DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR THE SHUTTLE CAR IN UNDERGROUND ROOM & PILLAR COAL MINES

In recent years, autonomous solutions in the multi-disciplinary field of the mining engineering have been an extremely popular applied research topic. The growing demand for mineral supplies combined with the steady decline in the available surface reserves has driven the mining industry to mine deeper underground deposits. These deposits are difficult to access, and the environment may be hazardous to mine personnel (e.g., increased heat, difficult ventilation conditions, etc.). Moreover, current mining methods expose the miners to numerous occupational hazards such as working in the proximity of heavy mining equipment, possible roof falls, as well as noise and dust. As a result, the mining industry, in its efforts to modernize and advance its methods and techniques, is one of the many industries that has turned to autonomous systems. Vehicle automation in such complex working environments can play a critical role in improving worker safety and mine productivity. One of the most time-consuming tasks of the mining cycle is the transportation of the extracted ore from the face to the main haulage facility or to surface processing facilities. Although conveyor belts have long been the autonomous transportation means of choice, there are still many cases where a discrete transportation system is needed to transport materials from the face to the main haulage system. The current dissertation presents the development of a navigation system for an autonomous shuttle car (ASC) in underground room and pillar coal mines. By introducing autonomous shuttle cars, the operator can be relocated from the dusty, noisy, and potentially dangerous environment of the underground mine to the safer location of a control room. This dissertation focuses on the development and testing of an autonomous navigation system for an underground room and pillar coal mine. A simplified relative localization system which determines the location of the vehicle relatively to salient features derived from on-board 2D LiDAR scans was developed for a semi-autonomous laboratory-scale shuttle car prototype. This simplified relative localization system is heavily dependent on and at the same time leverages the room and pillar geometry. Instead of keeping track of a global position of the vehicle relatively to a fixed coordinates frame, the proposed custom localization technique requires information regarding only the immediate surroundings. The followed approach enables the prototype to navigate around the pillars in real-time using a deterministic Finite-State Machine which models the behavior of the vehicle in the room and pillar mine with only a few states. Also, a user centered GUI has been developed that allows for a human user to control and monitor the autonomous vehicle by implementing the proposed navigation system. Experimental tests have been conducted in a mock mine in order to evaluate the performance of the developed system. A number of different scenarios simulating common missions that a shuttle car needs to undertake in a room and pillar mine. The results show a minimum success ratio of 70%

Occupational Accidents Related to Heavy Machinery: A Systematic Review

Surface and underground mining, due to its technical challenges, is considered a hazardous industry. The great majority of accidents and fatalities are frequently associated with ineffective or inappropriate training methods. Knowing that knowledge of occupational accident causes plays a significant role in safety management systems, it is important to systematise this kind of information. The primary objective of this systematic review was to find evidence of work-related accidents involving machinery and their causes and, thus, to provide relevant data available to improve the mining project (design). The Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement methodology was used to conduct the review. This paper provides the main research results based on a systematic review protocol registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), where the research strategy, information sources, and eligibility criteria are provided. From the 3071 articles identified, 16 were considered eligible and added to the study. Results are presented in a narrative-based form, with additional data provided in descriptive tables. The data analysed showed that the equipment often related to mining accidents are conveyor belts, haul trucks, and dumpers, especially during maintenance or repair activities. Attention should be paid to powered tools. Effective monitoring and machine operation control are some of the stated measures to minimise accidents. Particular attention should be paid to less experienced and senior workers, mainly through fatigue control, workload management, and appropriate training programs

Electromagnetic Signal Feedback Control For Proximity Detection Systems

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States and remains an essential source of energy. While more than half of coal production comes from surface mining, nearly twice as many workers are employed by underground operations. One of the key pieces of equipment used in underground coal mining is the continuous mining machine. These large and powerful machines are operated in confined spaces by remote control. Since 1984, 40 mine workers in the U. S. have been killed when struck or pinned by a continuous mining machine. It is estimated that a majority of these accidents could have been prevented with the application of proximity detection systems. While proximity detection systems can significantly increase safety around a continuous mining machine, there are some system limitations. Commercially available proximity warning systems for continuous mining machines use magnetic field generators to detect workers and establish safe work areas around the machines. Several environmental factors, however, can influence and distort the magnetic fields. To minimize these effects, a control system has been developed using electromagnetic field strength and generator current to stabilize and control field drift induced by internal and external environmental factors. A laboratory test set-up was built using a ferrite-core magnetic field generator to produce a stable magnetic field. Previous work based on a field-invariant magnetic flux density model, which generically describes the electromagnetic field, is expanded upon. The analytically established transferable shell-based flux density distribution model is used to experimentally validate the control system. By controlling the current input to the ferrite-core generator, a more reliable and consistent magnetic field is produced. Implementation of this technology will improve accuracy and performance of existing commercial proximity detection systems. These research results will help reduce the risk of traumatic injuries and improve overall safety in the mining workplace

Англійська мова для навчання і работи. Навчальний посібник з англійської мови за професійним спрямуванням для студентів і фахівців галузі знань 0503 Розробка корисних копалин Т 1

