阅读说明：本技术 用于长壁开采的剪切系统 (Shear system for longwall mining ) 是由 E·R·柯克霍普 于 2019-07-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于长壁开采的剪切系统包括输送槽组,输送槽组具有端部止动件、门端组和成组的连续安排的输送槽,成组的连续安排的输送槽从门端部延伸并且具有布置在端部止动件之外的一个或多个输送槽。剪切机可在端部止动件处停止,包括剪切机臂,并且当剪切机臂设置在端部止动件和门端部之间时,剪切机定位在一个或多个输送槽上。第一传感器检测剪切机的方位,而第二传感器检测成组的连续安排的输送槽的方位。控制系统确定在端部止动件和门端部之间的输送槽组的轮廓,并且当剪切机臂设置在端部止动件和门端部之间时,控制系统基于输送槽组的轮廓来控制剪切机臂的运动。(A shear system for longwall mining includes a trough set having end stops, a gate end set, and a set of successively arranged troughs extending from the gate end and having one or more troughs disposed beyond the end stops. The shears may stop at the end stops, include a shear arm, and be positioned on the one or more troughs when the shear arm is disposed between the end stops and the door end. The first sensor detects the orientation of the shears and the second sensor detects the orientation of the set of successively arranged transport troughs. The control system determines a profile of the conveyor run group between the end stop and the door end and controls movement of the shear arm based on the profile of the conveyor run group when the shear arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.)

1. A shearing system for longwall mining, the shearing system comprising:

a conveyor run group defined by a plurality of interconnected conveyor runs, the conveyor run group comprising an end stop, a door end, and a set of consecutively arranged conveyor runs extending from the door end and having one or more conveyor runs disposed beyond the end stop remote from the door end;

a shear movable on and along the set of conveyor slots and configured to stop at the end stop, the shear comprising:

a shearer arm configured to be moved to remove mineral material from a mining face, wherein the shearer is positioned on the one or more conveyor troughs when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end; and

a first sensor configured to detect an orientation of the shear;

a set of second sensors, each second sensor configured to detect an orientation of a conveyor trough of the set of successively arranged conveyor troughs; and

a control system configured to:

determining a profile of the set of conveyor slots between the end stop and the door end based on an orientation of one or more conveyor slots of the set of consecutively arranged conveyor slots and an orientation of the shear when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end; and

controlling movement of the shearer arm based on a profile of the conveyor run set when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

2. The clipping system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises an inertial navigation system.

3. The shearing system of claim 1, wherein the set of second sensors is coupled to the set of consecutively arranged conveying troughs.

4. The shearing system of claim 1, wherein each second sensor of the set of second sensors includes an inclinometer.

5. The shearing system of claim 1, wherein the gate end is one of a main gate end or a tail gate end of the conveyor run group.

6. The shearing system of claim 1, wherein detection of the orientation of the shear when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end facilitates determination of the profile of the one or more feed slots.

7. The shearing system of claim 1, wherein a length defined by the one or more feed slots extends all the way to at least a midpoint of a length of the shear when the shearer arm of the shear is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

8. The clipping system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to:

calculating a deviation between an orientation of one or more conveyor troughs of the set of successively arranged conveyor troughs and an orientation of the shear when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end; and

appending the orientation of each conveyor run in the set of consecutively arranged conveyor runs based on the deviation to determine the profile of the set of conveyor runs between the end stop and the door end.

9. A method for operating a shear of a longwall mining machine, the method comprising:

receiving, by a control system, data corresponding to an orientation of the shear movable on and along a set of conveyor slots;

receiving, by the control system, data corresponding to an orientation of a set of successively arranged conveyor runs extending from a door end of the set of conveyor runs, wherein the set of successively arranged conveyor runs has one or more conveyor runs disposed beyond an end stop of the set of conveyor runs away from the door end;

determining, by the control system, a profile of the set of conveyor slots between the end stop and the door end based on an orientation of one or more conveyor slots of the set of consecutively arranged conveyor slots and an orientation of the shear when a shearer arm of the shear is disposed between the end stop and the door end; and

controlling, by the control system, movement of the shearer arm based on a profile of the conveyor run group when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein data corresponding to the orientation of the set of successively arranged conveyor troughs is received from a second set of sensors,

wherein each second sensor of the set of second sensors comprises an inclinometer.

