Tom 24 2008 Zeszyt 4/3
ANDRZEJ MEDER*, TADEUSZ MAZURKIEWICZ*
Innovative machines in the conditions of sustainable development
Introduction
In the paper entitled: “European power industry and transportation – trends up till 2030”, which was developed by Technical University in Athens and published for “Energy and transportation” General Directorate of European Commission, it is forecasted that consumption of solid fuels in the European Union will gradually decrease till 2015 and then it will start to increase, exceeding the level from the year 2000 at the end of the forecasted period, mainly as substitute fuel for nuclear fuel in the power sector and as the competitive fuel due to increasing costs of gas. Demand for hard coal for electric power production was equal to 148 Mtoe (41.86 GJ) in 2000, it will be 159 Mtoe in 2010, it is forecasted to be 145 Mtoe in 2020, and 184 Mtoe in 2030 what is called a “strong coal return”. A share of coal in a production of electric power will be equal to 26.2% what will be by 2.5% more than in 2000. How, due to such prognoses for hard coal demand, do investment plans of Polish mining industry as regards mining machines look like?
Through the investment policy, which is realized in the Polish mining industry, the users tend to reach the following objectives:
— maintenance of production capacity,
— simplification of colliery model,
— concentration of production,
— improvement of coal quality,
— environmental protection,
— improvement of work safety conditions,
— making the new resources available.
* KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre, Gliwice, Poland.
Investment plans, which are realized at present, include the years 2006–2010 and depending on the stage of realization of each investment, the capital expenditures on mining construction work or on production of goods, which are mainly mining machines and equipment prevail. Six mining enterprises, which include Polish hard coal mines, intend to spend about 9.27 billion PLN for the investments till 2010, 52% of that will be spent on the purchase of already manufactured goods. Depending on the market price of products of a given hard coal mine, mining-and-geological conditions and technological infrastructure, relative planned investments vary from about 10 to 50 million PLN for 1 million tons of yearly production.
From the presented data it can be concluded that in a period of strategy planning in the EU countries till 2030 there will be a constant demand for hard coal, with a small fluctuation of this demand. As regards operational investment plans of Polish hard coal mining industry the funds are allocated both for investments on recreation of collieries’ production ability and on opening new resources. Investment policy of collieries includes their sustainable development, taking into account the aspects of economic effectiveness, human resources and conditions resulting from management of natural resources and the need for their protection.
All the conditions indispensable for undertaking organizational, marketing and technical innovative solutions are met. How should innovative solutions of machines and equipment for mining industry be realized, taking into account all the requirements set by the users, including the maintenance of sustainable development conditions?
Sustainable development means a process, in which the needs of the present generation can be met with no decrease of future generation chances for meeting the same needs.
Realization of sustainable development must consist in a conscious creation of relationships between economic growth and care of environment, not only natural environment but also artificial – created by the human as well as care of human health.
KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre realizes a full development cycle of innovative machines and equipment, from design to implementation, and meets the requirements set by its customers, maintaining sustainable development rules. In brief, this principal is presented by the motto: “man-machine-environment”. Realization of sustainable development of machines and equipment is presented on the basis of several latest innovative solutions.
1. System for electronic identification of powered roof support components
Designing and manufacturing of the system, which provides objective and reliable identification of load carrying components of powered roof support, recording the period of use of these components and conditions of their operation, and enabling to process the data to assess a degree of wear of these components, has been the project objective. Electronic identification is a very important problem as regards the safety of mining personnel, working in longwall panels of underground mines.
Presented problem refers to managing the fleet of powered roof supports, whose initial investment value is about 3 billion PLN, including more than 400 thousands of components of about 10-year operational time. The supports have been manufactured and then repaired by more than 10 different manufacturers. They are used in more than 30 collieries.
