CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.

CHAPTER 2
Long Wall face Machinery
 2.2 Long Wall face Machinery MINING MACHINERY

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Long wall mining is a form of underground coal is mined

in a single slice typically 0.6-1.0 m, the longwall panel the block
of coal is being mined is typically 3-4 km long and 250-400 m
wide. Miners would undercut the coal along the width of the coal
face, re-mining coal as it fell and using wooden props to control
the fall of roof behind the face. Some referred to long wall
mining as the ‘conveyor method of mining’, after the most
prominent piece of machinery used was an electric cutter to
under cut the coal face. And electric drills for blasting to drop
the face, once dropped, manual labour was used to load coal
onto the conveyor parallel to the face and to place wooden roof
props to control the fall of the roof. A number of hydraulic jacks
called powered roof supports, choks or shields, which are
typically 1.75 m wide and placed in a long line side to side for
up to 400 m in length in order to support the roof of the coal
face. An individual choke can weigh 30-40 tones extend to a
maximum cutting weight of upto 1000-1250 tones each, and
hydraulically advance itselt 1m at a time.

2.1 SERDS AND DERDS

Classification of Shearers :
Shearers are classified into two types :
1. Single drum
2. Double drum
Classification of Single Drum Shearers :
Single Drum Shearers are classified into two types :
1. Single ended fixed drum
2. Single ended ranging drum
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.3
Classification of Double Drum Shearers :

1. Single ended double rangind drum

2. Double ended ranging drum

Single Ended Ranging Drum Shearer (SERDS) :
The Main units of the shearer are

• Cutting unit or gear head.

• Haulage and control unit.

• Motor unit.

• Cutting unit houses in a gear box which drives a

horizontal shaft projecting towards the face.

• Shearing drum laced with cutter picks are mounted

on the extension of the shaft.

• Shearing drum can be raised or lowered in a

vertical plane with the help of a boom or ranging
arm.

• Ranging arm is used for cutting at various heights

called as ranging drum.

• Only one ranging drum at one end of the machine

called single ended ranging drum shearer.
Double Ended Ranging Drum Shearer (DERDS) :
Main components of shearer are :
• Electric motors
• Gearhead
• Haulage unit (power pack)
• Cutting drum
 2.4 MINING MACHINERY

Electric Motors :

• Power ranging from 150 KW to 1000KW

• Gives power for running the hydraulic pumps in the

haulage unit and the gearheads for the cutting
drum.

• High capacity shearers are generally equipped with

two electric motors.
• Motors used for running the haulage units,
gearheads, power pack and other ancillary
equipment.
Gearhead :
• Two gearheads.
• One on the left hand side and the other on the right
hand side of the shearer.
• Consists of a gearhead gearbox and a ranging arm
and cutting drums are attached with each ranging
arm.
• Gearhead is responsible for cutting and ranging
operation of cutting drum.
Cutting Drum :
• Drum is laced with spiral vanes on which the cutting
bits are mounted.
• Average diameter range from 0.86 - 2.5 m.
• Average rotational speed from 30 - 45 rpm
• Function of the drum is cutting and loading of the
product onto AFC.
• Blocks in which the picks are located are set into the
periphery of the drum formed by the helical vane.
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.5
• The face side of the drum is closed off by an end
plate carrying a number of pick blocks, so positioned
to allow the shearer to cut round a snake in the
conveyor.
• The helix angle of the vanes has been established to
give satisfactory loading characteristics over a wide
range of drum diameter.
• DERDS Shearer has the right hand gear head, would
have a right hand helix drum.
• Left hand gear head have left hand helix drum.

• Tungsten Carbide bits commonly used.

• Normally made in three grades.

• CH - for serve for abrasion with moderate impact

load.
• CM - For excellent combination of abrasive and
impact resistance.
• CPM - for severe impact load and good resistance
for abrasion.
Auxiliary Loading Devices :

• One of the auxiliary loading devices attached with

shearer.
• Cowl manual operated or mechanical operated.

• Dozer plate.

• Cowl is located behind the shearer drum

• Has to be rotated 180o when the shearer machine

reverse its direction of the travel.
 2.6 MINING MACHINERY

Purpose of Cowl :

• Loading of material

• Better track cleaning

• Dust control by bank of water sprays attached with

the cowl.

• Buttot or inseam shearer not having cowl.

• Some of the shearer dozer plate is attached.

• The purpose of dozer plate is same as cowl.

Haulage of the Shearer :

• Haulage system is divided into two types.

• They are chain type.

• Chain less type.

• Chain less type again divided into three types.

• They are drive chain rack a track haulage.

• Wheel-rack a track haulage.

• Hydraulic ram propulsion chain less system.

Chain Type Haulage System :

• Round link haulage chain along whole face length is

fixed on both ends of head and tail end of the AFC.