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a shearing system for longwall mining. More particularly, the present invention relates to determining the profile of a set of conveyor pans in a set of conveyor pans of a longwall mining machine by using sensors (e.g., inclinometers).

Background

Longwall mining operations typically employ a shearer that moves back and forth along an armored face conveyor shoe set (or simply conveyor shoe set) to shear and mine material from the mining face. For example, the shearer includes a shearer arm that can be used to shear material from the mining face. The shearer typically includes sensors, such as Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), that facilitate measuring the orientation of the shearer, and thus the profile of the conveyor slot set. Due to the generally elongated profile of the shear, the shear typically cannot travel all the way to the ends of the conveyor run (or the main and tail gate ends of the conveyor run). As a result, the profile of the conveyor run end typically remains undetected and is typically inferred, for example, using the pitch angle of the door end stop position. However, the estimated profile of the end of the conveyor run group may falsely represent the actual profile of the end of the conveyor run group, often resulting in incorrect placement of the shearer arm at the end of the conveyor run group (i.e., at the main door end or the tail door end).

The WIPO application No. 2009103306 ('306 reference) relates to a method for stabilizing a longwall coal mining operation. The' 306 reference discloses a conveyor that includes an incline sensor that provides data regarding the position of the conveyor.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a shearing system for longwall mining. The shearing system comprises a conveying trough group, a shearing machine and a control system. The set of conveyor slots is defined by a plurality of interconnected conveyor slots. The set of conveyor chutes includes end stops, a door end and a set of successively arranged conveyor chutes extending from the door end and having a conveyor chute disposed distally of the door end beyond one or more of the end stops. The shears are movable on and along the set of transport slots and are configured to stop at the end stops. The shearer includes a shearer arm configured to be moved to remove mineral material from the mining face. When the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end, the shearer is positioned on one or more of the feed chutes. The shearer also includes a first sensor configured to detect an orientation of the shearer. The shearing system includes a set of second sensors, each second sensor configured to detect an orientation of a conveyor trough of the set of consecutively arranged conveyor troughs. Further, the control system is configured to: when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end, the profile of the set of conveyor slots between the end stop and the door end is determined based on the orientation of one or more conveyor slots of the set of successively arranged conveyor slots and the orientation of the shearer. The controller system is further configured to control movement of the shearer arm based on the profile of the set of conveyor slots when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for operating a shearer of a longwall mining machine. The method includes receiving, by a control system, data corresponding to an orientation of a shear movable on and along a set of conveyor pans and data corresponding to an orientation of a set of consecutively arranged conveyor pans extending from a gate end of the set of conveyor pans. The set of successively arranged conveyor troughs has one or more conveyor troughs arranged further from the door end than the end stop of the set of conveyor troughs. The method also includes determining, by the control system, a profile of the set of conveyor slots between the end stop and the door end based on an orientation of one or more conveyor slots of the set of successively arranged conveyor slots and an orientation of the shear when a shearer arm of the shear is disposed between the end stop and the door end. The method additionally includes controlling, by the control system, movement of the shearer arm based on the profile of the conveyor run group when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a shearing system for longwall mining. The shearing system comprises a conveying trough group, a shearing machine, an inclination metering group and a control system. The set of conveyor slots is defined by a plurality of interconnected conveyor slots. The set of conveyor chutes includes end stops, a door end and a set of successively arranged conveyor chutes extending from the door end and having a conveyor chute disposed distally of the door end beyond one or more of the end stops. The shears are movable on and along the set of transport slots and are configured to stop at the end stops. The shear includes a shear arm and an inertial navigation system. The shearer arm is configured to be moved to remove mineral material from the mining face. When the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end, the shearer is positioned on one or more of the feed chutes. The inertial navigation system is configured to detect an orientation of the shearer. The inclinometer sets are coupled to the sets of consecutively arranged conveyor troughs and are each configured for detecting an orientation of a conveyor trough in the sets of consecutively arranged conveyor troughs. Further, the control system is configured to determine a profile of the set of conveyor slots between the end stop and the door end based on an orientation of one or more conveyor slots of the set of consecutively arranged conveyor slots and an orientation of the shear when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end. The control system is further configured to control movement of the shearer arm based on the profile of the set of conveyor pans when the shearer arm is disposed between the end stop and the door end.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an exemplary longwall mining machine including a shearer movable along a set of conveyor pans for extracting material from a mining face of an underground mine, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a shearing system for use in a longwall mining machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary method of operation of a shearing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, a longwall mining machine 100 is shown. The longwall mining machine 100 may operate within an underground mine 104 to remove mineral material, such as coal, from a mining face 108 of the underground mine 104. However, aspects of the invention may apply to other environments and may not be limited to the environments set forth in the following description and/or drawings. The longwall mining machine 100 may include a shearing system 120 (see fig. 2) having a face conveyor 124, a shearer 126, and a control system 128.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the face conveyor 124 may be an armored face conveyor 124' and may be disposed and extend along the mine face 108 of the underground mine 104. For example, the face conveyor 124 may extend between a main door 130 and a tailgate 132 (see exemplary comments in fig. 2) of the underground mine 104. The face conveyor 124 may include a plurality of face conveyor segments, referred to as troughs 134. Adjacent conveyor troughs 134 may be coupled to one another, and a plurality of interconnected conveyor troughs 134 may define a conveyor trough set 140 of the shearing system 120. The trough set 140 may define a main door end 144 (disposed relatively close to the main door 130) and a tailgate end 146 (disposed relatively close to the tailgate 132). In some examples, the set of conveyor pans 140 may be disposed between two stations (not shown) that may each house a sprocket or the like to help redirect an endless conveyor chain 148 of the face conveyor along the endless path, as is common in conveyor mechanisms. In this manner, the face conveyor 124 is able to transport material extracted and dropped from the mining face 108 to the appropriate location. Operation of the endless belt conveyor chain 148 may be powered by one or more drives (commonly referred to as primary and/or secondary drives) (not shown).

