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%

Adapting to climate risks and extreme weather: guide for mining - minerals industry professionals

AbstractExtreme weather events in Australia over recent years have highlighted the costs for Australian mining and mineral processing operations of being under-prepared for adapting to climate risk. For example, the 2010/2011 Queensland floods closed or restricted production of about forty out of Queensland’s fifty coal mines costing more than $2 billion in lost production.Whilst mining and mineral professionals have experience with risk management and managing workplace health and safety, changes to patterns of extreme weather events and future climate impacts are unpredictable. Responding to these challenges requires planning and preparation for events that many people have never experienced before. With increasing investor and public concern for the impact of such events, this guide is aimed at assisting a wide range of mining and mineral industry professionals to incorporate planning and management of extreme weather events and impacts from climate change into pre-development, development and construction, mining and processing operations and post-mining phases. The guide should be read in conjunction with the research  final report which describes the research process for developing the guide and reflects on challenges and lessons for adaptation research from the project.The Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) led the development of the guide with input from the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, University of Queensland and a Steering Committee from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Sustainability Committee and individual AusIMM members, who volunteered their time and experience. As the situation of every mining and mineral production operation is going to be different, this guide has been designed to provide general information about the nature of extreme weather events, and some specific examples of how unexpectedly severe flooding, storm, drought, high temperature and bushfire events have affected mining and mineral processing operations. A number of case studies used throughout the guide also illustrate the ways forward thinking operations have tackled dramatically changing climatic conditions.Each section of the guide outlines a range of direct and indirect impacts from a different type of extreme weather, and provides a starting point for identifying potential risks and adaptation options that can be applied in different situations. The impacts and adaptation sections provide guidance on putting the key steps into practice by detailing specific case examples of leading practice and how a risk management approach can be linked to adaptive planning. More information about specific aspects of extreme weather, planning and preparation for the risks presented by these events, and tools for undertaking climate related adaptation is provided in the ‘Additional Resources’ section

A METHODOLOGY FOR AUTONOMOUS ROOF BOLT INSTALLATION USING INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS

The mining sector is currently in the stage of adopting more automation, and with it, robotics. Autonomous bolting in underground environments remains a hot topic for the mining industry. Roof bolter operators are exposed to hazardous conditions due to their proximity to the unsupported roof, loose bolts, and heavy spinning mass. Prolonged exposure to the risk inevitably leads to accidents and injuries. The current thesis presents the development of a robotic assembly capable of carrying out the entire sequence of roof bolting operations in full and partial autonomous sensor-driven rock bolting operations to achieve a high-impact health and safety intervention for equipment operators. The automation of a complete cycle of drill steel positioning, drilling, bolt orientation and placement, resin placement, and bolt securing is discussed using an anthropomorphic robotic arm.A human-computer interface is developed to enable the interaction of the operators with the machines. Collision detection techniques will have to be implemented to minimize the impact after an unexpected collision has occurred. A robust failure-detection protocol is developed to check the vital parameters of robot operations continuously. This unique approach to automation of small materials handling is described with lessons learned. A user-centered GUI has been developed that allows for a human user to control and monitor the autonomous roof bolter. Preliminary tests have been conducted in a mock mine to evaluate the developed system\u27s performance. In addition, a number of different scenarios simulating typical missions that a roof bolter needs to undertake in an underground coal mine were tested

Üretim Mimarisi Üzerine Bir Araştırma: İmalathanelerden Makine Bölgelerine

Anthropocene is the present geological epoch in which human-built infrastructures dominate the resources of the world and highest levels of human intrusion to the ecosystems have been accumulated since the Industrial Revolution. Utilisation of the steam engine initiated change in energy sources and extraction of raw materials that altered the existent means of production and led to the hegemony of industrial activities. The spread and growth of industry prevailed onto the practice of architecture to construct rapidly developing bases of production, storage, and distribution. Therefrom, physical embodiments of these bases as an overall system enable to relate energy, labour, and technology as fundamental elements of industry with the discourse of architecture. Hence, this thesis studies three determined architectural typologies -mills, daylight factories, machine landscapes- for the evolution of production by a historical literature survey and comparative analysis of multiple cases with the compiled architectural documentation including photographs, drawings, and diagrams. Chronologically organised cases from different industrial periods reflect the altering nature of energy, labour, and technology regarding means of production, construction techniques, and materials. Acting as design parameters through the spatial transformation from mills to daylight factories, and now to machine landscapes, these relations indicate the interdependency between architecture and industry, and allow to formulate further spatial entities for production.Antroposen, insan yapımı altyapıların Dünya kaynaklarına hâkim olduğu ve Sanayi Devrimi'nden bu yana ekosistemlere en yüksek düzeyde insan müdahalesinin biriktiği mevcut jeolojik çağdır. Buhar makinesinin kullanımıyla başlayan enerji kaynaklarında ve hammaddelerin çıkartılmasındaki değişim, mevcut üretim araçlarının farklılaşmasına ve endüstriyel faaliyetlerin hegemonyasına yol açtı. Endüstrinin yayılımı ve büyümesi, hızla gelişen üretim, depolama ve dağıtım temellerini inşa etmek için endüstriyi mimarlığın uygulanma aşamasına yönlendirdi. Bu noktadan yola çıkarak, genel bir sistem halinde bu temellerin somutlaştırılmış düzenlemeleri, endüstrinin temel unsurları olan enerji, emek ve teknolojiyi mimarlık söylemiyle ilişkilendirmeyi mümkün kılar. Bu nedenle, bu tez, üretimin evrimi için belirlenmiş üç mimari tipolojiyi -imalathaneler, gün ışığı fabrikaları, makine bölgeleri- tarihsel bir literatür taraması ve birçok örneğin mimari belgesi olan fotoğrafları, çizimleri ve diyagramları aracılığıyla karşılaştırmalı analizi üstünden çalışır. Farklı endüstriyel dönemlerden seçilmiş ve kronolojik olarak organize edilmiş bu örnekler, enerji, emek ve üretim araçları, inşaat teknikleri ve malzemelerle ilgili olarak teknolojinin değişen doğasını yansıtır. Tasarım parametreleri olarak imalathanelerden gün ışığı fabrikalarına ve güncel olarak da makine bölgelerine doğru mekânsal dönüşümü sağlayan bu ilişkiler, mimari ve endüstri arasındaki karşılıklı bağlılığı gösterir ve üretim için daha fazla mekânsal varlıkları formüle etmeye izin verir.M.Arch. - Master of Architectur

