Current Trends in Water Jet Assisted Cutting Applications to Geotechnical Industry in USA.

Abstract

The primary use of the water jet assisted wet drum cutting in coal/rock excavation is to reduce ignition potential, suppress dust production, minimize wear on cutting tools, and clear away the cut products (debris) from the cutting tool tip so a free surface is available for efficient cutting. By the status of current applications, it can be said that dust reduction and ignition suppression have been the driving force behind the use of water assisted cutting technology while reduced wear on the bits and, in turn, the enhanced bit life are the alongside benefits. The use of water jets on cutting head drums of machines such as a continuous miner, a shearer, etc. with an intention to accomplish the above mentioned goals during coal/rock cutting is the focal point of this paper. The current trends in application of such wet drum cutting technology across the geotechnical industry in USA are explored. The ongoing research attempts at West Virginia University to study the effect of water jet assistance in rock cutting are highlighted. Results of preliminary studies conducted on an Automated Rotary Rock Coal/Rock Cutting Simulator (ARCCS) are also analyzed. The advantages in possible large scale applications of the wet drum cutting technology in the industry are discussed.