Selection of an Appropriate Mechanized Mining Technical Process for Thin Coal Seam Mining

Chen Wang,Shihao Tu

doi:10.1155/2015/893232

Abstract

Mechanized mining technical process (MMTP) related to the control method of the shearer is a vital process in thin coal seam mining operations. An appropriate MMTP is closely related to safety, productivity, labour intensity, and efficiency. Hence, the evaluation of alternative MMTP is an important part of the mining design. Several parameters should be considered in MMTP evaluation, so the evaluation is complex and must be compliant with a set of criteria. In this paper, two multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), were adopted for this evaluation. Then, the most appropriate MMTP for a thin coal seam working face was selected in China.

Highlights

The reserves of thin coal seam are enormous in China
As a result of the predatory mining principle which focuses on thick coal seams and abandons thin coal seams, the mineable reserves of thick and medium-thick coal seams were exhausted in the eastern coal mines and some aged coal mines in China
In order to balance the productivity of these coal mines and extend their service life, it was of great importance to excavate thin coal seams in many minefields, such as minefields at Huaibei, Huainan, Zibo, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Datong, Xinwen, Hancheng, Handan, and Yulin

Summary

Introduction

The reserves of thin coal seam (less than 1.3 m in thickness) are enormous in China. Among 95 national key coal enterprises, a total of more than 750 thin coal seams exist in 445 coal mines. The recoverable reserves of thin seam are about 6.5 billion tons, accounting for 19% of the total recoverable coal reserves [1,2,3,4,5]. In order to balance the productivity of these coal mines and extend their service life, it was of great importance to excavate thin coal seams in many minefields, such as minefields at Huaibei, Huainan, Zibo, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Datong, Xinwen, Hancheng, Handan, and Yulin

Objectives

Methods

Results