Noise exposure in an opencast platinum mine in the Limpopo Province during 2006-2010

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences; School of Public Health; University of Witwatersrand; Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Public Health in the field of Occupational Hygiene Johannesburg; May 2015Background: Tasks aimed at increasing productivity in the opencast mining industry have indicated a need to use larger machinery together with improvements in technology. This has resulted in an increase in the use of mechanical products, which has been accompanied by an increase in occupational noise exposure levels. Dangerous occupational noise exposures might be more prevalent in the mining sector than in other industrial segments due to a large number of persons employed by the mining sector. However, given the scant literature on occupational noise exposure in opencast mines, we are unsure of the magnitude of the problem. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a research study on occupational noise exposures in an Opencast Platinum Mine and to provide recommendations on the abatement of noise exposure to workers to mine management. Aim: This study aimed to determine if employees in the production area of an Opencast Platinum mine were over-exposed to noise levels above acceptable national and international exposure limits of 85dB(A) and 90dB(A) respectively during 2006-2010. Objectives: The main study objectives were to identify and assess occupations with significant risk to occupational noise exposure in an Opencast platinum mine production area during 2006-2010; to describe personnel noise exposure amongst the identified significant risk occupations in the same Opencast Platinum mine production area during 2006-2010. Finally, the study compared occupational noise exposure of identified significant risk occupations in the same Opencast Platinum mine production area with national and international exposure limits during 2006-2010. Methodology: The study employed a cross sectional retrospective record review of noise measurement data collected during a 5-year period. Statistical analyses were conducted using S-PLUS (version 8.1) and SAS System Software packages (version 9.1). To describe the measures of central similarity and distribution of the noise levels, arithmetic mean (AM) median, geometric means (GMs) and geometric standard deviations were presented in tables. Results: During the hazard identification process ten occupations were identified as significant noise risk exposed occupations, the shovel operator was the lowest exposed occupation with a minimum noise level measurement of 78.40dB (A) (TWA.8h) and maximum-noise level of 96.95dB (A) (TWA.8h). The drill rig operator was one of the top 3 most exposed occupations with a 90th percentile of 98.13dB (A) (TWA.8h). The drill foreman with a maximum of 99.75 dB (A) and a 90th percentile of 96.93dB (A) (TWA.8h) exceed the South African Department of Minerals and Resources (DMR) OEL of 85dB (A) (TWA.8h). From the total amount of three thousand one hundred and sixty (3160), ninety eight percent (98.92%) of the measured time weighted 8 Noise Exposure in an Opencast Platinum Mine in theLimpopo Province during 2006 – 2010 hours average (TWA.8h) results exceed the South African Department of Minerals and Resources (DMR) OEL of 85dB (A) , 65% exceeded the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) PEL of 90dB(A) for noise. The front-end loader operator had the highest percentage of measurements (81.65%) exceeding the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) PEL of 90dB (A) for noise exposure in the time frame 2006-2010. Conclusions: This study showed that there is substantial risk for overexposure to noise in occupations working in the production area of an opencast mine. Task type and duration associated with production in the opencast mine may determine whether employees are exposed to noise > 85dB (A) (TWA.8h). Hence equipment type, maintenance of controls and employee risk reduction behaviour may be important elements of noise exposure. Identifying noise exposure elements and contributing sources will be of value when improving or implementing a new control at the noise source. Development of methodical and comprehensive hearing conservation programme for lowering the noise level in workplaces and prevention of occupational noise induced hearing loss, at the place of work is suggested

Advancing self-escape training : a needs analysis based on the National Academy of Sciences report "improving self-escape from underground coal mines."

"This report summarizes a needs analysis and actions taken by NIOSH based on the National Academy of Sciences recommendations specific to advancing self-escape training, with an emphasis on preparing rank-and-file mineworkers for self-escape. This report also provides the foundation for the practical guidance offered in its sister publication, the NIOSH Information Circular (IC) "Self-escape Core Competency Profile: Guidance for Improving Underground Coal Miners' Self-escape Competency" [NIOSH 2023], which offers an evidence-based self-escape competency framework derived from the results of this work." - NIOSHTIC-2NIOSHTIC no. 20067688Suggested citation: NIOSH [2023]. Advancing self-escape training: a needs analysis based on the National Academy of Sciences report, \u201cImproving Self-escape from Underground Coal Mines.\u201d By Hoebbel CL, Bellanca JL, Ryan ME, Brnich MJ. Pittsburgh PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2023-134, https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2023134

Proceedings of the 2017 Coal Operators\u27 Conference

Proceedings of the 2017 Coal Operators\u27 Conference. All papers in these proceedings are peer reviewed. ISBN: 978174128261