Dynamic Modeling System to Determine Stopping Distances of Mobile Underground Coal Equipment

Abstract

In underground coal mines, miners face the hazard of being struck or pinned by a piece of mobile mining machinery. Proximity detection systems have been developed and are used by the industry to protect miners around these machines by detecting the presence of the miners and automatically issuing warnings or disabling machine motion when a miner is in potentially dangerous proximity. These systems were originally developed for continuous mining machines, slow-moving machines that move on bulldozer-style tracks, and are now mandated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to be used on continuous mining machines. These systems are now being adapted to other underground vehicles, such as shuttle cars, scoops, and battery haulers — vehicles that move on rubber tires at much higher speeds. There are concerns that the detection range of these systems may not provide for an adequate stopping distance on these faster moving machines. To address these concerns, researchers have developed a dynamic modeling system to determine the stopping distance of mobile underground coal equipment. This model can be used in conjunction with worker escapability data and/or information on interaction with other vehicles to provide insight into whether or not proximity detection systems will be adequate for the underground mining workplace. This paper details the background, development, and operation of the resulting application software, focusing on the utility of the graphical user interface to visualize the generated data. The refined data developed by this process can then be utilized by mine operators and proximity detection system manufacturers to more accurately determine the detection range needed to provide effective protection for miners working in an underground mining environment.