MORDEN UNDER GROUND COAL MINING TECHNOLOGIES

Longwall mining A set of longwall mining equipment consists of a coal

shearer mounted on conveyor operating underneath a series of self-advancing
hydraulic roof supports. Almost the entire process can be automated. Longwall
mining machines are typically 150250 metres in width and 1.5 to 3 metres high.
Longwall miners extract "panels" - rectangular blocks of coal as wide as the face the
equipment is installed in, and as long as several kilometres. Powerful mechanical
coal cutters (shearers) cut coal from the face, which falls onto an armoured face
conveyor for removal. Longwalls can advance into an area of coal, or more
commonly, retreat back between development tunnels (called "gateroads") As a
longwall miner retreats back along a panel, the roof behind the supports is allowed
to collapse in a planned and controlled manner.
Equipment
Hydraulic chocks
A number of hydraulic jacks, called powered roof supports, chocks or shields, which are
typically 1.75 m wide and placed in a long line, side by side for up to 400 m in length in
order to support the roof of the coalface. An individual chock can weigh 3040 tonnes,
extend to a maximum cutting height of up to 6 m and have yield rating of 1000
1250 tonnes each, and hydraulically advance itself 1 m at a time.
Hydraulic chocks, conveyor and shearer
The coal is cut from the coalface by a machine called the shearer (power loader). This
machine can weigh 75120 tonnes typically and comprises a main body, housing the
electrical functions, the tractive motive units to move the shearer along the coalface and
pumping units (to power both hydraulic and water functions). At either end of the main
body are fitted the ranging arms which can be ranged vertically up down by means of
hydraulic rams, and onto which are mounted the shearer cutting drums which are fitted
4060 cutting picks. Within the ranging arms are housed very powerful electric motors
(typically up to 850 kW) which transfer their power through a series of lay gears within
the body the arms to the drum mounting locations at the extreme ends of the ranging
arms where the cutting drums are. The cutting drums are rotated at a speed of 20
50 revs/min to cut the mineral from coal seam.
Chocks providing support to allow shearer to work
The shearer is carried along the length of the face on the armoured face conveyor (AFC);
using a chain-less haulage system, which resembles a ruggedised rack and pinion system
especially developed for mining. Before chainless haulage systems, a heavy duty chain
was run the length of the coal face for the shearer to pull itself along. The shearer moves
at a speed of 1030 m/min depending on cutting conditions.
The AFC is placed in front of the powered roof supports, and the shearing action of the
rotating drums cutting into the coal seam disintegrates the coal, this being loaded onto
the AFC. The coal is removed from the coal face by a scraper chain conveyor to the
main gate. Here it is loaded onto a network of conveyor belts for transport to the surface.
At the main gate the coal is usually reduced in size in a crusher, and loaded onto the first
conveyor belt by the beam stage loader (BSL).
As the shearer removes the coal, the AFC is snaked over behind the shearer and the
powered roof supports move forward into the newly created cavity. As mining
progresses and the entire longwall progresses through the seam, the goaf increases. This
goaf collapses under the weight of the overlying strata. The strata approximately 2.5
times the thickness of the coal seam removed collapses and the beds above settle onto
the collapsed goaf. This collapsing can lower surface height, causing problems like
changing the course of rivers and severely damage building foundations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENTS
Longwall shearers a material-cutting machine that moves back and forth on an armored face
conveyor running parallel to the coal or other material being mined. Using carbide-tipped bits on
cutting drums at each end, the shearer cuts a 1.2-meter to 6.5-meter swath of material on each
pass of longwall mining and simultaneously loads the material onto the armored face conveyor
for transport to the main material load-out conveyor belt.
Powered roof supports to provide an open work space shielded against mine roof collapse,
roof supports use powerful hydraulic cylinders to elevate and hold strong, thick steel plates in a
horizontal position to protect the longwall shearer and armored face conveyor. The supports
advance with the longwall shearer and armored face conveyor units, resulting in controlled roof
falls behind the supports. A longwall face may range up to 400 meters in length.
Armored face conveyors material handling conveyors that transport material cut by the
shearer away from the long wall face. It is basically a chain conveyor.
Feeder Breaker- It is basically a coal crusher. Armored face conveyor unload lump size coal
into it and it crush coal into small size so that coal can be transported through gate belt
conveyor.
Roof support carrier: Diesel/ battery powered vehicle with forks to carry power roof support.
Roof support trailer: A trailer driven by Diesel/ Battery operated Multi Utility Vehicle to carry
power roof supports.

