Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: MINING SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
THIS INVENTION relates to a mining system.
In particular, the invention relates to a method of, and
apparatus for, conveying mined materials) from a mining machine to a
remote location, eg., for processing.
More particularly, the invention relates, but is not limited to,
a method of and apparatus for the continuous transfer of coal from the
~o mining face during development of roadways underground, including
longwall gateroads.
Throughout the specification, including the claims, the term
"pipe(s)" shall include pipe(s), pipeline(s), conduit(s), hoses) and the like.
2. Prior Art
i5 Conventionally, gateroads and cross-roads (or cut-thru's)
are cut in a coal seam to enable a longwall mining machine to mine the
coal in the seam.
A small mining machine cuts a tunnel (or gateroad) through
the seam and the coal is transferred to a remote location, eg., a main
2 o tunnel or road via shuttle cars, eg., operating in pairs.
There is danger to the miners in the gateroads as they are
liable to be run down by the shuttle cars in the gateroads. The shuttle
cars quickly cut up the floors of the gate roads and the damaged floors
incur high maintenance loads on the shuttle cars.
25 As an alternative to the shuttle cars, modular conveyors
(eg., as disclosed in AU-A-10873/92 (MECO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD))
have been proposed to transfer the coal.
While the conveyors are safer to the workers, and result in
less damage to the gateroad floors, production must be halted each time
3 o a conveyor module must be added to allow for the advance of the mining
machine.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
for the transfer of mined material, eg., coal, from a mining machine to a
remote location which can allow for advance of the mining machine.
It is a preferred object to provide a method which can allow
such an advance with minimal reduction in the transfer rate.
It is a further preferred object to provide a method where the
advance of the machine can be over a considerable distance.
It is a still further preferred object to provide a method which
2 o can use, or incorporate, existing equipment.
Other preferred objects will become apparent from the
following description.
In one aspect, the present invention resides in a method for
transferring mined materials) (eg., coal) from a mining face to a remote
location, including the steps of:
a) crushing and/or sizing the mined material;
b) mixing the crushed/sized material with water to form a
slurry;
c) pumping the slurry to the remote location through one
2 0 or more flexible slurry pipes; and
d) de-watering the slurry to recover the mined material.
Preferably, the method further includes the step:
e) returning the water for mixing with further mined
material for step (b).
In a second aspect, the present invention resides in
apparatus to effect the method.
The mined material (eg., coal and rock) is preferably
crushed and/or sized in a crushing unit which has a surge hopper or bin to
receive the mined material from a mining machine.
3 o Preferably, the surge hopper or bin is dimensioned to
receive 30 seconds to several (eg., 5) minutes' output from the mining
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machine.
Preferably, the sized material is mixed and pumped by a
pumping unit having at least one, but preferably two or more, pumps, the
pumps being connected to (preferably) respective slurry pipes operable to
convey the slurry to a de-watering unit at a remote location.
The crushing unit and the pump unit may be separate
machines, or be mounted on a single (preferably articulated) frame.
Preferably, the de-watering unit has one, or more, return
water pipes connected to the pumping unit.
so Preferably, each slurry pipe and each return water pipe has
at least one flexible portion connected to the pump and/or the de-watering
unit to allow for advance of the pumping unit (with the advance of the
mining machine) relative to the de-watering unit.
Preferably, the flexible portions include one or more coils,
i5 and/or concertina-like sections, supportable from the roof, walls and/or
floor of the mine, eg., by a monorail or sled(s),
The pipes may further include one or more rigid portions,
which may be suspended from the roof and/or walls of the mine.
Additional flexible portions may be interposed in the pipes to
2 o accommodate further advance of the pumping unit (and mining machine)
along the gateroads and/or around corners into crossroads (or cut-thru's).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred
embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying
25 drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a portion of a longwall
coal mine incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2 is detail B on FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken on line A on FIG 1 on
3 o an enlarged scale; and
FIG. 4 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 3.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The coal mine 100 has gateroads 101 to enable the coal
102 to be mined, eg., by longwall mining methods.
The machinery of the present invention must be designed to
be capable of negotiating the junctions between the gateroads 101 and
cross roads 103.
As shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 3 and 4, coal 102 is
mined from the mining face 104 by a mining machine 10 to enable the
1 o gateroad 101 (or cross road 103) to be developed.
The coal 102 is transferred to the rear of the mining machine
10, eg., via an armoured chain 11 along the centre of the mining machine
10.
The coal 102 is discharged into a surge bin 21 at the front of
z5 a crushing unit 20. The capacity of the surge bin 21 is selected so that
the flow of the coal from the' crushing unit 20 can be interrupted for 30
seconds to a few (eg., 5) minutes, without interruption to the operation of
the mining machine 10.
The coal 102 is crushed and sized in the crushing unit 20
2 o and is transferred to a pumping unit 30, where it is mixed with the water
to
form a slurry. (The water is returned to the pumping unit 30 via a return
pipeline from a de-watering .unit, to be hereinafter described.)
