Exploitation of powered roof support in variable mining and geological conditions

Abstract

The powered roof support is one of the essential elements of the technical equipment of the longwall. It is responsible for the safety of machines and workers. In addition, its function is to move the entire wall complex along the operational progress of the combine. Choosing the proper powered roof support per the conditions prevailing in the wall is an important factor for safe and effective operation. The aim of the study was to assess the mining and geological conditions in Polish hard coal mines in terms of the operation of powered roof support. The author focused mainly on analysing the risk of rock mass shocks, which significantly impact the work of the powered roof support. The work describes the development of the risk of tremors in recent years. The analysis showed an intense increase in this threat. We present an analysis of rock mass shocks registered in Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A. (Polish Mining Group), the main producer of hard coal in Europe. The results presented in this paper illustrate the scale of the risk of rock mass shocks. The current state of the tremor hazard presented in the paper may be helpful information in determining the directions of development and optimisation of the powered roof support.