Referring to fig. 2, and in some embodiments, the transportation trough set 140 includes a first end stop 150' and a second end stop 150 ". The first end stop 150' may be disposed at (or adjacent to) the main door end 144 of the conveyor run group 140, while the second end stop 150 "may be disposed at (or adjacent to) the tail door end 146 of the conveyor run group 140. Both the first end stop 150' and the second end stop 150 "serve to limit and/or restrict movement of the shearer 126 over and along the set of conveyor slots 140. Thus, the shearer 126 can travel anywhere along the transport slot set 140 between the first end stop 150' and the second end stop 150 ". Certain aspects of the invention have been discussed with respect to the main door end 144 of the chute group 140, and for convenience, the main door end 144 may be referred to simply as the door end 144 and the first end stop 150' may be referred to simply as the end stop 150. The discussion related to the end stop 150 and the door end 144 may be applied separately and equitably to the second end stop 150 "and the trailing door end 146 of the chute group 140. Further, the region of the transport trough set 140 disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144 may be referred to as a P-region.

Referring to FIG. 2, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the set of conveyor pans 140 includes a set of continuously arranged conveyor pans 160 that extend from the door end 144 toward the end stop 150. The set of consecutively arranged conveyor slots 160 has one or more conveyor slots 166, the one or more conveyor slots 166 being disposed outside the end stop 150, distal from the door end 144. For convenience, the set of consecutively arranged conveyor slots 160 is referred to as an end conveyor slot 160. The end delivery chutes 160 may include a first delivery chute 170, a second delivery chute 172, a third delivery chute 174, a fourth delivery chute 176, and a fifth delivery chute 178. The first trough 170 may first extend from the door end 144 toward the end stop 150. The second conveyor run 172 may extend from where the first conveyor run 170 terminates, and successively, the remaining end conveyor runs 160, i.e., the third conveyor run 174, the fourth conveyor run 176, and the fifth conveyor run 178 may extend sequentially along a further defined contour of the conveyor run group 140. In the depicted example, the end stop 150 is positioned atop the second conveyor slot 172, and thus may act as a stop for limiting shearer movement to a position on the second conveyor slot 172, thereby limiting shearer travel up to the door end 144 (or toward the first conveyor slot 170). In some embodiments, end stops 150 may also be positioned atop other end conveyor slots 160, and the configuration of end stops 150 positioned atop second conveyor slot 172 need to be considered as a simple example. For example, the end stop 150 may be positioned atop any of the third conveyance slot 174, the fourth conveyance slot 176, and the like. In some embodiments, the end stop 150 may be coupled and positioned elsewhere. For example, the end stop 150 may be coupled to a frame (not shown) of the face conveyor 124. Further, while five end feed slots 160 have been disclosed, a fewer or additional number of end feed slots 160 are contemplated.

