inclination measuring device () are connected to an analyzing and control unit.

Face equipment comprising hose levels placed on the shield support frames of said face equipment

A Longwall equipment for mechanical extraction in longwall mining, in particular in underground coal mining, having a face conveyor arranged along the coal face, having an extraction machine which can be displaced along the face conveyor and having shield support units attached to the face conveyor at an angle thereto, is characterized in that, in order to determine the absolute height position of determined elements of the longwall equipment, a liquid-filled hydrostatic tube balance () is installed along the coalface () on the selected elements () of the longwall equipment and is connected to a base station () arranged in one of the gate roads () and determined precisely in its height as a reference point, wherein pressure sensors () are incorporated into the tube conduit () of the hydrostatic tube balance (), distributed over the course of the longwall equipment on individual elements () of the longwall equipment, and are connected to a central evaluation and control unit.

Longwall equipment with a hydrostatic tube balance thereon for determining the height position of individual elements of the longwall equipment

Method of automatically producing a defined face opening, in underground coal mining, during longwall mining operations having a face conveyor, a disk shearer loader and a hydraulic shield support. Via at least one inclination sensor on the top canopy of the shield support frame, the inclination of the top canopy relative to the horizontal, in the direction of mining or extraction of the disk shearer loader, is determined to provide angles of the course of an overlying stratum at the shield support frame. A stepping path length of each shield support frame is detected, and therefrom a cutting depth of the disk shearer loader during an extraction run is determined. A cutting height of the disk shearer loader is detected by means of sensors disposed thereon, and a cutting height of the disk shearer loader is adjusted in alignment with the angle of the course of the overlying stratum to produce the defined face opening.

Method for producing a face opening using automated systems

A method for controlling a longwall mining operation, including a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support, in underground coal mining. Using inclination sensors disposed on at least three of the four main components of each shield support frame, such as floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods, and gob-side region of the top canopy, the inclination of the shield components relative to horizontal is ascertained in the direction of step. In a computer, the ascertained inclination data is compared with base data stored in the computer that defines the geometrical orientation of the components and their movement during stepping. From the comparison, a respective height of the shield support frame, at the forward end of the top canopy, is calculated as a measure for the face opening.

Method for controlling longwall mining operations

A method for controlling longwall mining operations, having a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support, in underground coal mining. At least one sensor is disposed on the shield support frames for acquiring solid-borne noise data generated by the engagement of the extraction machine in coal and/or country rock. A cut of the extraction machine into the country rock is determined in a downstream computer on the basis of recorded vibration data that corresponds to the generated solid-borne noise.

Method for controlling longwall operations using boundary layer recognition

A method for automatically producing a defined face opening in a longwall mining operation, in underground coal mining, having a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine and hydraulic shield support frames. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the four main components of each shield support frame, such as floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods and gob-side area of the top canopy. From ascertained inclination data, by comparison with base data defining a geometrical orientation of the components and a movement thereof during stepping, a respective shield height of the shield support frames perpendicular to a bed thereof is calculated. From further sensors on the extraction machine, a cutting height thereof is acquired as a face opening. In terms of a location-synchronous analysis, for possible adjustment purposes the cutting height is compared with the shield height when the shield support frame, which trails the extraction machine with a time delay, has reached the position to which relates that cutting height which was used in the comparison.

Method for automatically creating a defined face opening in longwall mining operations

A method for maintaining, in a controlled manner, a top canopy/coal-face distance expedient for rock mechanics, in longwall mining operations in underground coal mining, using a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support frame. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the four main components of the shield support frame, including floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods and gob-side area of the top canopy. An inclination of the top canopy and floor skid are ascertained via the sensors. From the ascertained inclination data, in a computer, the effects on a top canopy/coal face distance are determined when changes in an angle of inclination of the top canopy occur. An automatic adjustment of decisive cycle parameters of the shield support frame are carried out, wherein the work cycle comprises retraction, advancement and setting processes.

Method for the controlled maintaining of a distance between the top canopy and the coal face in longwall mining operations

A method of setting an automatic level control of a plow in longwall mining operations. By means of a boom control mechanism, a control angle for setting motion of the plow, which is guided on a face conveyor, in an exploitation direction as a climbing, plunging or neutral motion is set. For each plow stroke, a cutting depth and the control angle, derived as a differential angle between inclinations of the face conveyor and of a top canopy of a shield support frame are determined. In a calculating unit, a face height change per plow stroke is calculated therefrom and a face height, as a projected height, is associated with each face position of the face conveyor. When a shield support frame that trails behind the plow in terms of a time delay reaches a respective face position, an actual height of the face is calculated and compared with the store projected height. For subsequent plow strokes, a height differential value between the projected and actual heights, determined for a respective face position, in the sense of a self-learning effect of the calculating unit when the control angle that is to be set to achieve a projected height of the face is prescribed, is taken into consideration.

Method of setting an automatic level control of the plow in plowing operations of coal mining

A method for automatically producing a defined face opening in a longwall mining operation in underground coal mining, using a face conveyor, at least one plow, as an extraction machine, guided on the face conveyor, and respective hydraulic shield support frames having, as main components, a floor skid arrangement, a gob shield, a top canopy and support connection rods. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the floor skid arrangements, the gob shield, the support connection rods and a gob-side region of the top canopy. From the sensors, an inclination relative to a horizontal is ascertained. From the inclination data, by comparison with base data defining a geometrical orientation of the components and movement thereof during a stepping process, a respective shield height of the shield support frames perpendicular to a bed thereof is calculated and is compared with a machine-dependent fixed cutting height of the plow to establish if deviations exist. By means of a boom controller disposed between the shield support frame and the face conveyor, a height control of the plow is initiated to correct established deviations and is maintained, in the sense of a location-synchronized evaluation, until the shield support frame, which trails the plow with a time delay, has reached the position at which the plow was located at the point in time when the height control of the plow was initiated.

Method for automatically producing a defined face opening in plow operations in coal mining

A method for controlling the extraction capacity of longwall operations in underground coal mining, including ascertaining the respective demand of the longwall operations, for air-technology and climate-technology resources, as influencing variables for a projected delivery quantity on the basis of data applicable to equipment of the longwall operations and to mineral deposit parameters, and storing the ascertained influencing variables in a computer as target data. Actual data for a raw coal delivery quantity, for air flowing through, for the supplied cooling capacity, and for the exhaust gas during running operation is detected and conveyed to the computer. If an increased demand for resources is recognized, coverage is initiated via a changeover of excess resources available at other longwall operations or, if a reduced demand for resources is recognized, excess resources are rerouted to other longwall operations experiencing corresponding demand deficiencies.

Method for controlling longwall operations with incorporation of air-technology and climate-technology resources

A method of controlling conveyance of the debris, extracted by working machines in underground mining operations, via conveyors and bunker units. The lowest available conveying capacity of the conveyors and buffer capacity of the bunker units are determined based on continuously detected actual data and are compared in a computer-aided control unit to at least one of current actual extraction output, anticipated target extraction output, and scheduled output extrapolated from past actual data. Upon detection of deviations, the control unit automatically effects a balancing of capacities between the conveyors and bunker units connected at an output side of each individual different working machine, taking into consideration their maximum conveying capacity and buffer capacity respectively, and/or controls the extraction output of the working machines taking into consideration respectively available conveying capacity of downstream conveyors and buffer capacity of the bunker units.

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Rheinberg, Germany

Martin Junker