• Chain passes through the drive and guide sprockets

of the haulage unit of the shearer.

• Based on direction of movement of the driving

sprocket shearer moves either in drive or tail end
side of AFC.
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.7
Demerits of Chain Type Haulage :
• More accident prone due to chain scrapping caused
by wrong snaking of AFC.
• Accident by chain breakage due to high tension.
• Damaging of sophisticated components of shearer
due to sudden impact caused by elastic rebound of
the chain.
• Inconvenient for the travel of the miners.
• Due to heavy weight. Inconvenient to transport and
maintain the chain.
• Chain sticking, breakage, trangling and elongation
are main problems.
Wheel-Rack-A-Track Haulage :
• In this system a rack a track is fitted in the goaf side
of the AFC from drive head to tail end.
• Shearer is moved either towards the drive head and
tail end side of the AFC by directly matching the
drive sprockets.
• Rack-a-track depending upon the direction of
rotation of the driving sprocket.
• There may or may not be an idler in between the
driving sprocket and rack-a-track.
Mounting of Shearer :
• Shearer body mounted on the under frame.
• Under frame has been designed to carry the unit of
the shearer.
• Gives maximum clearance above deck plate of AFC
to allow the passage of material underneath.
• Main lifting rams for elevating the ranging booms
are located on the face side of the under frame.
 2.8 MINING MACHINERY

Mounting of Shearer :

• It has four sliding shoes.

• Face side shoes are fitted and rides on face side

top guide of the AFC pan and the other two goaf
side sliding shoes.

• Shoes are fitted on a guide tube and portion on top

of AFC sigma section to prevent derailment.

• Buttock shearer economize the height.

• Shearer face sides shoes slides over the natural

floor as the goaf side shoes are mounted over the
front side top guide of AFC.

• Base of AFC some mechanical arrangement.

Anciliary Equipment :

• Shearer equipped with auxiliary pumps.

• Control valves the for operating the ranging arms.

• Power cowls, water spraying devices, cable, chain

anchorage and tensioners etc.

Water System : Purpose of water system

• Dust suppression.

• Cooling of electric motor.

• Cooling of hydraulic circuit.

CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.9

FIG. 2.1

FIG. 2.2 : Double Ended Ranging Drum Sheare

2.2 APPLICATIONS OF SERDS AND DERDS

Application of SERDS are :
• Used in long wall faces for extraction.
• Shearer cuts the coal and loads into armoured face
conveyor on which shearer is mounted.
• Shearer is mounted on a skid plate provided with
bearing pads which rest on AFC.
 2.10 MINING MACHINERY

• SERDS are commonly used for seems of thickness

1.5 to 4 meters.

• Inclination upto 20 degrees.

• Strong floor

• Cavable roof

• Medium to hard seams.

Application of DERDS are :

• Derds are commonly used for seams of thickness

1.5 to 6 meters.

• Inclination upto 20 degrees.

• Strong floor.

• Cavable roof.

• Medium to hard seams.

2.3 PRINCIPLE OF WORKING OF ARMOURED FACE

CONVEYOR (AFC)

FIG:2.3
• It is the back bone of all long wall face equipments.
The conveyor primarily designed to transport coal of
the long wall face, but it also serve as a guide for
the shearer and as the abutment for the face
support.
• It is a single, double or triple strand round link chain
conveyor of scraper chain conveyor type.

• The material is conveyed in the stationary pans by

an endless chain and flight combination which is
guided by the side of the pans.

• It is primarily a long wall face conveyor which acts

both as a guide for the power loaders.

• It is a means of conveying the mineral from the

faces.

• The main requirements of the armoured flexible

chain conveyor are as following.

• Sufficient carrying capacity.

• Strong base to guide the mining machine.

• High breaking strength and adequate flexibility of

the pan connection.

• High resistance to wear and long service life.

• To meet the higher production rates the conveyor

pans and chains are strengthened and loading
cross section increased.
 CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.11
2.4 CONSTITUENT PARTS OF AFC
Parts of AFC
• Drive head or drive unit.
• Line pans.
• Inter chock casles and hoses.
• Fixed cables and hoses.
• Relay bard connect to AFC
• Flights

• Return ends and attachments.

• Ramp plate

• Sigma section

• Chain assembly.

• Chain haulage system.

