The paper presents the experience of using the ŁPrP, ŁPKO, ŁPSp, ŁPSpA i ŁPSp3R types of flattened supports for longwall entries in the conditions of the JSW S.A. Knurów-Szczygłowice coal mine. The article concentrates on the support solutions applied in the conditions of the mine and the results in terms of stability and usefulness of the structures of the supports. An analysis of the load bearing capacity and technological conditions has been conducted for various flattened supports solutions, with special consideration given to the ŁPSp and ŁPrPJ support sets. Comparing these two, the ŁPSp exhibits a load bearing capacity that is 21% higher while using 31% less steel mass. The experiment results allowed to determine that the ŁPSpA and ŁPSp3R support types are an advantageous solutions in case of longwall set-up rooms.
This article focuses on the difficulties in ensuring longwall stability resulting from the wrong geometric form of the structure of powered support sections. The authors proved, based on the in-situ measurements and numerical calculations, that proper cooperation of the support with the rock mass requires correct determination of the support point for the hydraulic legs along the length of the canopy (ratio), as well as the inclination of the shield support of the section of the powered roof support. The lack of these two fundamental elements may lead to roof drops that directly impact the production results and safety of the people working underground. Another matter arising from the incorrect geometric form of the construction are the values of forces created in the node connecting the canopy with the caving shield, which can make a major contribution to limit the practical range of the operational height of the powered roof support (due to interaction of powered support with rockmass) in terms of the operating range offered by the manufacturer of the powered support. The operating of the powered roof support in some height ranges may hinder, or even in certain cases prevent, the operator of powered support, moving the shields and placing them with the proper geometry (ensuring parallelism between the canopy and the floor bases of the section).
The use of computer techniques at the design stage of industrial facilities is essential in modern times. The ability to shorten the time required to develop a project and assess the safety of the use of assumptions, often enables the reduction of the costs incurred in the future. The possibility to skip expensive prototype tests by using 3D prototyping is why it is currently the prevailing model in the design of industrial facilities, including in the mining industry. In the case of a longwall working, its stability requires the maintenance of the geometric continuity of floor rocks in cooperation with a powered roof support.
The paper investigates the problem of longwall working stability under the influence of roof properties, coal properties, shield loading and the roof-floor interaction. The longwall working stability is represented by an index, factor of safety (FOS), and is correlated with a previously proposed roof capacity index ‘g‘. The topic of the paper does address an issue of potential interest.
The assessment of the stability of the roof in longwalls was based on the numerical analysis of the factor of safety (FOS), using the Mohr-Coulomb stress criterion. The Mohr-Coulomb stress criterion enables the prediction of the occurrence of failures when the connection of the maximum tensile principal stress σ1 and the minimum compressive principal stress σ3 exceed relevant stress limits. The criterion is used for materials which indicates distinct tensile and compressive characteristics. The numerical method presented in the paper can be utilized in evaluating the mining natural hazards through predicting the parameters, which determine the roof maintenance in the longwall working.
One of the purposes of the numerical analysis was to draw attention to the possibilities that are currently created by specialized software as an important element accompanying the modern design process, which forms part of intelligent underground mining 4.0.
This paper presents mathematical models enabling the calculation of the distribution and patterns of methane inflow to the air stream in a longwall seam being exploited and spoil on a longwall conveyor, taking into account the variability of shearer and conveyor operation and simulation results of the mining team using the Ventgraph-Plus software. In the research, an experiment was employed to observe changes in air parameters, in particular air velocity and methane concentration in the Cw-4 longwall area in seam 364/2 at KWK Budryk, during different phases of shearer operation in the area of the mining wall in methane hazard conditions. Presented is the method of data recording during the experiment which included records from the mine’s system for automatic gasometry, records from a wireless system of eight methane sensors installed in the end part of the longwall and additionally from nine methane anemometers located across the longwall on a grid. Synchronous data records obtained from these three independent sources were compared against the recording the operating condition of the shearer and haulage machines at the longwall in various phases of their operation (cleaning, cutting). The results of the multipoint system measurements made it possible to determine the volume of air and methane flow across the longwall working, and, consequently, to calculate the correction coefficients for determining the volume of air and methane from measurements of local air velocity and methane concentration. An attempt was made to determine the methane inflow from a unit of the longwall body area and the unit of spoil length on conveyors depending on the mining rate. The Cw-4 longwall ventilation was simulated using the data measured and calculated from measurements and the simulation results were discussed.
In the extra-thick coal seams and multi-layered hard roofs, the longwall hydraulic support yielding, coal face spalling, strong deformations of goaf-side entry, and severe ground pressure dynamic events typically occur at the longwall top coal caving longwall faces. Based on the Key strata theory an overburden caving model is proposed here to predict the multilayered hard strata behaviour. The proposed model together with the measured stress changes in coal seam and underground observations in Tongxin coal mine provides a new idea to analyse stress changes in coal and help to minimise rock bursts in the multi-layered hard rock ground. Using the proposed primary Key and the sub-Key strata units the model predicts the formation and instability of the overlying strata that leads to abrupt dynamic changes to the surrounding rock stress. The data obtained from the vertical stress monitoring in the 38 m wide coal pillar located adjacent to the longwall face indicates that the Key strata layers have a significant influence on ground behaviour. Sudden dynamically driven unloading of strata was caused by the first caving of the sub-Key strata while reloading of the vertical stress occurred when the goaf overhang of the sub-Key strata failed. Based on this findings several measures were recommended to minimise the undesirable dynamic occurrences including pre-split of the hard Key strata by blasting and using the energy consumption yielding reinforcement to support the damage prone gate road areas. Use of the numerical modelling simulations was suggested to improve the key theory accuracy.
This publication presents the research aimed at developing statistical models, on the basis of which it was possible to prepare credible forecasts of unit cost and coal net output for longwalls in 5 hard coal mines in P oland. The argument has been verified that there is a dependence between the level of nuisance and the level of costs, as well as longwall production results.
A research procedure has been developed for that purpose, which aimed at developing two statistical models connecting the nuisance due to geological and mining conditions with costs and longwall production results. The multiple linear regression technique has been used to develop statistical models. The set of data taken into account in the analyses comprised 120 longwalls mined in the years 2010–2019. Two models have been developed – one for forecasting unit costs, the other for forecasting coal net output. Subsequently, the models’ forecasting ability has been verified on a sample of historical data. A relative forecast error for 75% of observations has been in the range of (–25%; +37%). That result has been considered satisfactory. Subsequently, using those models, forecasts of unit costs and coal net output have been prepared for 220 longwalls planned for mining in the years 2020–2030. Those forecasts have been prepared in the stipulated ranges of geological and mining nuisance influencing mining process, by means of dedicated W Ue and W Ut factors. The nuisance models for forecasting purposes have been developed using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. The research hypothesis has been confirmed on the basis of the obtained results. An increase in the level of nuisance leads to an increase in the unit costs for longwalls and the deterioration of production results. Unit operating costs for longwalls in specific ranges of nuisance may differ by up to 30%, being in the range of 52.0–120.3 zł/Mg. Likewise, the coal daily output of longwalls may be even 22% lower, having the average level in the range of 1.89–3.61 thousand Mg/d.