Adjustment of inclination in the system of longwall mining

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to monitoring the position of a mining combine in a longwall mining system.

ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

A method of monitoring a cutting mining machine in a longwall mining system, wherein the cutting mining machine includes a shearer including a cutting head, wherein the method obtains information regarding a desired inclination angle of the shearer using a processor, receiving by the processor an inclination angle indicative of the current the position of the combine in the slope, the method being characterized in that it is determined using a processor, whether the inclination angle is within the desired inclination angle. The desired slope angle range is based on the desired slope angle information, and the desired slope angle range includes an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold. The method uses a processor to adjust the position of the cutting head depending on whether the inclination angle is within the desired inclination angle. Adjusting the position of the cutting head involves changing its position so that:

- the cutting head is lowered when the inclination angle exceeds the upper inclination angle threshold,

- the cutting head is raised when the inclination angle is below the lower inclination angle threshold.

Preferably, the desired slope angle information includes the desired slope angle and the desired slope angle tolerance, the value of the desired slope angle being determined based on the type of terrain in which the combine is operating.

Preferably, determining whether the slope angle is within the desired slope angle range includes using the slope angle processor to compare the slope angle to at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, the method further includes computing with the processor an amount of slope correction based on the difference between the slope angle and at least one of the group consisting of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold, and wherein adjusting the position of the cutter head includes at least one of lowering and raising cutting head based on the amount of slope correction.

Preferably, obtaining information regarding the desired slope angle includes receiving the desired slope angle at the processor and calculating at least one of the group consisting of a high slope angle threshold and a low slope angle threshold using the desired slope angle and the desired slope angle tolerance, wherein the range of the desired slope angle is determined by at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, obtaining information regarding the desired tilt angle includes receiving at least one of the group consisting of a high tilt angle threshold and a lower tilt angle threshold, wherein the range of the desired tilt angle is determined by at least one of the high tilt angle threshold and the lower tilt angle threshold. slope, and determining whether the slope angle is within the range of the desired slope angle, includes comparing, using the slope angle processor, with at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, the cutting head is a floor cutting head used for mining the lower section of the mineral deposit, and the shearer further includes a roof cutting head used for mining the upper section of the mineral deposit.

A monitoring device for a longwall mining system, comprising a shearer including a mining head and a sensor for determining the position of the shearer in an inclination, characterized in that the monitoring device comprises:

a monitoring module implemented using the operation of the processor, in communication with the combine, to obtain information regarding the desired inclination angle and to receive an inclination angle indicating the current inclination position of the combine.

The monitoring module includes:

an analysis module configured to determine whether the slope angle is within a desired slope angle range, the desired slope angle range being based on the desired slope angle information, the desired slope angle range including an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold; and a correction module configured to adjust the position of the cutter head depending on whether the tilt angle is within the desired tilt angle, the correction module being configured to lower the position of the cutter head when the tilt angle exceeds the upper tilt angle threshold and raise the position of the cutter head , when the slope angle is below the lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, the desired slope angle information includes the desired slope angle and the desired slope angle tolerance, the value of the desired slope angle being determined based on the type of terrain in which the combine is operating.

Preferably, the analysis module is configured to calculate an amount of slope correction based on the difference between the slope angle and at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold, and wherein the correction module is configured to perform at least one of lowering and raising the cutter head based on the amount of slope correction.

Preferably, the analysis module is configured to compare the slope angle with at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold to determine whether the slope angle is within the range of the desired slope angle.

Preferably, the monitoring module is configured to receive the desired slope angle, calculate at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold using the desired slope angle and a desired slope angle tolerance, wherein the range of the desired slope angle is determined by at least one of the upper slope angle threshold and the lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, the monitoring module is configured to receive at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold, wherein the range of the desired slope angle is defined by at least one of the upper slope angle threshold and the lower slope angle threshold, and wherein the analysis module is configured to compare the slope angle with at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold to be determined, whether the inclination angle is within the desired inclination angle.

Preferably, the cutting head is a floor cutting head used for mining the lower section of the mineral deposit, and the shearer further includes a roof cutting head used for mining the upper section of the mineral deposit.

A longwall mining system including a shearer, including a body, a cutting head coupled to the body, a sensor arranged within the body and configured to determine a position in the slope of the body, and a processor arranged within the body, characterized in that the processor is configured to obtain information regarding a desired angle the inclination of the combine harvester, receiving the inclination angle from the sensor indicating the current position of the body in the inclination, determining, whether the inclination angle is within the desired inclination angle range, wherein the desired inclination angle range is based on the desired inclination angle information, wherein the desired inclination angle range includes an upper inclination angle threshold and a lower inclination angle threshold, and adjusting the position of the cutting head, by lowering the position of the cutting head when the inclination angle exceeds the upper threshold of the inclination angle, and raising the position of the cutting head, when the slope angle is below the lower slope angle threshold.