2.12 MINING MACHINERY
2.5 APPLICATION OF TWIN BOARD AFC & BOTTOM
CLOSED AFC

• An out board AFC chain configuration has two

chains at the outer edge of the pans.
• To outer board configuration is no longer used.
• To maintain safe working environment powered
supports have to be advance sequentially.
• This is achieved by utilizing articulating AFC which
runs along the face with the shearer mounted on it.
• The AFC is made of short section called pans which
allows it to snake along the face supports or
progressively advanced.
• Each powered supports is pinned into a pan, pans
are normally 1.5m long and recent years 2m long
pans are made to accomodate the increased width
larger powered supports.
 • The AFC is powered by drive units located either at
the main gain or tail gate ends or both ends.
• The chain is driven along the face by the use of
gear and sprocket arrangement that transport the
coal at a speed in excess of 1 m/sec.
• However some face conveyors are running at
speed as high as 1.6 m/sec.
• However some face conveyors are running at
speed as high as 1.6 m/sec.
• Generally the power and capacity of AFC are
reflected by the motor size, pan width and chain
size.
2.6 PRINCIPLE OF LUMP BREAKER
• Main purpose of lump breaker is to break the big
boulders come across by long wall mining.
• Power of lump breaker : 55/90/ kw.
• Operating voltage : 1100 v, three phase, 50 hz.
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.13
• Have variable throat, horizontal disc.
• Have vertical picks to break boulders.
• Drive 150kw, 1140v.
• Maximum input lump I mx l mx l m.
• Crushing speed 14 80 rpm.
• Throughout 950t/hour.
• Attach lump breaker both in the shearer and in the
AFC drive head reduces down time caused by large
lumps.
• Some times lump breaker attached at the stage
loader.
• Lump breaker is mounted to the front side of the
shearer loader where the conveying material enters
into the clearance underneath the machine It
crushes the conveying material.
• Prevents the machine stoppages due to large lumps
and slabs.
• Lump breaker driven by the shearer motor.
• A gear box bolted to the machine supports the
ranging gearing allowing for height adjustment well
as the actual lump breaker.
• The height of the lump breaker is adjustable by
means of a hydraulic cylinder which is positioned at
the under frame underneath the gear box.
• Spray nozzles on the cover reduce the production of
dust.
• Lump breaker can be designed by means of a
manually operated clutch.
• A safety clay clutch limits the power to 80kw/97kw.
 2.14 MINING MACHINERY

2.7 PURPOSE OF POWER PACK

• The main purpose of power pack to set the
hydraulic supports
• Setting load expressed in tones per square meter or
tones per square feet
• Loading is determined by the hydraulic pressure
applied to the support, the size and number or
support legs and the area over the support
• Nominal setting pressure of the support is
determined by the setting of the unloading valves of
the power pack.
• Setting load is the resistance offered by the power
supports to the roof strata
Hydraulic Power Pack :
• Flow up to 200 litres per minute per pump and
pressure of 400 bars available.
• Necessary motor capacity for he complete power
pack are from 10-110 KN
• High pressure setting hose pipe have a minimum
size of 25 mm and inter shield hoses 10 mm.
• The 25mm hoses being 4 ply steel wound and the
10mm has two ply, which are commonly available in
the world market.
Ring Main System :
• High pressure fluid is supplied into the face by the
intake hose pipe.
• Due to leakage, frictional resistance, obstacles in
the various tapping point supply pressure drastically
lowers down in the support situated in the extreme
end.
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.15
• Therefore the system termed as ring main system.
• In this system the intake and return lines are split in
to two parts.
• Fluid supplied to the face or fluid return to the tank
from the either end.
• This shifts the maximum pressure loss point from
the extreme end powered supports to the middle of
the face.
• The overall pressure losses in the whole system
drastically reduced.
• Ring main system is applicable for a single length
hose travel around 300 m.
• The diameter of the double braided intake and
return hoses are generally 25 mm and 32 mm
respectively for easy handling, economic cost, for
optimizing fluid pressure into face.

2.8 FACTORS GOVERNING THE SELECTION OF

POWERED SUPPORTS
Factors Governing Selection of Powered Supports :
• Support setting load density.
• Intensity of periodic roof weighing.
• Mining height.
• Uni-axial compressive strength.
• Joint spacing index.
• Bedding thickness index.
• Immediate roof.
• Main roof.
2.16 MINING MACHINERY

• Bulking factor
• Rock type
• Capability Stability
• Convergence
• Weight per unit volume of main roof
• Ventilation requirement
• Prop free front
• Space for crew travel
• Transportation of powered supports
• Characteristics of immediate roof
• Thickness
• Caving index
• Goaf loading on caving shied
• Characteristics of main roof movement
• Load bearing capacity of floor rock
• Water condition
• Supporting efficiency
• Vertical stresses
• Abutment loading
• Horizontal stresses
• Geological disturbances
• Economy
• Safety factor
• Type of method of work
 CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.17
2.9 TYPES OF POWERED SUPPORTS IN L/W MINING.
Types of Powered Supports are :
• Frame
• Chock
• Shield
• Chock Shield
Powered Supports - Frame Type :
• Basically made of two steel frames.
• One laid along the floor.
• Other pressed along the roof of the seam.
• Separated by four to six hydraulic legs.
• In the double two system two legged support
frames with cantilevers bars are used in pairs.
• One called the master unit other called the slave
unit.
18 MINING MACHINERY
Advantages :

• Excellent lateral stability.