In some embodiments, the conveyor run set 140 includes a guide rail 180 (see fig. 1) (not shown in fig. 2 for clarity). The guide rails 180 may be integrally formed with the conveyor run group and, thus, may be defined and extend along the length L of the conveyor run group 140. The guide rails 180 may facilitate movement of the shearer 126 along the conveyor run group 140 following the contour of the conveyor run group 140, which means that the contour of the conveyor run group 140 within the underground mine 104 may follow undulations, curves, heights, and dips of the contour of the underground mine 104, and thus the guide rails 180 may define and follow the same contour as the conveyor run group 140. Further, as with the extent of the set of conveyor pans 140, the guide tracks 180 may terminate adjacent each of the main door 130 and the tailgate 132 of the underground mine 104.

The shearer 126 can include a generally elongated body 190 having a first body end 192 and a second body end 194 disposed opposite the first body end 192. The shearer 126 can include a first shearer arm 200 and a similarly arranged second shearer arm 202, the first shearer arm 200 being coupled to and movable relative to the first body end 192, and the second shearer arm 202 being coupled to and movable relative to the second body end 194. The first shearer arm 200 may include a cutting drum 208, the cutting drum 208 may be movable to engage the mining work surface 108, and/or may rotate about an axis (not shown) when engaged with the mining work surface 108. In this manner, the cutting drum 208 may assist in shearing and extracting material from the mining face 108. A cutting cylinder 208', similar to the cutting cylinder 208, may also be provided on the second cutter arm 202.

As described above, the shearer 126 may move along the set of conveyor pans 140 to shear and remove mineral material, such as coal, from the mining face 108. To this end, the shearer 126 may be guided and moved along the length L of the transport trough set 140 on the guide rails 180 and along the guide rails 180. To enable the shearer to travel on the guide rails 180, the shearer 126 can include slides, such as a first slide 184 and a second slide 186. The first and second slides 184, 186 are each slidably engaged relative to the guide rail 180 (or the conveyor slot group 140) to facilitate travel of the shear along the conveyor slot group 140. Additional (or fewer) numbers of sliders (e.g., sliders 184, 186) are contemplated. During the shear travel, when the shear 126 may travel toward the door end 144, the first slider 184 may move and rest against the end stop 150, and further travel of the shear 126 toward the door end 144 may be stopped.

It may be noted that when the first slider 184 may abut (or be relatively close to) the end stop 150, the shearer arm 200 may extend beyond the end stop 150 and may be disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144, as shown in fig. 2. Such a position of the shearer 126 may be referred to as a "main door position" of the shearer 126. In the main door position of the shearer 126, the shearer arm 200 of the shearer 126 is able to shear material from a portion of the mine face 108 located (or generally located) between the end stop 150 and the door end 144. Further, in the main door position of the shearer 126, the shearer 126 can be positioned on one of the feed slots 166. In this regard, the body 190 of the shearer 126 (or the shearer 126 itself) can define a central vertical axis 240 that passes through a midpoint 242 of the length of the shearer 126. For example, the central vertical axis 240 may pass centrally between the first and second sliders 184, 186 and may be perpendicular to the length of the shearer 126. It is contemplated that in the main door position of the shearer 126, the transport slots 166 through which the central vertical axis 240 can pass can be considered the transport slots 166 on which the shearer 126 is positioned. More specifically, as shown in fig. 2, the shearer 126 is located at a position on the set of conveyor slots 140 where the central vertical axis 240 has partially left the fourth conveyor slot 176, and stops moving to the third conveyor slot 174. At this point, the shearer 126 can be understood as being positioned on the fourth conveyor slot 176 because the central vertical axis 240 passes through the fourth conveyor slot 176.