Main features of the presented system are: long life of the electrical identifier as regards storing of recorded information, its easy assembly at guaranteed life time, its connection with the identified component of support, its resistance to external factors which affect the support, when it is used and its resistance to the impact of stress field in the identified component, its small dimensions enabling the assembly inside the support components without loosing the primery mechanical properties and an easy collection and processing of information about the support user.
The system prevents accidental or intended, falsified operational duration of support components, which results in loss of support’s load-bearing capacity and a roof fall in the workings, where there is a team operating the machines, leading to fatal accidents. This solution also ensures a quick and reliable collection of information about support and its processing in a developed information system, without any errors. Implementation of the
Fig. 1. Operational principle of the system for electronic identification of powered roof support components Rys. 1. Zasada dzia³ania systemu elektronicznej identyfikacji elementów wspomagania podpór stropu
system for identification of operational period and conditions of powered roof support components contributes to:
— improving work of the personnel by eliminating currently used methods of writing down the time and conditions of using the supports in the support register books,
— improving information reliability,
— enabling implementation of automation for taking proper decisions on elimination of components of expired life-time,
— considerably improving work safety of mining personnel,
— enabling to carry out detailed analysis of reliability and life of each component and whole systems of powered roof support.
According to the definitions of innovation, this system is an innovative solution of the KOMAG Centre in the world scale. For the manufacturer, ELSTA Electric Devices Company Ltd. in Wieliczka, with whom KOMAG concluded the contract, it is an extension of the production portfolio by a new product. Analyzing the above solution as regards criteria of sustainable development, it can be stated that it solves the economic problems as well as some safety problems of work environment in the mining industry.
2. Universal longwall shearer of high power
Increase of cutting effectiveness in underground coal mining process has been a direct objective of the project, and increase of profitability of initial stage of coal mining using the longwall system has been an indirect objective. Special attention has been paid to searching for the best solutions, enabling the shearer to have the following features:
— high efficiency,
— high reliability,
— ergonomics of maintenance,
— work safety.
The shearer is designed for operation in the seams from 1.4 to 3.5 m of thickness. Due to the use of state-of-the-art side gears, the height of shearer’s body can be changed during its operation from 1.06 to 1.37 m, and the clearance under the shearer can also be changed to increase acceptable cross-section of the run-of-mine stream, and due to this to reduce maximally one of the limitations in obtaining high efficiency. A solution, which consists in a rotary fixation of yoke with transitional wheel and articulating runner in the axis of drive wheel, which makes the movement of shearer on track unevenness easier and relieves the bearings of transitional wheel from supporting reactions, is used in the gear. This solution enables to adjust the gear to heights in the range from 1.06 to 1.37 m.
Installed power of 750 kW, maximal advance force of 750 kN, advance speed up to 21.5 m/min. and web depth up to 1 m are other basic parameters of the shearer which have an impact on its efficiency.
The problems of energy-saving and economical operation have also been solved. Pro- fitability of using the shearer depends to a big extent on its parameters, but also on automation systems used for adaptation to changeable operational conditions, due to which much better energy-consumption index, expressed in kWh per 1 ton of the run-of-mine, can be reached in relation to the indices presently obtained by the shearers of a similar range of use. Because of that, an electrical advance drive, which is controlled by a frequency converter and which is of high efficiency and has a possibility of electric power recovery as well as a system for automatic control of advance speed, depending on a degree of load of drive motors, are used. More economic effects have been obtained due to using a system of lower friction losses for guiding the shearer on the conveyor and of two-circuit energy- -saving hydraulic system.
Increase of the shearer availability due to increase of its reliability, life-time and functio- nality has been another subject to be analyzed. A class of accuracy of making toothing and seats of rolling bearings, a class of stability of bearing nodes, a class of strength of shearer bodies have been increased and hydraulic as well as electric overload protections have been used.