A coursebook includes all the activities of students’ work at ESP course aimed at development of language behaviour necessary for effective communication of students in their study and specialism areas. The tasks and activities given in the coursebook are typicalfor students’ academic and professional domains and situations. The content is organized in modules that covers generic job-related language skills of engineers. The authentic texts taken from real life contain interesting up-to-date information about mining, peculiarities of study abroad, customs and traditions of English-speaking countries. Pack of self-study resources given in Part II contains Glossary of mining terms, tasks and activities aimed at developing a range of vocabulary necessary for mining, different functions and functional exponents to be used in academic and professional environment as well as tasks developing self-awareness, self-assessment and self-organisation skills. Testing points for different grammar structuresare given in Part III. Indices at the end of each part easify the use of the coursebook. The coursebook contains illustrations, various samples of visualizing technical information. The coursebook is designed for ESP students of non-linguistic universities. It can be used as teaching/learning materials for ESP Courses for Mining Engineers as well as for self-study of subject and specialist teachers, practicing mining engineers and researchers in Engineering.У посібнику представлені всі види діяльності студентів з вивчення англійської мови, спрямовані на розвиток мовної поведінки, необхідної для ефективного спілкування в академічному та професійному середовищах. Навчальний посібник містить завдання і вправи, типові для різноманітних академічних та професійних сфер і ситуацій. Структура організації змісту– модульна і охоплює загальні мовленнєві вміння інженерів. Зразки текстів– автентичні, взяті з реального життя, містять цікаву та актуальну інформацію про видобувничу промисловість, особливості навчання за кордоном, традиції та звичаї країн, мова яких вивчається. Ресурси для самостійної роботи(Том ІІ) містять глосарій термінів, завдання та вправи для розвитку словарного запасу та розширення діапазону функціональних зразків, необхідних для виконання певних функцій, та завдання, які спрямовані на розвиток навичок самооцінювання і організації свого навчання. Граматичні явища і вправи для їх засвоєння наводяться в томі ІІІ. Наприкінці кожної частини наведено алфавітно-предметні покажчики. Багато ілюстрацій та різних візуальних засобів подання інформації. Навчальний посібник призначений для студентів технічних університетів гірничого профілю. Може використовуватися для самостійного вивчення англійської мови викладачами, фахівцями і науковцями різних інженерних галузей

Proceedings of the 2009 Coal Operators\u27 Conference

Proceedings of the 2009 Coal Operators\u27 Conference. All papers in these proceedings are peer reviewed. ISBN: 978 1 920806 95 8

Ground Robotic Hand Applications for the Space Program study (GRASP)

This document reports on a NASA-STDP effort to address research interests of the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) through a study entitled, Ground Robotic-Hand Applications for the Space Program (GRASP). The primary objective of the GRASP study was to identify beneficial applications of specialized end-effectors and robotic hand devices for automating any ground operations which are performed at the Kennedy Space Center. Thus, operations for expendable vehicles, the Space Shuttle and its components, and all payloads were included in the study. Typical benefits of automating operations, or augmenting human operators performing physical tasks, include: reduced costs; enhanced safety and reliability; and reduced processing turnaround time

New applications for phosphoric acid fuel cells

New applications for phosphoric acid fuel cells were identified and evaluated. Candidates considered included all possibilities except grid connected electric utility applications, on site total energy systems, industrial cogeneration, opportunistic use of waste hydrogen, space and military applications, and applications smaller than 10 kW. Applications identified were screened, with the most promising subjected to technical and economic evaluation using a fuel cell and conventional power system data base developed in the study. The most promising applications appear to be the underground mine locomotive and the railroad locomotive. Also interesting are power for robotic submersibles and Arctic villages. The mine locomotive is particularly attractive since it is expected that the fuel cell could command a very high price and still be competitive with the conventionally used battery system. The railroad locomotive's attractiveness results from the (smaller) premium price which the fuel cell could command over the conventional diesel electric system based on its superior fuel efficiency, and on the large size of this market and the accompanying opportunities for manufacturing economy

A study of the role of workers' representatives in health and safety arrangements in coal mines in Queensland

Coal mining is a dangerous industry which demands a strong emphasis on ensuring the protection of miners' health, safety and well being. This study investigates the role and effectiveness of health & safety reps in Queensland Coal Mines and was undertaken by the Cardiff Work Environment Research Centre at Cardiff University in Wales, UK. The aim of the study is to contribute further knowledge of the effectiveness of the role of worker reps in managing those risks. Early mining disasters resulting in the deaths of many mineworkers highlighted the need for unions to take a proactive role in ensuring their own safety. Originally known as check inspectors, they were first appointed by unions in the Hunter Valley in the 1870s, and in Queensland they gained statutory recognition in 1915. The study, which can be downloaded as the full report or in summary form, is specifically focused on the experience of representative participation in Queensland coal mines

A History of Materials and Technologies Development

The purpose of the book is to provide the students with the text that presents an introductory knowledge about the development of materials and technologies and includes the most commonly available information on human development. The idea of the publication has been generated referring to the materials taken from the organic and non-organic evolution of nature. The suggested texts might be found a purposeful tool for the University students proceeding with studying engineering due to the fact that all subjects in this particular field more or less have to cover the history and development of the studied object. It is expected that studying different materials and technologies will help the students with a better understanding of driving forces, positive and negative consequences of technological development, etc