Preferably, the processor is configured to calculate an amount of slope correction based on the difference between the slope angle and at least one of an upper slope angle threshold and a lower slope angle threshold, and wherein the processor is configured to perform at least one of lowering and raising the cutter head based on slope correction amount.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for monitoring a mining machine for cutting cuts in a longwall mining system. The mining machine for cutting cuts includes a longwall shearer having a mining head. The method includes obtaining, using the processor, information regarding a desired grade angle, and also receiving at the processor a grade angle indicative of the current position of the longwall shearer on the grade. The method further includes determining, using the processor, whether the tilt angle is within a desired tilt angle range. The desired slope angle range is based on the desired slope angle information. The method further includes the processor adjusting the position of the cutting head depending on whether the tilt angle is within a desired tilt angle range.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a monitoring device for a longwall mining system including a mining shearer having a mining head and a sensor for determining the inclination position of the shearer. The monitoring device includes a monitoring module, implemented through the operation of a processor, in communication with the mining combine to obtain information regarding the desired slope angle and to receive information regarding the slope angle indicative of the current position of the combine in the slope. The monitoring module includes an analysis module configured to determine whether the slope angle is within the desired slope angle range. The slope angle range is based on the desired slope angle information. The monitoring module further includes a correction module that is configured to control the position of the cutter head depending on whether the tilt angle is within a desired tilt angle range.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Fig. 1 schematically shows a mining system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figures 2A-B show a longwall mining system related to the mining system in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the collapse of geological strata as mineral resources are removed from the mineral deposit.

Fig. 4 shows a powered longwall support in a longwall mining system.

Fig. 5 shows another view of the longwall support in a longwall mining system.

Figs. 6A-B show a longwall shearer in a longwall mining system.

Figs. 7A-B show the longwall shearer as it is moved through the coal bed.

Fig. 8 shows approximate locations for sensors placed in a mining header in a longwall mining system.

Fig. 9 schematically shows the combine harvester controller of Figs. 6A-B.

Fig. 10 shows a diagram of the monitoring module of a longwall mining system.

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating monitoring thresholds for a shearer in a longwall mining system.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating how to monitor the slope of a combine harvester.

Fig. 13 shows a diagram of the health monitoring system in the longwall mining system shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 14 shows a diagram of the longwall control system of the health monitoring system shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 shows an example notification using e-mail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings below. The invention allows for other embodiments and may be implemented in various ways.

It is further to be understood that embodiments of the invention may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules, which, for purposes of discussion, may be depicted and described as if most of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize from reading this detailed description that, in at least one embodiment, the electronic elements of the invention may be embodied in the form of software (e.g., stored on a non-volatile computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processors. It should be appreciated that many hardware and software devices, as well as many different design elements per se, may be used to practice the present invention. Furthermore, as described in the following paragraphs, the specific mechanical configurations shown in the drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments of the invention. However, other alternative mechanical configurations are possible. For example, "drivers" and "modules" described in the specification may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable media modules, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting elements. In some cases, drivers and modules may be implemented in the form of one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, DSPs, ASICs, and FPGAs that execute instructions or otherwise perform their functions described herein.

Fig. 1 shows a mining system 100. The mining system 100 includes a longwall mining system 200 and a health monitoring system 400. The mining system 100 is configured to extract an ore or mineral resource, for example, coal, in a mine in an efficient manner. In other embodiments, the mining system 100 is used to extract other ores and/or mineral resources. For example, in selected embodiments, trona, a salt lake evaporated mineral resource, is mined using a longwall mining system. The longwall mining system 200 includes tools, for example, a cutter 300, to physically extract coal or other mineral resource in an underground mine. The health monitoring system 400 monitors the operation of the longwall mining system 200, for example, to ensure that extraction of the mineral resource is occurring in an efficient manner, to detect equipment problems, and the like.

Longwall mining begins with the identification of a mineral deposit to be mined, followed by "blocking" of the deposit with the creation of mineral strips by drilling galleries around the perimeter of each strip. During deposit mining (i.e., coal mining), selected mineral columns may be left intact between adjacent mineral strips to assist in supporting the overlying geological strata. The mineral mining fields are mined by the longwall mining system 200, and the extracted mineral raw material is transported to the mine surface.

As shown in Figs. 2A-2B, the longwall mining system 200 includes longwall casings 205, a longwall shearer 300, and an armored face conveyor (AFC) 215. The longwall mining system 200 is generally positioned parallel to the face 216 (see: Fig. 3). The longwall casings 205 are connected to each other, parallel to the face face 216 (see Fig. 3), using electrical and hydraulic connections. Additionally, the longwall casings 205 shield the harvester 300 from the overlying geological layers 218 (see Fig. 3). The number of longwall supports 205 used in the mining system 200 depends on the width of the face 216 being mined because the longwall supports 205 are intended to protect the entire width of the face 216 from layers 218.

The shearer 300 is located along the face 216 next to the AFC longwall conveyor 215, which includes a dedicated track for the shearer 300 that runs parallel to the face 216. The shearer track is positioned between the face 216 itself and the longwall housings 205. As the shearer 300 moves along the width of the face 216, removing a layer of mineral material, the longwall supports 205 automatically move forward to support the roof of the just exposed section of layer 218.

Fig. 3 shows the mining system 200 moving forward within the mineral deposit 217 as the harvester 300 removes mineral material from the face 216. The face 216 shown in Fig. 3 runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. As the mining system 200 moves forward within the mineral deposit 217 (right in Fig. 3), the layer 218 behind the mining system 200 is allowed to collapse to form a cave-in 219. The mining system 200 continues to move forward and cut more mineral material until it reaches the end of the mineral deposit 217.

As the shearer 300 moves along the face of the face 216, the extracted mineral material falls onto a conveyor included in the longwall conveyor 215, parallel to the track of the shearer.