Remote control system, hydraulically controlled shearer shields, covered channels of electric cables, hydraulic and water hoses, convenient arrangement of control and control- -and-measuring panels and modular design of the shearer, which makes transportation,
Fig. 2. KSW-750E longwall shearer exhibited at the KATOWICE Fair of Mining, Power Generation and Metallurgy
Rys. 2. Kombajn przodkowy KSW-750E na targach górniczych w Katowicach, Energetyka i Hutnictwo
assembly and replacement of systems easier, have been analyzed in the aspect of mainte- nance ergonomics and work safety.
A full range of activities, defined by the rules of sustainable development, has been carried out during a development of the shearer.
Implementation of the first shearers has shown that their innovative solutions enable to increase a production rate by three times in relation to obtained mean output values of other operating shearers, which have a regular daily production of 10 000 t/day. Also an increased level of work safety and reliability in conditions of high mining profitability has been reached. The shearer is manufactured on the basis of the licence contract concluded with the ZZM-KOPEX Group. The shearer, which has a patent protection for eight design solutions, has been highly assessed for its innovativeness, obtaining a distinction in the “Polish Product of Future” Competition and the Silver Medal at the “World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology” in Brussels.
Presenting the problems of cutting process, it is indispensable to mention an innovative solution of high importance as regards the safety, i.e. spraying system using air-and-water medium. In this solution it has been possible to combine two media in a dust control process, i.e. water and air, which enabled to reduce water consumption of the spraying system by three times and to reduce methane concentration in the cutting area, eliminating the hazard of its explosion.
This solution also meets the requirements of sustainable development as regards work safety and environmental protection.
3. Rack-and-pinion floor-mounted railway with diesel drive
Reduced number of mining longwall faces has caused a necessity of searching for effective solutions as regards transportation of machines and equipment because a shorter
Fig. 3. Tests of spraying system Rys. 3. Próby systemu zraszaczy
time of face equipment relocation gives measurable economic effects. Mine district trans- portation causes most technical problems and consumes most of the time due to smaller dimensions and bigger inclinations in comparison to the main roadways. The systems have to meet efficiency requirements and at the same time they have to meet the requirements of safety and work ergonomics.
SKZ-81 dual drive rack-and-pinion railway with a diesel drive i.e. with a frictional drive for inclinations up to 4oand with rack-and-pinion drive for inclinations up to 30ois one of the solutions. The railway is designed for transportation of big size machines as well as for transportation of miners. In the case of horizontal transportation it uses a typical track system and for transportation on inclinations the track is additionally equipped with rack-and-pinion bar, installed in the track centre, which reduces the investment cost of track construction significantly. The basic parameters of the railway are as follows: installed power: 81 kW, speed at using rack-and-pinion drive: 1.08 m/s, at wheels drive: 4 m/s, maximal starting up force: 270 kN, carrying capacity of the transportation platform: 350 kN, rail track width:
750 mm min. The rail system enables to overcome bends of 4-metre radius in the horizontal plane and of 15-metre radius in the vertical plane. A complete transportation system consists of the track system for locomotive and transportation platforms with friction or rack-and- -pinion couplings, diesel locomotive and transportation platforms with container overlays or personnel overlays.
Series of innovations have been implemented in this transportation system such as:
hydrostatic transmission of drives from one engine to both actuating systems, dual drive
Fig. 4. SKZ-81 rack-and-pinion railway system with a diesel drive Rys. 4. System kolei zêbatej SKZ-81 z silnikiem diesla
system, articulated keeps securing transportation on big inclinations, which are lifted up when running on conventional track and on track junctions. The RYFAMA JSC Factory of Machines in Rybnik manufactures this system upon a contract with the KOMAG Centre.
State-of-the-art solutions of the railway are under patent protection and comparing them to the present state of technology, they are novelty solutions as regards the problems of transportation on inclinations. Due to combination of horizontal transportation and transportation on inclinations in one transportation system, it is possible to eliminate costly and time-consuming reloading of machinery and equipment. Due to implementation of articulated torsion cars it is possible to put heavy loads on the platform at its relatively low height. The follow-up drive system is equipped with automatic correction of drive wheel position, which makes the drive independent from the tolerance of track system. New solutions of the braking system enable to implement additional braking cars.