Mines of CI L where LONGWALL MI NI NG I S BEI NG USED:
Kumda New, Balrampur and Rajendra Mines of SECL. To be introduced in Jhanjra Project at
ECL and Moonidih Mine in BCCL.

Shortwall mining A coal mining method that accounts for less than 1% of
deep coal production, shortwall involves the use of a continuous mining machine
with moveable roof supports, similar to longwall. The continuous miner shears coal
panels 150200 feet wide and more than a half-mile long, depending on other things
like the strata of the Earth and the transverse waves. This method is a combination
of Longwall and Board & Pillar (B&P) mining which envisages the extraction of
standing coal pillars (formed by development in Board & Pillar layout) with the help
of Self Advancing PSLW equipment.
Mines of CI L where SHORTWALL MI NI NG I S BEI NG USED:
It is successfully in operation at Balrampur UG mine of Bishrampur Area AT SECL.
Room-and-pillar mining or Board-and Pillar mining
Room and pillar (variant of breast stopping), also called pillar and stall,
[1]
is a mining system in
which the mined material is extracted across a horizontal plane, creating horizontal arrays of
rooms and pillars. The ore is extracted in two phases. In the first, "pillars" of untouched material
are left to support the roof overburden, and open areas or "rooms" are extracted underground;
the pillars are then partially extracted in the same manner as in the "Board & Pillar method". The
technique is usually used for relatively flat-lying deposits, such as those that follow a
particular stratum.
Equipment
Side Discharge Loader: It is basically a crawler mounted electro-hydraulically operated
loader (loading machine) with a bucket (capacity: 1.5 m
3
, most commonly used in CIL) and
suitable for rough floor condition. It is operated in most of the mechanized and semi
mechanized U/g mines of CIL. It is used in those U/g Mines whose average gradient is
relatively high. Its speed is relatively lower than the LHD machine. Therefore, lead distance
(distance from the face to the loading point) should be shorter. Otherwise, transportation
time will be higher. It is being used in most of the underground mines of CIL.
LOAD HAUL DUMP MACHINE (LHD MACHINE): It basically a tyre mounted electro-
hydraulically operated (only this type is used in ECL)/ diesel operated/ battery operated
loader (loading machine) with a bucket (capacity: 3 m
3
, most commonly used in CIL) and
suitable for smooth floor condition. It is used in those mines having flatter gradient and
smooth and dry floor condition. Its speed is relatively higher than that of SDL. Hence it is
more productive machine than SDL. Sometimes it is deployed as auxiliary equipment with
Continuous Miner. It is being used in the various mines of CIL.
CONTINUOUS MINER SET: It is basically a set of equipment consists of a
continuous miner, a pair of shuttle cars, a multi utility vehicle or a LHD machine and a
Feeder Breaker.
Continuous miners electric, self-propelled digging machines that cut material using carbide-
tipped bits on a horizontal rotating drum. Once cut, the material such as coal is gathered onto an
internal conveyor and loaded into a haulage vehicle or continuous haulage system for
transportation to the main coal load-out conveyor belt.
Shuttle cars low-profile, electric-powered/ diesel powered, rubber-tire material haulage
vehicles that transport up to 22 metric tons of coal and other material from continuous miners to
the main mine run-out conveyor belt, discharging their material loads with the help of on-board
chain conveyors.
Multi Utility Vehicle- Battery/ Diesel powered vehicle to carry materials for CM and to support
CM. It comes with different attachments like bucket, diesel pod, crane, basket etc. It is basically
an auxiliary equipment for CM.
Often LHD is deployed instead of Multi Utility Vehicle to do the such jobs
Feeder Breaker- It is basically a coal crusher. Shuttle cars unload lump size coal into it and it
crush coal into small size so that coal can be transported through belt conveyor.
There are number underground coal mines in CIL where CM set is deployed for production of coal,
E.g. Jhanjra project and Sarpi Mine of ECL.