The mineral raw material is transported from the face of the face 216 by a conveyor. The AFC longwall conveyor 215 is then moved forward through the longwall casings 205 toward the face face 216 a distance equal to the thickness of the layer of mineral material previously removed by the cutter 300. The movement of the AFC longwall conveyor 215 allows the mined mineral to fall during the next move of the shearer onto the conveyor and also allows the shearer 300 to impact the face of the face 216 and continue mining the mineral. The conveyor and track of the AFC face conveyor 215 are driven by AFC drives 220 located at the wall inlet 221 and wall outlet 222, which are located at the remote ends of the AFC face conveyor 215. The AFC drives 220 enable the conveyor to continuously transport the mineral raw material towards the wall inlet 221 (on the left side of Fig. 2A) and allow the shearer 300 to be pulled along the track of the longwall conveyor AFC 215 bidirectionally along the entire face of the face 216.

The longwall mining system 200 also includes a beam stage leader (BSL) 225 located perpendicularly at the wall inlet end of the AFC 215. Fig. 2B shows a perspective view of the longwall mining system 200 and an enlarged view of the longwall mining system 200. BSL 225. Once mined mineral material transported by the AFC 215 longwall conveyor reaches the longwall inlet 221, the mineral raw material is guided along a 90° bend onto the BSL 225 longwall conveyor. In some cases, the BSL 225 longwall conveyor connects to the AFC 215 longwall conveyor at a different angle than 90°. The BSL 225 longwall scraper conveyor then prepares and loads the mineral raw material onto the longwall inlet conveyor (not shown), which transports the mineral raw material to the surface. The mineral feedstock is prepared for loading by crusher 230, which breaks up the mineral feedstock to facilitate loading onto the conveyor at the wall inlet. Like the AFC 215 face conveyor, the BSL 225 face scraper conveyor is driven by the BSL drive.

Fig. 4 shows a longwall mining system 200 viewed along the front face 216. Shown is a longwall support 205 that shields the shearer 300 from the above layer 218 by means of an extended canopy 236 of the longwall support 205. The canopy 236 is vertically movable (i.e., moved towards and away from layer 218) using hydraulic stands 250, 252 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 4). Thus, the canopy 236 exerts a series of upward forces on the geological layer 218 by applying various pressures to the hydraulic props 250, 252. A deflector or strut 242 is attached to the front side of the canopy 236 and is shown in the face-support position. However, strut 242 can also be fully extended, as shown by the dashed line, by strut arm 244. The advancement arm 246 attached to the base 248 allows the longwall casing 205 to be pulled toward the face 216 while the layers of mineral material are mined.

Fig. 5 shows another view of the longwall support 205. Fig. 5 shows the left hydraulic stand 250 and the right hydraulic stand 252 that support the canopy 236. Both the left hydraulic stand 250 and the right hydraulic stand 252 contain pressurized fluid to support the canopy 236 .

Figs. 6A-6B show a combine 300. Fig. 6A shows a perspective view of a combine 300. The combine 300 has an elongated central housing 305 that houses controls for the combine 300. Below the housing 305 are sliding blocks 310 that support the combine 300 on the conveyor. longwall AFC 215. Specifically, the sliding blocks 310 engage with the track of the longwall conveyor 215, allowing the shearer 300 to move along the face of the face 216. On the sides of the housing 305 run the left and right mining arms 315, 320, respectively, which are movably driven by hydraulic actuators enclosed in the right arm motor housing 325 and the left arm motor housing 330. The hydraulic actuators are part of a right arm hydraulic system 386 configured to connect the articulating right mining arm 315 and a left arm hydraulic system 388 configured to connect the articulating left mining arm 320.

At the distal end of the right cutting arm 315 (relative to the housing 305) is a right cutter 335, and at the distal end of the left cutting arm 320 is a left cutter 340. Each of the cutters 335, 340 has a plurality of knives 345 that grind the face of the face 216 , as the cutters 335, 340 rotate, whereby the mineral material is mined. The knives 345 may also spray fluid from their tips, for example to disperse harmful and/or flammable gases that accumulate in the area of ​​use. The right cutter 335 is driven (e.g., rotated) by the right cutter controller 355, while the left cutter 340 is driven (e.g., rotated) by the left cutter motor 350. Hydraulic systems 386, 388 are configured to vertically move the right cutter arm 315 and the left cutter arm 320, respectively, which changes the vertical position of the right cutter 335 and left cutter 340, respectively.

The vertical positions of the cutters 335, 340 are a function of the angle of the cutters 315, 320 relative to the main housing 305. Changing the angle of the cutting arms 315, 320 relative to the main housing 305 increases or lowers the vertical position of the cutters 335, 340, respectively. For example, when the left cutting arm 320 is raised at an angle of 20° from the horizontal, the cutter 340 may change its vertical position, for example by +0.5 m, and when the left cutting arm 320 is lowered at an angle of - 20° in relation to the horizontal, in the case of the left cutter 340 there may be a change in vertical position, for example by -0.5 m. Therefore, the vertical position of the cutters 335, 340 can be measured and adjusted depending on the angle of the cutting arms 315, 320 with respect to the horizontal. Fig. 6B shows a side view of the combine 300, including the cutters 335, 340; cutting arms 315, 320; sliding blocks 310 and housing 305. Fig. 6B also shows a detail of the left arm motor 350 and the right arm motor 355, which are enclosed in the left arm motor housing 330 and the right arm motor housing 325, respectively.