The number of implemented innovative solutions enabled the SKZ-81 to win the award in the “Polish Product of Future 2002” Competition, Gold Medal at 55thWorld Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology” in Brussels – Eureka 2006 as well as a special reward of the Minister of Chinese Railway.
4. Ventilation and dust control equipment
Systems for dust control and ventilation of dead-end roadways are under constant development due to necessity of ensuring the operational safety, minimization of risk of local hazards and amount of harmful substances, which have a negative impact on human health.
The system of combined ventilation i.e. sucking-and-forcing ventilation, with wet dust collectors, developed at the KOMAG Centre, is used to eliminate the hazards and to improve work conditions in roadways. Type series of dust collectors include the following types: IO, UO, DCU, LDCU and DRU. These machines have high dust removal efficiency, small transverse dimensions and they are of high operational reliability in the case of high dust concentration. They also have a constant coefficient of flow resistance and low pressure water circuits resistant to impurities. In the latest designs of LDCU and DRU types the rotating nozzles have been eliminated and only fixed nozzles, where the stream vortex is obtained by fixed stream guides, are used to increase operational reliability and life. LDCU labyrinth dust collector, designed by the KOMAG Centre, obtained a distinction in the
“Polish Product of Future 2004” Competition and Silver Medal at the 54thWorld Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology in Brussels.
WLE/M-1200B/1 ventube fan, which has an output of 14.7 m3/s and ram effect of 4000 Pa is manufactured by Grama Ltd.. It is the latest solution of the KOMAG Centre in the field of dust control and ventilation of mine roadways. High ram effect and output is achieved due to the phenomenon of meridional acceleration of air stream. Such a solution had not been used in ventube fans before. Use of this ventube fan of such high operational parameters enables to increase effectiveness of long roadways ventilation (up to 3 kilometers in length).
Such parameters in one-stage design improve reliability, life and safety. They also contribute to a reduction of noise level.
5. Virtual prototyping
A policy, aiming at market-oriented innovative solutions, meeting the requirements of sustainable development, has been implemented at the KOMAG Centre due to systematic use of virtual prototyping for a development of new machinery and equipment designs. Static and dynamic analyses, analyses in non-linear range as well as analyses in the field of fluid mechanics are included in the development process. Finite Elements Method (FEM) and the method for Multi-Body System analysis (MBS) are used. Determination of parameters of the machines and equipment under development with the required safety factor on one side as well as optimization of the machine and subassemblies’ size and weight to reduce manufacturing costs on the other side result from these analyses. All the activities are associated with life and reliability aspects as well as with work safety.
Ergonomic analyses of the future machine transportation, its assembly/disassembly, maintenance and servicing are carried out during a designing process after determining the basic parameters, including modelling of human silhouettes for feasibility studies of each operation as well as for analyses of dangerous situations. The space being at a disposal, dimensions and weight of installed components, features of equipment supporting the
Fig. 5. WLE/M1200B/1 ventube fan of high ram effect
Rys. 5. WLE/M1200B/1 wentylator lutni wentylacyjnej z efektem naporowym
assembly operations as well as qualifications and anthropometric features of humans, who do the work, are included in the designing processes. Thus, the virtual prototyping does not include only functional and strength criteria, but also manufacturing, safety and health protection aspects.
6. Verification by laboratory testing
Despite virtual verification of functionality, safety and maintenance ergonomics of innovative solutions it is necessary to verify machinery parameters by laboratory testing, after completion of manufacturing process. Functional tests of the machine are carried out and mechanical, hydraulic and electrical parameters are measured. Then machinery
Fig. 6. Example of virtual prototyping of machinery systems Rys. 6. Przyk³ad wirtualnego prototypowania systemów maszynowych
Fig. 7. Climatic and dust chamber for testing IP control degree Rys. 7. Komora klimatyczna i py³owa dla testowania stopnia kontroli IP
characteristics is determined and its impact on environment is assessed by taking measurements of noise level and vibrations. A verification of the product conformity with requirements of technical standards is carried out and permissible parameters are determined.
