Abstract
A quarter-scale model of a coal cutting machine and armoured flexible conveyor (a.f.c.) system is subjected to random signal testing in an attempt to fit a continuous elastic beam model to the piecewise rigid a.f.c. structure for vertical steering investigations. A roller track, over which the system is hauled at constant speed, is used to provide the random test signal and a systems identification package, SPAID, developed at Sheffield, used to generate the source signal noise and to compute the cross correlation functions relating input and output height profiles. An energy-minimising dynamic-programming model of the a.f.c. is used to guide the choice of experimental parameters.The results yield an equivalent elastic beam stiffness for the loose-coupled a.f.c. structure that is considerably less than that originally anticipated, thus reconciling the hitherto opposing predictions for steering system stability produced by discrete and continuous models. A.f.c. segments are shown to require considerable lengthening to stabilise simple analogue steering controllers.
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