The shearer 300 is moved laterally along the face 216 in two directions, although it is not necessary for the shearer 300 to cut the mineral feedstock in two directions. For example, during some mining operations, the shearer 300 may be pulled in two directions along the face of the face 216, but will only cut the mineral resource while moving in one direction. For example, the cutter 300 may be used to cut mineral material in the first forward pass along the width of face 216, but may not cut mineral material during the return pass. Alternatively, the cutter 300 may be configured to mine the mineral feedstock on both a forward pass and a reverse pass, thereby performing bidirectional mining operations.

Figs. 7A-7B show the longwall shearer 300 as it passes along the face of face 216, in a rear view. As shown in Figs. 7A-7B, the left cutter 340 and the right cutter 335 are offset from each other to increase the surface area of ​​the face 216 that is mined during each cutter pass. Specifically, as the cutter 300 is moved horizontally along the longwall conveyor AFC 215, the left cutter 340, as shown, is cutting mineral material from the lower half (e.g., lower portion) of the face 216 and may be referred to herein as the floor cutter, while the right cutter 335, as shown, is cutting material from the upper half (e.g., upper portion) of the face of face 216. The right cutter may be referred to here as the roof cutter. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the left cutter 340 cuts the upper portion of the face 216, while the right cutter 335 cuts the lower portion of the face 216.

The combine 300 also includes a controller 384 and various sensors to enable automatic control of the combine 300. For example, the combine 300 includes a left arm angle sensor 360, a right arm angle sensor 365, left haul gear sensors 370, right haul gear sensors 375 and a longitudinal tilt sensor and transverse 380.

Fig. 8 shows the approximate locations of these sensors, although in some embodiments these sensors are located at other locations on the combine 300. Angle sensors 360, 365 provide information regarding the angle of inclination of the cutting arms 315, 320. Thus, the relative position of the right cutter 335 and the left cutter 340 can be determined based on information from the angle sensors 360, 365 in combination with, for example, the known dimensions of the combine 300 (e.g., the length of the cutting arm 315). The sensors of the haulage gear 370, 375 provide information regarding the position of the combine 310, as well as the speed and direction of movement of the combine 300. The longitudinal and cross slope sensor 380 provides information regarding the angular alignment of the combine 300.

As shown in Fig. 8, the inclination of the combine 300 refers to the angular inclination towards and away from the face of the face 216. A positive slope refers to the shearer 300 tilting away from the face of the face 216 (that is, where the front side of the shearer 300 is higher than the collapse-side portion of the shearer 300), while a negative slope refers to the shearer 300 tilting towards the face of the face 216 (i.e., when the front side of the combine 300 is lower than the side of the combine 300 facing the collapse). The inclination position of the shearer 300 is determined by the position of the AFC longwall conveyor 215. As the AFC 215 moves forward after each pass of the shearer, the inclination angle of the shearer 300 is determined, at least in part, by the line of the ground generated during the extraction of the mineral resource (this is, by the ceiling cutter 335 and the floor cutter 340) and on which the AFC 215 face conveyor rests. In other words, as the shearer 300 is driven forward across the face of the face 216 and exploits the mineral feedstock, the floor cutter 340 performing this action removes the mineral feedstock from the subsurface on which the AFC longwall conveyor 215 will be placed during the next pass. If the position of the floor cutter 340 does not change between successive shearer passes (that is, the shearer 300 moves forward within the mineral bed 217), the angle of the shearer 300 should remain approximately the same between successive shearer passes because the floor cutter 340 continues to cuts at the same or approximately the same ground level. However, if the position of the floor cutter 340 changes, either by raising or lowering the floor cutter 340, the angle of the shearer 300 will soon also change as the AFC longwall conveyor 215 AFC moves forward on this ground just being cut by the floor cutter 340. Additionally, irregularities within the bed and other factors may cause the angle of the ground below the AFC 215 face conveyor to correspond to an unexpected or undesirable angle towards or away from the face 216, which will affect the shearer 300 (supported by the AFC 215 face conveyor), which affects the angle of inclination of the combine.

For example, if the floor cutter 340 is lowered (i.e., cutting below the bottom of the face conveyor 215), the floor cutter 340 mines the mineral feedstock or material from the portion of the face face 216 that is below the current level of the face conveyor AFC 215. Therefore, as the AFC 215 moves forward, at least a portion of the face of the face conveyor 215 will be placed on lower ground, which changes the inclination angle of the combine 300 (e.g., reduces the inclination angle of the shearer 300). Similarly, if the floor cutter 340 is raised (i.e., cuts above the bottom of the face conveyor 215), the floor cutter 340 leaves (i.e., does not mine) the portion of the face 216 that is above the current level of the face conveyor AFC 215. Therefore, as the AFC 215 moves forward, at least a portion of the face of the face conveyor 215 will be on higher ground, which changes the inclination angle of the combine 300 (for example, increases the inclination angle of the shearer 300).