The final objective aims at checking the machinery conformity with Machinery, Low-voltage and ATEX Directives by the accredited laboratories, which grant a certificate of conformity assessment and of CE Mark. It is the last step enabling a verification of sustainable development of innovative machines and equipment.
7. Challenges for mechanization systems in the mining industry
The process of rapid adaptation of machinery users and manufacturers to the requi- rements of market economy, according to the principles of sustainable development, can be observed on the example of the innovative solutions presented above. However, some new challenges, resulting from a multidisciplinary wide spectrum of problems to be solved, including mechanization problems, emerge. The following problems should be of experts’
interest in the next decade:
— economically effective systems for mining thin seams,
— safe mining operations in the bumping conditions,
— effective driving of roadways using the full cross-section method,
— systems for diagnostics and prediction of services for mechanization systems,
— processing installations for clean coal technologies,
— technological installations for coal gasification processes.
REFERENCES
[1] „Maszyny Górnicze” Scientific and Technical Quarterly, No. 4/2005 – „Wirtualne prototypowanie maszyn górniczych w praktyce projektowej Centrum Mechanizacji Górnictwa KOMAG” (Virtual prototyping of mining machines in the designing practice of KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre).
[2] „Maszyny Górnicze” Scientific and Technical Quarterly, No. 4/2005 – „Prace badawcze Centrum Me- chanizacji Górnictwa KOMAG na rzecz zwalczania zapylenia w wyrobiskach œcianowych” (Research work of KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre on dust control in longwall panels).
[3] „Maszyny Górnicze” Scientific and Technical Quarterly, No. 4/2006 – „Projektowanie, badania oraz próby eksploatacyjne instalacji zraszania powietrzno-wodnego do zwalczania zapylenia i zagro¿eñ metanowych w kombajnie œcianowym typu KSW-460NE” (Designing, testing and operational tests of air-water spraying installation for dust control and elimination of methane hazard in KSW-460NE longwall shearer).
NOWATORSKIE MASZYNY W WARUNKACH ROZWOJU ZRÓWNOWA¯ONEGO
S ³ o w a k l u c z o w e Mechanizacja, górnictwo, kombajny, przodek œcianowy
S t r e s z c z e n i e
Przedstawiono analizê zapotrzebowania polskich producentów wêgla na maszyny górnicze i prognozê do roku 2010. Opisano niektóre nowatorskie maszyny górnicze i urz¹dzenia, ³¹cznie z podporami ekranów, kombajnami przodkowymi, instalacjami zraszaczy, systemami kolei zêbatej oraz systemami kontroli py³u. Podano techniczne sprawdzanie rozwi¹zañ projektowych w aspekcie ergonomiki i bezpieczeñstwa u¿ytkowania, za pomoc¹ metod wirtualnego prototypowania i prób laboratoryjnych. Opracowanie koñczy siê specyfikacj¹ niektórych wyzwañ odnoœnie dalszego rozwoju mechanizacji górnictwa.
INNOVATIVE MACHINES IN THE CONDITIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
K e y w o r d s Mechanization, mining, shearers, longwall
A b s t r a c t
An analysis of Polish coal producers’ demand for mining machines and forecast till the year 2010 are presented. Some innovative mining machines and equipment, including shield supports, longwall shearers, spraying installations, rack railway systems, and dust control systems are described. A technical verification of design solutions in the aspect of ergonomics and operational safety, using the methods of virtual prototyping and laboratory testing is shown. The paper is ended with a specification of some challenges concerning a further development of mining mechanization.