In the example shown in fig. 2 and the position of the shearer 126, there is a gap between the first slider 184 and the central vertical axis 240, and thus, when the first slider 184 abuts against the end stop 150 (i.e., in the main door position of the shearer 126), a gap D1 may be defined between the end stop 150 and the point at which the central vertical axis 240 may actually intersect the profile of the conveyor run group 140 (see point a, fig. 2). The region of the set of transport slots 140 spanning gap D1 may be referred to as the S region. It may also be noted that when the first slider 184 abuts against the end stop 150 (i.e., in the main door position of the shearer 126), the length defined by the feed slot 166 extends all the way to at least the midpoint of the length of the shearer 126 (i.e., midpoint 242 or point a). In the illustrated embodiment, it may be noted that the transport slots 166 (i.e., the fourth and fifth transport slots 176, 178) extend beyond a midpoint (i.e., midpoint 242 or point a) of the length of the shearer 126 toward the tail gate end 146 of the set of transport slots 140.

The shearer 126 is also equipped with an orientation sensor, referred to as a first sensor 212, to detect the orientation (e.g., yaw, roll, pitch, or angular alignment) of the shearer 126 relative to the transport slot set 140. For example, the first sensor 212 includes an Inertial Navigation System (INS) 212'. To understand aspects of the shearer orientation (e.g., yaw, roll, pitch of the shearer 126 relative to the transport slot set 140), explicit reference is made to a three-dimensional coordinate system 216 as labeled in fig. 1 relative to the shearer 126. The three-dimensional coordinate system 216 includes an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. It may be noted that the Z-axis is the vertical axis (i.e., defined along the height) of the shearer 126; the X-axis is a horizontal axis (i.e., defined along the length L of the trough set 140), and is perpendicular to the Z-axis; the Y axis is perpendicular to the X and Z axes and may pass through the intersection of the X and Z axes. For the purposes of the present disclosure, deflection of the shearer 126 may mean tilting of the shearer 126 about the Z-axis; the roll of the shearer 126 may mean the tilt of the shearer 126 about the X-axis; and the pitch of the shearer 126 can mean the tilt of the shearer 126 about the Y-axis. In an embodiment, the orientation of the shearer 126 as measured by the first sensor 212 also facilitates determining (or indicating) the orientation of any feed slots 134 on which the shearer 126 is positioned. For example, in the main door position of the shearer 126, detecting the orientation of the shearer 126 also facilitates determining the orientation of the fourth delivery slot 176.

Additionally, or alternatively, the shearer 126 can be equipped with a position sensor 218 (or one or more position sensors) that can help determine the position of the shearer 126 on and along the set of transport slots 140. For example, the distance moved by the shearer 126 from a certain point (e.g., from the main door end 144 or from the tail door end 146) may be measured by receiving input from the position sensor 218. In addition, the input from the position sensor 218 may also be used to determine the speed and direction of movement of the shears along the transport slot set 140. According to one aspect of the invention, the orientation of the shears 126 determined by the first sensor 212 and the position of the shears 126 determined by the position sensor 218 may be used to measure and determine the profile of the transport slot set 140.

In some embodiments, the orientation/position of the shearer 126 may be focused relative to a central vertical axis 240 of the shearer 126. For example, the data (or input) provided by the first sensor 212 and the position sensor 218 may represent the position/location of the central vertical axis 240 of the shearer 126. Accordingly, since the central vertical axis 240 of the shearer 126 (or the shearer 126 itself) may not cross the S-zone (and/or the P-zone), the orientation of the S-zone (and/or the P-zone) may remain undetectable by the first sensor 212 (and/or the position sensor 218).