Therefore, the current angle of inclination of the shearer 300 depends on the level of the ground that supports the face conveyor AFC 215, and the subsequent angle of inclination of the shearer 300 depends on the vertical position of the floor cutter 340, because the floor cutter 340 cuts, from the face of the face 216, the floor on which the longwall conveyor AFC 215 will move forward. For example, lowering the floor cutter 340 will reduce the inclination angle of the shearer 300 as the AFC 215 face conveyor moves forward, while raising the floor cutter 340 will increase the inclination angle of the shearer 300 as the AFC 215 face conveyor moves forward. When the inclination of the combine is too low, there is a risk of the combine 300 suddenly hitting the face of the face 216 and disabling it. However, when the inclination of the combine 300 is too high, the combine 300 may tilt backwards instead. Therefore, when the inclination of the shearer 300 exceeds the desired slope range, there is an increased risk of causing downtime in the operation of the shearer 300 or even damage to the shearer 300 or other parts of the mining system 200 (e.g., longwall support 205). Monitoring the position of the shearer 300 also minimizes downtime of the longwall mining system 200 and minimizes the possibility of problems occurring during operation, such as, for example, deterioration of the quality of the mineral material, deterioration of the leveling of the face face, formation of cavities by damaging the layers of the overlying seams, and in In some cases, lack of monitoring may result in damage to the longwall mining system 200.

The cross slope of the combine 300 refers to the angular difference between the right side (e.g., wall outlet) of the combine 300 and the left side (e.g., wall inlet) of the combine 300, as shown in Figure 8. Positive cross slope refers to the combine 300, inclined towards the wall outlet, while the negative cross slope refers to the combine 300 inclined towards the wall inlet and away from the wall outlet. Both the longitudinal slope and the cross slope of the 300 combine are measured in degrees. A longitudinal or cross slope of zero indicates that the 300 combine is level.

Sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380 provide information to controller 384 so that operation of combine 300 can remain effective. As shown in Fig. 9, controller 384 also interfaces with other systems associated with combine 300. For example, controller 384 interfaces with right arm hydraulics 386 and left arm hydraulics 388. Controller 384 monitors and regulates the operation of hydraulic systems 386, 388 and motors 350, 355 based on signals received from various sensors 360, 365, 370, 275, 380. For example, controller 384 may change the operation of hydraulic systems 386, 388 and motors 350, 355 based on information received from sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380.

Specifically, the controller 384 monitors grade data associated with the combine 300 and controls the position of the notches 335, 340 based on the grade position of the combine 300. As shown in Fig. 10, controller 384 includes a monitoring module 430 that monitors combine position data acquired by sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380. The monitoring module 430 includes an analysis module 434 that receives position data, which includes information regarding the position of the combine 300, and compares the position of the combine 300 with the desired position of the combine. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, analysis module 434 compares the current tilt angle 500 of the combine 300 with the desired tilt angle 504 and with the desired tilt angle range 508. The monitoring module 430 also includes a correction module 438 which controls the operation of the combine 300 and performs corrective actions such that the combine grade position approaches the desired combine grade position.

In some embodiments, the controller 384 also monitors and controls other operations and operating parameters of the combine 300. For example, in some embodiments, the initial cutting sequence (e.g., passage along the face of the face 216) and the mining height (e.g., the height of the cutters 335, 340) are determined by the use of offline software, which is then loaded into the combine's control system as a mining profile. Once the header controller 384 has access to the initial cut sequence and mining height, the controller 384 controls the header 300 such that the header 300 automatically replicates the previously defined cut profile until conditions in the mineral resource deposit 217 change. As conditions in the reservoir change, the shearer operator 300 can override the control of the cutters 335, 340, while the controller 384 saves the new ceiling/floor horizon as a new cutting profile.

Additionally, the cutting profile may define different cutter heights for different sections along the face 216. For reference purposes, the face 216 may be divided into sections based on longwall supports. In a simple example, the longwall system may include one hundred longwall supports along the face 216, and the cutting profile for one cutter pass may determine the height of cutters every ten longwall supports. In this example, ten different notch heights, one for each section of ten longwall supports, would be included in the cut profile for one cutter pass to determine the notch heights for the entire longwall. The size of the sections (that is, the number of longwall supports per section) may vary depending on the accuracy required and other factors.

Fig. 12 illustrates the method performed by the analysis module 434 and the correction module 438 to maintain the operation of the combine 300 within the parameters of the desired slope position. As can be seen in Fig. 12, the analysis module 434 first receives the slope angle information (block 600). Slope information is electronic data received, for example, from an operator or user entering data manually (for example, using a keyboard, mouse, touch screen or other user interface), mineral modeling software providing the data, data output by a mineral monitoring system operating in real time, a remote supervisor/operator off site (e.g. via remote monitoring system 400), a combination of the above, or another source, slope angle information includes or is used to calculate a range of desired slope angles that may be determined by a high and low threshold.

In some cases, the received slope angle information takes the form of a desired slope angle 504 and a desired slope angle tolerance 512. For example, a user may measure the desired slope angle 504 at a mining site based on the alignment of the mineral deposit 217 and determine the appropriate slope angle tolerance 512 for a given application based on the type of terrain in which the mine is located and the operating parameters of a specific 300 combine. The user then enters the desired tilt angle 504 (e.g., 20°) and the tolerance 512 (e.g.,

30°) to the analysis module 434. In some embodiments, at step 600, the user enters some of the tilt angle information and the analysis module 434 obtains the rest of the tilt angle information from another source. For example, the user enters the desired tilt angle 504, but the analysis module 434 accesses the desired tilt angle tolerance 512 from memory (e.g., controller 384 or remote monitoring system 400) previously stored during configuration or manufacturing.