On the pumping unit 30, three slurry pumps 31-33 are
respectively connected to slurry pipes 41-43 of the pipe system 40, to be
25 described in more detail.
The crushing unit 20 and pumping unit 30 may be provided
as separate machines, or on a single articulated chassis or frame - see
FIG. 2.
Each slurry pipe 41-43 is connected, at its downstream end,
3 o to a de-watering unit 50, where the coal 102 is de-watered (ie., separated
from the slurry) and directed to a conveyor 60 which carries the coal out of
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the mine, eg., via a series of other conveyors. At least one return water
pipe 51 returns the water from the de-watering unit 50 to the pumping unit
30.
The pipe system 40 has the three slurry pipes 41-43 where
5 intermediate portions 41 b-43b comprise, eg., 150mm diameter pipes
suspended from the roof 105 of the gateroad 101. (The pipes may be
suspended from the walls and/or supported from the floor, eg., by sleds
206.) At the downstream end, the slurry pipes 41-43 have flexible end
portions 41 c-43c connected to the de-watering unit 50. Each slurry pipe
l0 41-43 has a flexible end portion 41a-43a connected to a respective pump
31-33, where the flexible portions 41a-43a are coiled and suspended from
a monorail 106 on the roof 105 (or supported by sleds 206 on the floor) of
the gateroad 101. It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that
as the mining machine 10, crushing unit 20 and pumping unit 30 advance,
~5 the flexible end portions 41a-43a are de-coiled and supported at spaced
intervals by the monorail 106.
The return water pipes) 51 can also have intermediate
portions (or rigid/coiled pipes) supported on the monorails) 106/sled(s)
206 with flexible end portions connected to the pumps 31-33 and de
2 o watering unit 50 in the manner of the slurry pipes 41-43.
When the flexible portions 41 a-43a are nearly fully decoiled,
a further monorail 106 is fixed to the roof 105 between the existing
monorail 106 and the machine/units 10/20/30, the new monorail 106
supporting additional lengths of flexible pipe. Alternatively, the additional
25 lengths are supported by further sleds 206.
One of the pumps, eg., 31, may be stopped, and slurry pipe
41 disconnected therefrom to allow one of the new flexible pipes to be
interconnected to the pump 31 and flexible end portion 41 a of slurry pipe
41.
3 o Pump 31 can be restarted, and the procedure repeated
successively with pumps 32 and 33. This means that only one-third of the
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transfer capacity between the mining machine 10 and the conveyor 60 is
lost at any time. This is in contrast with existing transfer methods where
production is halted when additional conveyor modules are supplied to
allow for the advance of the mining machine 20.
Even if a pump 31-33 fails, production, albeit at a reduced
rate, can be maintained.
It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that the
number/capacity of the pumps 31-33/slurry pipes 41-43 return water
pipes) 51, can be varied to suit the particular mine requirements.
to In certain applications, it may be preferable that the full
length of the pipelines 41-43 is of flexible material.
Advantages of the invention include:
the process described can be totally continuous,
providing no interruptions to the miner cutting coal at the face;
~ the process allows maximum access to the face - the
machinery can operate close to one wall of the roadway, thus allowing
supplies and other equipment to access the road and the miner at the
face;
maximum access allows other mining processes to
2 o take place simultaneously whereas they would normally have to wait until
the shuttle cars are stopped;
safety (eg., for roof bolting, ventilation,
installation/modifications) is greatly enhanced, as there are no shuttle
cars wheeling along roads, thus:
2 5 ~ less exposure to gas initiation via cable
damage;
~ less chance of driver injury from shuttle cars
wheeling on rough roads;
~ much less road damage, and full access to
3 o maintain roads, so less chance of damage to vehicles and passengers
and pedestrian traffic;
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no sudden cable movement to cause injury.
multiple pumps provide continuous operation - pumps
can be maintained or interchanged during production;
very reliable crushing unit, with possibility for backup
motor and rotor.
ability to carry supplies and spares on the machinery,
for easy access;
low maintenance costs, due to simplicity of operation
and construction;
l o ~ simplicity of construction and use of existing
components provides for simple maintenance;
flexibility to adapt system to a variety of requirements,
which creates many options for mining operators - this creates a positive
effect for mine planning and logistics;
15 ~ capacity can be increased by additional or larger
pump units;
distance for material transfer can vary from hundreds
of metres, to thousands of metres, depending upon requirements;
articulated frame between the crushing unit 20 and
2 o pumping unit 30 provides mobility;
ability to pump slurry from the face means pumps can
be used to clean muck from the roads at the face and create a cleaner
and safer work environment;
the present invention can be used in conjunction with
2 s existing mining equipment;
the present invention can be used in main headings
development as well as gateroad development;
the present invention can be used for bolting
equipment and for cut and flit arrangements;
3 0 ~ continuous conveyor panel extension operations;
first aid and smoke room can be close by; and
other additional equipment can be added to the
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framework, eg., bolting epuipment, carrying of supplies, ventilation
apparatus, floor cleaning/ pumping apparatus, etc., and operator F.O.D.S.
Various changes and modifications may be made to the
embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present
invention.