High Wall Mining
This technology is suitable for thin (minimum 0.9m) and moderate coal seams where
neither opencast nor the conventional underground mining methodology is possible to
exploit the coal seams economically. It enables recovery of coal from surface pits that have
reached the final high wall position due to uneconomic stripping ratio, or where coal has
become sterilized due to surface constraints (infrastructure, water-courses, habitation
etc.).
Highwall mining is another form of surface mining that evolved from auger mining. In Highwall
mining, the coal seam is penetrated by a continuous miner propelled by a hydraulic Push beam
Transfer Mechanism (PTM). A typical cycle includes sumping (launch-pushing forward) and shearing
(raising and lowering the cutter head boom to cut the entire height of the coal seam). As the coal
recovery cycle continues, the cutter head is progressively launched into the coal seam for 19.72 feet
(6.01 m). Then, the Push beam Transfer Mechanism (PTM) automatically inserts a 19.72-foot (6.01
m) long rectangular Push beam (Screw-Conveyor Segment) into the center section of the machine
between the Power head and the cutter head. The Push beam system can penetrate nearly 1,000
feet (300 m) into the coal seam. One patented Highwall mining systems use augers enclosed inside
the Push beam that prevent the mined coal from being contaminated by rock debris during the
conveyance process. Using a video imaging and/or a gamma ray sensor and/or other Geo-Radar
systems like a coal-rock interface detection sensor (CID), the operator can see ahead projection of
the seam-rock interface and guide the continuous miner's progress. Highwall mining can produce
thousands of tons of coal in contour-strip operations with narrow benches, previously mined areas,
trench mine applications and steep-dip seams with controlled water-inflow pump system and/or a
gas (inert) venting system.
Recovery is much better than Augering, but the mapping of areas that have been developed by a
Highwall miner are not mapped as rigorously as deep mined areas. Very little soil is displaced in
contrast with mountain top removal; however a large amount of capital is required to operate and
own a Highwall miner. But then this Highwall mining system is the innovative roadmap future
potential and stay or being better competitive in the area of environmental friendly non mountain-top
(overburden) removal operated by only 4 crew members.
Mapping of the outcrop as well as core hole data and samples taken during the bench making
process are taken into account to best project the panels that the Highwall miner will cut. Obstacles
that could be potentially damaged by subsidence and the natural contour of the Highwall are taken
into account, and a surveyor points the Highwall miner in a line (Theoretical Survey Plot-Line) mostly
perpendicular to the Highwall. Parallel lines represent the drive cut into the mountain (up to 1,000
feet (300 m) deep), without heading or corrective steering actuation on a navigation Azimuth during
mining results in missing a portion of the coal seam and is a potential danger of cutting in pillars from
previous mined drives due to horizontal drift (Roll) of the Pushbeam-Cuttermodule string. Recently
Highwall miners have penetrated more than 1050 feet into the coal seam, and today's models are
capable of going farther, with the support of gyro navigation and not limited anymore by the amount
of cable stored on the machine. The maximum depth would be determined by the stress of further
penetration and associated specific-power draw, ("Torsion and Tension" in Screw-Transporters
String) but todays optimized Screw-Transporters Conveying Embodiments (called: Pushbeams) with
Visual Product Development and Flow Simulation Behaviour software "Discrete Element Modeling"
(DEM) shows smart-drive extended penetrations are possible, evenso under steep inclined angles
from horizontal to more than 30 degree downhole. In case of significant steep mining the new mining
method phrase should be "Directional Mining", dry or wet, Dewatering is developed or Cutting &
Dredging through Screw-Transporters are proactive in developing roadmap of the leading global
Highwall mining company.

High wall mining has been successfully introduced for the first time in Coal India Ltd in
Feb'2011 at Sharda mine of Sohagpur Area under South Eastern Coalfields Limited.

MAN RIDING SYSTEM:
Man riding is used to transport men in the underground mines. Its primary purpose is to reduce
men transportation time and thereby to increase available working hours and increase workers
efficiency. There are various types of man riding systems. These are:
1. Chairlift System: This is basically a ropeway type system. There are cycle seat like
chairs hanging from the rope to transport men. This is simple and robust type of system
and requires less maintenance. Chairlift systems are in operation in SECL, ECL, WCL
and MCL.
2. Rail based System: In this system, there are man riding cars which are driven on railway
track with a help of a haulage system or a diesel/electric/ battery operated locomotives.
There are two types. These are:
a. Haulage System: In this system man riding cars are driven by a rope haulage
system. These types of systems are in operation in SECL.
b. Locomotive: In this system man riding cars are driven by a locomotive
(diesel/electric/ battery operated). This type of system is used in MCL.
3. Free Steered Vehicle: This tyre mounted diesel (sometimes battery operated) operated
vehicle with a seating capacity of 15-20 persons. This vehicle is under procurement in
ECL for Jhanjra Project. This is the newest type of man riding system is going to be
introduce in India for first time.