Upon receipt, analysis module 434 uses the desired slope angle 504 and the desired slope angle tolerance 512 to determine the high slope threshold 516 and the low slope threshold 520 to determine the desired slope angle range 508 (block 604). For this purpose, the evaluation module 43 4 first calculates half of the tolerance of the inclination angle 508. In the example shown, half of the exemplary 30° tolerance of the inclination angle 508 corresponds to a value of 15°. Analysis module 434 then adds half the slope angle tolerance 508 to the desired slope angle 504 to calculate the high slope threshold 516. In the example shown, the high slope threshold 516 is calculated to be 35° (e.g., 20° plus 15°). To calculate the low slope threshold 520, the analysis module 434 subtracts half the slope angle tolerance 508 from the desired slope angle 504. In the example shown, the high slope threshold 520 is calculated to be 5° (e.g., 20° minus 15°).

As can be seen in Fig. 11, by calculating the low slope angle threshold 520 and the high slope angle threshold 516, the desired slope angle 504 corresponds to the midpoint between the low slope angle threshold 520 and the high slope angle threshold 516. Low slope angle threshold 520 and high slope angle threshold the inclinations 516 thus define the range of the desired inclination angle 508. In the example shown, the range of the desired inclination angle 508 is 5° to 35°. In some embodiments, the analysis module 434 does not calculate the high slope threshold 516 and/or the low slope threshold 520. Instead, the slope angle information received by the analysis module 434 includes the high slope threshold 516 and the low slope threshold 520, in addition to or instead of the desired slope angle 504 and the desired tilt angle tolerance 512.

Analysis module 434 then receives the current inclination angle 500 from the longitudinal and lateral inclination sensors 380 (block 608). The analysis module 434 continues to determine whether the current slope angle 500 is within the range of the desired slope angle 508. To do this, the analysis module 434 determines whether the current slope angle 500 exceeds the high slope threshold 516 (block 612). If the analysis module 434 determines that the current slope angle 500 exceeds the high slope threshold 516, the correction module 438 continues to calculate the slope correction height (block 616). The slope correction amount indicates the desired vertical position of the floor cutter 340 which will cause the combine 300 to slope to approach the desired slope angle 504 and/or operate within the range of the desired slope angle 508. Correction module 438 determines the amount of slope correction by calculating the difference between the current slope angle 500 and the nearest slope threshold 516, 520, converting the angular change to a change in the vertical position of the floor notch 340 (e.g., -0.5 m), and determining the desired vertical position of the floor notcher 340 (for example, 0 m, down from the current vertical position by 0.5 m).

In the example shown, when the current slope angle 500 exceeds the high slope threshold 516, the correction module 438 calculates the difference between the current slope angle 500 and the high slope threshold 516 and converts the resulting result into a change in the vertical position of the floor cutter 340 (e.g. -0.5 m). . Correction module 438 then determines the desired vertical position of the floor cutter 340 corresponding to the change in vertical position required to produce the calculated change in slope angle. For example, the correction module 438 may determine that in order to bring the angle of the combine 300 within the range of the desired slope angle 508, the floor cutter 340 should be moved to a desired vertical position, such as 0 m, down from the current vertical position by 0.5 m . The correction module 438 communicates with the left arm hydraulics 388 to change the vertical position of the floor notcher 340 such that the left arm hydraulics 388 lowers the floor notcher 340 to the slope correction height (e.g., the desired vertical position of the floor notch 340) at block 620. As the floor cutter 340 is lowered and the AFC 215 is moved forward, the shear angle 300 will decrease in the next pass and begin operating at the desired inclination angle 508. Analysis module 434 then continues to monitor the shear angle 300 (block 608).

If, on the other hand, analysis module 434 determines that the current slope angle 500 has not exceeded the high slope threshold 516, analysis module 434 continues to determine whether the current slope angle 500 is below the low slope threshold 520 (block 624). If the analysis module 434 determines that the current slope angle 500 is below the low slope threshold 520, the correction module 438 continues to calculate the slope correction amount. In such a case, the correction module 438 determines the slope correction amount by calculating the difference between the current slope angle 500 and the low slope threshold 520, converting the angular difference to the required height change, and determining the desired vertical position of the floor cutter 340. The correction module 438 communicates with the left arm hydraulics 388 to change the vertical position of the floor notcher 340 such that the left arm hydraulics 388 raises the floor notch 340 to the slope correction height (block 632). When the floor cutter 340 is raised to the desired vertical position by, for example, 1 m, and the AFC 215 is moved forward, the angle of inclination of the shearer 300 will also increase in the next pass and will begin operating at the desired inclination angle 508. Analysis module 434 then continues to monitor the angle. inclination of the combine 300 (block 608). If, however, the analysis module 434 determines that the current slope angle 500 is not below the lower slope threshold 520 (i.e., the current slope angle 500 is within the range of the desired slope angle 508), the analysis module 434 simply continues to monitor the current slope angle 500 relative to the range the desired angle of inclination 508, and the position of the floor cutter 340 does not change.

Generally, the more the current slope angle 500 exceeds the high slope threshold 516, or is below the low slope threshold 520, the greater the change in the vertical position of the floor cutter 340 is required to correct the angular slope of the combine 300. However, due to the physical dimensions of the combine 300 (e.g., the length of the cutter arms 315, 320) and the AFC 215 (e.g., the depth of the AFC 215), the cutters 335, 340 may be limited in maximum vertical height, such as 3 m, and also minimum vertical height, for example -1.0 m. Therefore, the desired vertical positions of the floor cutter 340 do not exceed the maximum vertical height or the minimum vertical height. In other words, even if correction module 438 calculates that the desired vertical position of the floor cutter 340 should be either above the maximum vertical height or below the minimum vertical height, correction module 438 will determine that the desired vertical position in such cases is equal to the maximum vertical height or minimum vertical height, respectively. vertical height. In such cases, however, even after moving the floor cutter 340 to the desired vertical position, the change in vertical position may not be sufficient to place the shearer 300 at the desired angle of inclination 504. Therefore, in such cases, the angle of inclination of the shearer 300 may require more than one pass to correct the 500 angle of inclination.