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the shearing system 120 includes a set of second sensors 222. The second sensor 222 is configured to detect the orientation of the end conveyer trough 160. For example, the second sensors 222 are coupled to the end troughs 160, and at least one second sensor 222 is coupled to one end trough 160. For example, the second sensor 222 includes inclinometers 222', and one inclinometer 222' may be coupled to one end conveyer trough 160. In this regard, the inclinometer 222' may include a first inclinometer 230, a second inclinometer 232, a third inclinometer 234, a fourth inclinometer 236, and a fifth inclinometer 238. First inclinometer 230 may be coupled to first trough 170, second inclinometer 232 may be coupled to second trough 172, third inclinometer 234 may be coupled to third trough 174, fourth inclinometer 236 may be coupled to fourth trough 176, and fifth inclinometer 238 may be coupled to fifth trough 178. However, the second sensor 222 may include other sensor types, such as proximity sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc., alone or in combination with the inclinometer 222' or with each other, for sensing the orientation of the end conveyor slot 160.

The control system 128 is communicatively coupled to the first sensor 212 and to each of the second sensors 222 (e.g., to each of the inclinometers 222'). The control system 128 may also be communicatively coupled to a position sensor 218. In this manner, the control system 128 may be configured to receive data (or input) from the first sensor 212, the position sensor 218, and from the second sensor 222. The data (or input) from the first sensor 212 assists the control system 128 in determining the orientation (i.e., pitch, roll, and yaw) of the shearer 126. Data (or input) from the position sensor 218 helps the control system 128 determine the position of the shearer 126 and/or the distance the shearer 126 moves back and forth over the set of transport slots 140 and along the set of transport slots 140. In some embodiments, data from both the first sensor 212 and the position sensor 218 may be used by the control system 128 to calculate the profile of the transport slot set 140.

In one example, to determine the profile of the set of transport slots 140, the control system 128 may generate the shear path by calculating a height profile (i.e., a vector of shear height changes along the Z-axis) and a pitch profile (i.e., a vector of shear distance changes about the Y-axis) using data/input from both the first sensor 212 and the position sensor 218. The shearer path can help define a topographical map in three-dimensional space. The topographical map may represent the orientation of each conveyor pan 134, which assists the control system 128 in calculating and generating the profile of the conveyor pan group 140.

In some embodiments, it may be noted that during travel of the shearer over the set of conveyor slots 140, the control system 128 may detect the orientation of only those conveyor slots 134 that are partially or fully cleared (i.e., crossed over) by the central vertical axis 240 of the shearer 126. Thus, while the control system 128 may determine the profile of the conveyor run group 140 based on the travel of the shearer 126 over the approximate extent of the conveyor run group 140, the profile of the conveyor run group 140 may be calculated (using data (or input) from the first sensor 212/position sensor 218) only up to the position obtained by the central vertical axis 240 when the first slider 184 abuts the end stop 150. Since the fourth transport slot 176 is partially cleared by the shearer 126 in the main door position of the shearer 126, the control system 128 can generate a profile of the set of transport slots 140 up to the fourth transport slot 176 when moving in the direction B (see fig. 2).

The control system 128 utilizes data (or input) from the second sensor 222 in order to measure and/or calculate the position of the third trough 174, the second trough 172, and the first trough 170. The correspondence of the control system 128 with the first sensor 212, the second sensor 222, and the position sensor 218, and aspects related to the respective operation of the control system 128, are set forth in the disclosure that follows.

In some embodiments, data (or input) from the first sensor 212/position sensor 218 may be applied by the control system 128 to measure the profile of the transport slot set 140 up to the first slider 184. In this case, the data (or input) provided by the first sensor 212 may be representative of the orientation of any other shear axis that is offset from the central vertical axis 240. For example, such a shear axis (not shown) may be disposed closer to the first body end 192 than the second body end 194, or may be disposed closer to the second body end 194 than the first body end 192. In one example approach, if such a shear axis is defined closer to the first body end 192, and if the shear axis coincides with the first slider 184 (or with the end stop 150), for example, the gap D1 may not actually be present, and the S-zone may also not be present. In this case, the control system 128 can determine the profile of the transport slot set 140 up to the point where the first slider 184 intersects the end stop 150 (i.e., up to the second transport slot 172) based solely on the orientation and position of the shearer 126, as the profile of the transport slot set 140 up to the end stop 150 can be calculated from the representation provided by such shearer axis. Further, the profile of the P-zone disposed beyond the first slider 184 (or end stop 150) toward the door end 144 may remain uncalculated by input from the first sensor 212/position sensor 218.

