Abstract
The degree of utilisation of machinery and equipment is an important factor influencing the volume of daily output of an underground hard coal mine. Consequently, it also affects the efficiency and economic performance of an underground mining plant. The main task of a new pumping station is to ensure safety and continuity of the operation process in both active and new longwalls in the future. The article presents a modern and innovative pumping station that meets the assumptions of Industry 4.0. The power units supplying a longwall complex included in the central pumping station were selected so as to minimise the number of failures. The interruptions in the technological process of coal mining related to the lack or insufficient pressure of the working medium in the supply bus of the powered roof support are caused by inadequate type of hydraulic pumps. The paper presents a developed concept of an innovative central hydraulic pumping station feeding a longwall complex based on a powered roof support. The presented implementation—starting from the concept through design and implementation—has contributed to the improvement of working conditions and safety.
Highlights
The increase in demand for electricity from coal or lignite is still visible worldwide [3, 5]
The world's hard coal mining is currently dominated by China and Russia, with their level of natural hazards differing from those in Poland [9]
The total capacity of the pumping units must ensure that it is possible to achieve the planned daily output in each longwall. Determining this performance requires the determination of the absorption capacity of individual types of sections used in a powered roof support and the time needed to be setting it in a new position
Summary
The increase in demand for electricity from coal or lignite is still visible worldwide [3, 5]. This in turn results in a decrease in the economic efficiency of Polish mines, and in a decrease in the competitiveness of Polish coal on the global market. The construction of the innovative central hydraulic pumping station resulted from the need to implement the latter method to increase the efficiency of the plant. This is aimed at reducing the number of failures and stoppages in terms of hydraulic power supply to the powered roof support. Correct conditions of hydraulic supply of powered roof supports are one of the factors ensuring safe and undisturbed process of hard coal mining in a longwall system [10]
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