Detection of the slope angle and corrective action depend in part on the floor cutter 340 pulling the main body of the combine 300 behind it. In other words, they depend in part on the floor cutter 340 located at the end of the combine 300, on the side opposite the direction of travel during mining. Therefore, when controller 384 determines that the current slope angle 500 is outside the desired range of slope angle 508, floor cutter 340 has not yet cut mineral material in the section of the face 216 upstream of the (excessively tilted) cutter 300. This arrangement allows controller 384 to determine whether the current angle of inclination 500 is within the desired range of the angle of inclination 508 and adjust the vertical position of the floor cutter 340 accordingly, before the floor cutter 340 reaches the appropriate section of the face face 216. In such embodiments, the controller 384 continuously monitors the current angle of inclination 500 of the combine 300 and performs appropriate corrective actions (lowering/raising the floor cutter 340) during one pass of the combine. Before the next pass of the combine, the AFC 215 moves forward on the surface that has just been mined using slope correction techniques. Then, during the next pass of the shearer, the slope angle correction is performed at least in part by the shearer 300 because the AFC 215 is located on the surface being mined.

However, the shearer angle 300 may operate outside the desired slope angle range 508 in some sections of the face 216 and operate within the desired slope angle range 508 in other sections of the face 216. Therefore, the controller 384 may change the vertical position of the floor cutter 340 more than once during one pass of the combine harvester. In one example, controller 384 determines that the current slope angle 500 exceeds the high slope angle threshold 516 and lowers the floor notch 340. The current slope angle 500 continues to exceed the high slope angle threshold 516 in the case of, for example, twenty-five longwall enclosures. The current tilt angle 500 is then reduced and the combine 300 operates within the desired tilt angle range 508. In turn, the controller 384 suspends the corrective action by returning the floor cutter 340 to its original vertical position or its programmed position. This step of positioning the floor cutter 340 in its vertical original or programmed position, although not shown in FIG. 12, may occur after determining that the current inclination angle 500 is within the desired inclination angle range 508 ("no" decision at step 624) and before returning to step 608. Inclination angle 500 may once again be outside the desired inclination angle range 508 at further part of the face of face 216. For example, the current slope angle 500 may tend to be below the lower slope angle threshold, and the controller 384 will then take corrective action by raising the floor notch 340.

Although the steps in Fig. 12 are shown to occur sequentially, one or more steps are performed simultaneously. For example, the analysis steps in Figure 12 can occur simultaneously, meaning that all conditions are checked. Therefore, the controller 384 suspends operation of the combine 300 at an inappropriate inclination angle and provides corrective action to automatically change the position of the floor cutter to affect the inclination angle of the combine 300. The controller 384 may also monitor and control other operations and/or properties of the combine 300, such as, for example, the speed of the cutters 335, 340, the cross-slope angle, the position of the cutters 335, 340 regardless of the inclination of the combine 300, and the like. Although Figure 11 shows slope angle thresholds that are both positive, in some embodiments, one or both slope thresholds are negative (e.g., -5°).

For comparisons between the current pitch angle of 500 and the pitch angle thresholds of 516, 520, "above" means greater than or means greater than or equal to, and "below" means less than or means less than or equal to.

The mining system 100 also includes a health monitoring system 400 that monitors the overall performance of the longwall mining system. 200. As can be seen in Figure 13, the health monitoring system 400 includes a longwall control system 405, a surface computer 410, a network switch 415, a monitoring system 420 , and a service center 425. In the embodiment shown, the longwall control systems 405 are located at the mining site. The longwall control system 405 includes various components and controls for the components of the longwall mining system 200. For example, the longwall control system 405 may include various components and controls for the shearer 300, longwall casings 205, AFC 215, and the like. As can be seen in Fig. 14, the longwall control system 405 includes a master controller 475 configured to communicate with the shearer controller 384, the AFC controller 406, and the longwall casing controller 407. In other embodiments, the longwall control systems 405 are configured such that the master controller 475 communicates directly with sensors and systems suitable for the AFC 215, longwall housing 205 and combine harvester 300. In such embodiments, the combine controller 384 may be omitted and the sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, hydraulic systems 386, 388, and cutter motors 350, 355 communicate directly with the main controller 475.

As can be seen in Figure 13, longwall control systems 405 communicate with surface computer 410 via network switch 415, both of which may be located at the mining site. Data from the longwall control system 405 is transmitted to the surface computer 410 such that, for example, the network switch 415 receives and routes data from the controller 475 and/or the individual control systems of the shearer 300, longwall housings 205, and the AFC 215. The surface computer 410 is in further communication with the remote monitoring system 420, which may include various computing devices and processors 421 to process data received from the surface computer 410 (such as data transferred between the surface computer 410 and various longwall control systems 405). , as well as various servers 423 or databases for storing such data. The remote monitoring system 420 processes and archives data from the computer on the surface 410 based on control logic that may be implemented by one or more processing devices or processors 421 of the remote monitoring system 420. The specific control logic implemented in the remote monitoring system 420 may include a variety of methods processing data from each component of the mining system (i.e. longwall supports 205, AFC 215, shearer 300 and the like). The remote monitoring system 420 applies stored rules and algorithms to data received from the surface computer 410 to determine whether the longwall mining system 200 is operating within specified parameters. If the remote monitoring system 420 determines that the longwall mining system 200 is not operating within specified parameters, the remote monitoring system 420 may flag the occurrence as an event and generate a notification. In some embodiments, the remote monitoring system 420 may communicate with the service center 425 to notify the service center 425 about the operation of the longwall mining system 200. A user may also contact the service center 425 directly to obtain information regarding a specific longwall mining system 200.