The control system 128 may be connected to an Electronic Control Module (ECM) (not shown) of the longwall mining machine 100, such as a security module or a dynamic module, or may be configured as a separate entity. Alternatively, the control system 128 may be integral and identical to the ECM. The control system 128 may include a set of volatile memory units, such as Random Access Memory (RAM)/Read Only Memory (ROM), including associated input and output buses. More specifically, the control system 128 may be thought of as an application specific integrated circuit or other logic device that provides the controller functionality, and such devices are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In one example, the control system 128 may include one or more controllers having separately or integrally configured processing units to process the various data (or inputs) received from each of the first sensor 212, the second sensor 222, and the position sensor 218. In addition, the control system 128 may also include one or more internal (or external) configured memory units. Further, the control system 128 may optionally be adapted to be housed within certain machine panels or portions from which the control system 128 may remain accessible for use, maintenance, and repair.

The processing units within the control system 128 may include processors, examples of which may include, but are not limited to, an X86 processor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processor, an Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) processor, or any other processor. Examples of the storage unit may include a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and a Secure Digital (SD) card.

Industrial applicability

During operation, the shearer 126 can move across the length L of the transport trough set 140, and can generally move back and forth between the first end stop 150' and the second end stop 150 ″. During (or at the end of) the shearing cycle, as the shear 126 may travel toward the door end 144, the first slider 184 of the shear 126 may gradually move toward the end stop 150 and may abut the end stop 150. In this regard, the shearer arm 200 may extend and may be disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144, and thus the shearer 126 occupies the main door position. Further, in this regard, the shearer 126 can be positioned on the fourth trough 176 (i.e., when the first shearer arm 200 (or simply the shearer arm 200) is disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144, as shown in fig. 2). In the main door position of the shearer 126, the shearer arm 200 operates to remove mineral material from the mining face 108 disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144. Since the central vertical axis 240 of the shearer 126 stops moving onto the third, second, and first transport slots 174, 172, 170 at the main door position of the shearer 126, the orientation of the third, second, and first transport slots 17, 172, 170 remains unknown to the shearer 126 (and the shearer arm 200) according to conventional applications. If the orientation of the P-zone and/or the S-zone is unknown, then, according to conventional applications, an associated control system (e.g., control system 128) may have to generate/define, by extrapolation, the profile of the conveyor run group 140 (i.e., the profile of the P-zone) disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144. However, with such an inference, there is still a possibility that the shearer 126 (and/or the shearer arm 200) will deviate from the desired floor/roof cut height of the underground mine 104, and may result in an uncontrolled roll angle of the end conveyor run 160 that is difficult to recover.

One aspect of the present invention is to detect the orientation of the end conveyer trough 160 (e.g., the third conveyer trough 174, the second conveyer trough 172, and the first conveyer trough 170 according to the depicted embodiment). To discuss the detection, control system 128 utilizes data (or input) from second sensor 222 coupled to each of third delivery slot 174, second delivery slot 172, and first delivery slot 170. To this end, the following description includes exemplary discussions related to a method 300 for operating the shearer 126. Method 300 has already been discussed in connection with fig. 3. The method 300 begins at step 302.

At step 302, the control system 128 receives data (or input) from the first sensor 212 relating to the orientation of the shearer 126. This data (or input) may be related to the orientation (or tilt) of the shearer 126 relative to one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and/or Z-axis (fig. 1). The control system 128 also receives data (or input) from the position sensor 218 relating to the position of the shearer 126, step 302. The data (or input) may relate to the speed and direction associated with the movement of the shears along the set of transport slots 140. It may be noted that, because the shearer 126 may stop moving at the end stop 150 (i.e., the main door position), the conveyor slots of the set of conveyor slots 140 may be oriented up to the point a defined on the fourth conveyor slot 176, or alternatively up to the first slider 184. At step 302, the orientation of the remainder of the transport slot set 140 (not traversed by the shearer 126) may remain indeterminate until the door end 144. The method 300 proceeds to step 304.