Each of the components of the fitness monitoring system 400 is communication coupled for two-way communication purposes. Communication paths between any two components of the fitness monitoring system 400 may be wired (e.g., using Ethernet or other cables), wireless (e.g., using WiFi®, cellular, Bluetooth® protocols), or a combination of the above. Although in fig. 13 only underground longwall mining system 200 and one network switch 415 are shown, additional mining machines, both underground and surface (as well as alternatives to longwall mining) may be connected to the surface computer 410 via network switch 415. Similarly, additional network switches 415 or connections may be included to provide alternative communication paths between the underground longwall control systems 405 and the surface computer 410, as well as other systems. Additionally, additional surface computers 410, remote monitoring systems 420, and service centers 425 may be included in the health monitoring system 400.

As described above, the controller 475 receives information regarding various components of the longwall mining system 200. The controller 475 may collect the received data and store the collected data in memory, including memory dedicated to the controller 475. Periodically, the collected data is output as a data file via the switch network 415 to the surface computer 410. From the surface computer 410, data is transferred to the remote monitoring system 420, where the data is processed and stored according to the control logic defined for analysis of the collected data, as the previous data file has been transferred. The collected data may also be timestamped based on the time at which sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380 and other sensors from the longwall mining system 200 acquired the data. The data can then be organized based on the time in which it was obtained. For example, a new data file with sensor data can be uploaded every three minutes. The data file contains sensor data collected during the previous three-minute time window. In some embodiments, the time window for data collection may correspond to the time required to complete the cutting cycle. In some embodiments, controller 475 does not collect data, but controller 475 transmits data as it is received in real time. In such embodiments, remote monitoring system 420 is configured to collect data as it is received from controller 475. Remote monitoring system 420 can then analyze the combine data based on stored collected data or based on horizon control data received in real time from controller 475.

In some embodiments, the remote monitoring system 420, particularly the remote processor 421, also generates a notification or alarm when the combine 300 is operating outside of specified parameters. For example, an alarm or notification may contain general information about the event, including, for example, the time the event occurred, the location of the event, an indication of a parameter associated with the event (for example, the combine angle and the position of the floor cutter), and the time the event/notification was triggered. The notification can be archived on the remote monitoring system 420 or exported to the 425 service center or other location. For example, a 420 remote monitoring system can archive notifications that are later exported for reporting purposes. The notification may take several forms (e.g. e-mail, SMS messages and the like). In the illustrated embodiment, the notification is an email message, as shown in Fig. 15. In the illustrated embodiment, the email notification 530 includes text 534 with general information regarding the notification. In some embodiments, the e-mail notification 530 may also include an attached image file 538. In the illustrated embodiment, the attached image file 538 is a Portable Network Graphic (.png) file that includes a graphical image of the operation of the combine 300 as the combine cuts the mineral feedstock from the face. 216.

It should be noted that although the controller 384 of the combine 300 has been described as having functionality with respect to monitoring the grade position of the combine 300, in some embodiments, the health monitoring system 400 monitors the grade position of the combine 300 and transmits commands to the combine 384 to change the position of the floor cutter 340. In such embodiments, the shearer 300 controller 384 may be used to route information to the longwall control system 405 and then to the remote monitoring processor 421. The remote monitoring processor 421 then executes the method shown in Fig. 12 and transmits commands back to the controller 384 to change positioning the floor notch 340 in a specific manner.

In further embodiments, the longwall controller 475 monitors the grade position of the shearer 300. Again, in such embodiments, the longwall controller 384 of the shearer 300 routes data from sensors 360, 365, 370, 375, 380 to the longwall controller 475. The longwall controller 475 determines corrective action (that is, if the position of the floor cutter 340 needs to be changed) and sends commands to the shearer 300 controller 384 to change the position of the floor cutter 340, if required. In further embodiments, the combine harvester 300 controller 384 may be omitted and, for example, the health monitoring system 400, the longwall controller 475, the remote monitoring processor 421, or a combination thereof, monitors the grade position of the combine in the manner described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12.

It should also be noted that the remote monitoring system 420 can perform the analyzes described with respect to slope angle, as well as other analyses, both when these analyzes are performed with respect to horizon data and other longwall component system data. Analyzes may be performed by either processor 421 or another designated processor of health monitoring system 400. For example, remote monitoring system 420 may perform analyzes with respect to monitored parameters (collected data) from other components of the longwall mining system 200. For example, in certain instances, remote monitoring system 420 performs other analyzes with respect to data collected from sensors 360, 365, 370 , 375, 380 and generates a notification. Such notifications may include details of the situation that triggered the notification.

Therefore, the invention presents, among other things, systems and a method for monitoring the angle of inclination of a shearer in a longwall mining system. Various features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following claims.