At step 304, the control system 128 receives data (or input) relating to the orientation of the end delivery slot 160 (i.e., the first delivery slot 170, the second delivery slot 172, the third delivery slot 174, the fourth delivery slot 176, and the fifth delivery slot 178) from the second sensor 222 associated with each of the end delivery slots 160. Thus, the orientation of the remainder of the transport trough set 140 (over which the shearer 126 does not traverse) up to the door end 144 can be obtained. The method 300 proceeds to step 306.

At step 306, the control system 128 determines the profile of the set of conveyor slots 140 from the first conveyor slot 170 through to the fifth conveyor slot 178 based on the position determined by the second sensor 222 for each of the first conveyor slot 170, the second conveyor slot 172, the third conveyor slot 174, the fourth conveyor slot 176, and the fifth conveyor slot 178. In this way, the control system 128 can determine the profile of the conveyor run 140 defined between point a and the end stop 150 (i.e., the profile of zone S) and the profile of the conveyor run 140 defined between the end stop 150 and the door end 144 (i.e., the profile of zone P). In some embodiments, the profile of the P-zone may be determined by determining the orientation of one or more end chutes 160. For example, the profile of the P-zone may be determined by the control system 128 by separately detecting the orientation of the first trough 170. The method 300 proceeds to step 308.

At step 308, when the shearer arm 200 is disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144 in the main door position of the shearer 126, the control system 128 controls movement of the shearer arm 200 based on the profile of the conveyor run set 140 (i.e., the profile of the P-zone) disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144. Optionally, the control system 128 may control movement of the cutter arm 200 based on both the P-zone and the S-zone. In this manner, the control system 128 need not determine the profile of the conveyor run 140 disposed between the end stop 150 and the door end 144, or between point a and the door end 144, by methods such as dead reckoning, for example, an exemplary dead reckoning profile 246 of the conveyor run 140 between the end stop 150 and the door end 144 is depicted in fig. 2. The change (e.g., angular change) between the profile defined by zone P and the exemplary inferred profile 246 can be seen in fig. 2. As a result, the control system 128 prevents the shearer arm 200 from deviating from the desired bed/top cut height associated with the underground mine 104, avoids the shearer arm 200 from being incorrectly placed at the end of the conveyor run group 140, and can prevent the end conveyor run 160 from forming an uncontrolled roll angle that is difficult to recover. The method 300 ends at step 308.

In one example, in step 306, in addition to determining the profile of the end transport slot 160 based on the position of the end transport slot 160 (as detected by the corresponding second sensor 222), in the main door position of the shearer 126, the control system 128 may additionally or optionally determine the profile of the end transport slot 160 based on the position of the shearer 126 (as detected by the first sensor 212 and the position sensor 218) when the shearer 126 is positioned on the fourth transport slot 176. Since the orientation of the shearer 126 at the main door position of the shearer 126 can also indicate the orientation of the fourth delivery slot 176, the control system 128 can calculate the deviation between the orientation of the fourth delivery slot 176 (determined by the respective second sensor 222) and the orientation of the fourth delivery slot 176 (determined by the orientation of the shearer 126). For example, the orientation value of the fourth delivery slot 176 determined by determining the shearer orientation at the main door position may be different than the orientation value of the fourth delivery slot 176 determined by the second sensor 222 (e.g., the fourth inclinometer 236) associated with the fourth delivery slot 176. The deviation between the two values can be used to calibrate the orientation value of each end feed slot 160. Thus, the control system 128 may also append the orientation value of each end conveyor run 160 based on the deviation, and in this manner, the control system 128 may determine the actual (or more precise) profile of the set of conveyor runs 140 defined between the door end 144 and the end stop 150, or between the door end 144 and point A.

Since the above discussion is also considered between the control system 128 and the end chutes at the tailgate end 146, the control system 128 can effectively determine the overall profile of the chute group 140 from the main door end 144 to the tailgate end 146. In this manner, effectively, the control system 128 is also able to control the movement of the second shearer arm 202 based on the profile of the conveyor run group 140 when the second shearer arm 202 is disposed between the second end stop 150 ″ and the tailgate end 146. Thus, the environment within the underground mine 104 becomes a more efficient and effective workplace for all stakeholders. In addition, the useful life of the shearer arms 200, 202 is increased.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the system of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the system disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.