• Very simple and more flexible.

Disadvantages :

• Less stable

• Frequency of maintenance requirement is very high.

• Wide gap in between two frames.

• Unsuitable for weak roof.

Powered Supports - Chock Type : Chock supports

• Has 4-6 number of hydraulic legs acting between a

base and roof canopy fabricated from steel to
provide the main strata controlling forces.
• Legs are connected now a days with pins both the
canopy and base.
 • Bottom part of each legs are covered with leg
restoration device.
• Modern chock supports are mostly 4 legged type
• Ar ticulated or spring base for thin seams .
Articulated roof canopy negotiated nicely the
undulations and cavities formed in the roof.

2.20 MINING MACHINERY

Advantages :

• More stable than frame type supports.

• Gap between chocks are smaller compared to

frame supports.
Disadvantages :

• Less with standing capacity of literal and

longitudinal forces.

FIG. 2.6

Shield Supports :

• A caving shield is added at the rare portion between

base and roof canopy.

• The hinge joints make the shield kinetically stable

support.

• Basic units of shield support consists of one piece

• or divided base, roof canopy, one to four number of

single to triple telescopic legs, advancing ram.
 • Lemniscates shield (the shield having lemniscates
linkages on both sides).
• In the first model, the support was powered by the
hydraulic legs acting between the base and the rear
shieshield support is simple in design.

• It’s cost is high and is also very heavy.

Leg Configuration :
All can be categorized as following
a. 1 and 2 leg shield support.
• The modern configuration is with all legs connected
between the base and the canopy.
b. 3, 4 and 6 leg chock shields
• All legs are connected between the base and the
canopy.
• The majority of shield supports today are of the 2
leg shield or 3 and 4 leg chock chield configurations.

2.10 The purpose of the following in power supports.

(a) Canopy: It is used to support the roof of the
working place inorder to prevent the collapsing of
the roof.

(b) Caving shield: It is used to prevent the working

place from material caving from the goaf side and
also shielding goaf material behind the chock
shield.

(c) Lemniscate links: It is used to keep the canopy

in uniform horizontal position while lowering and
raising of the chock shield.

(d) Extension canopy: It is used as immediate

face support for the freshly exposed roof.
 (e) Face guard: It protect the face from spalling of
coal lump onto the AFC.
(f) Double acting advancing ram: It is used to
advance the AFC and chock [Link] can push and
pull the AFC,thats why it is called as the Double
Acting Ram

2.11 COMPOSITION OF HYDRAULIC FLUID

• The fluid which is used in the powered support
system is 5 to 10% emulsion oil (one type is ANVOL-
C) and 95 to 90% water
Water emulsion is used because

1. Cheap

2. Non - inflammable

3. Non- susceptible to foaming

4. Low viscous

5. Reasonable lubricating properties

6. Adequate oxidation stability

7. Leakages are detectable due to white colour

• In the fluid, foaming will be resulted if level of oil

is too low in the tank which causes the pump inlet
pipe to be exposed in the air

• Foaming will also cause due to excessive

turbulence of fluid in the return line

• Foaming will cause erratic motion of the

component parts

• Foaming cause rate of oil oxidation and

contamination increases

• Foaming causes trapping of air in the cylinders,

pumps etc.

2.12 TYPES OF HYDRAULIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM

Ring Main System :
 • High pressure fluid is supplied into the face by the
intake hose pipe.
• Due to leakage, frictional resistance, obstacles in
the various tapping point supply pressure drastically
lowers down in the support situated in the extreme
end.
• Therefore the system termed as ring main system.
• In this system the intake and return lines are split in
to two parts.
• Fluid supplied to the face or fluid return to the tank
from the either end.
• The overall pressure losses in the whole system
drastically reduced.
• Ring main system is applicable for a single length
hose travel around 300 m.
• The diameter of the double braided intake and
return hoses are generally 25 mm and 32
mm .respectively for easy handling, economic cost.
Functions in the Hydraulic Systems :
• Yield valve : to maintain constant hydraulic pressure
in the legs of powered supports.
• Un loader valve : limits the system pressure to a pre
set value permitting the pump to input at constant
rate operating at the minimum load.
• Accumulator : increases the capacity of the
hydraulic system and minimize the frequency of
operation of un loader valve.
CHAPTER-2 Long Wall Machinery 2.25
• Check valve : to control the directional flow of the
pressurized fluid.
• Bleed valve : attached to the leg circuits to move the
legs to come down by small amount by bleeding a
fluid in high loads.
• Rapid yield valve : protects the powered supports
from shocks.
• In this valve high performance flow up to 1000 l/min.
• Guaranteed set valve: used for achieving normal
setting pressure either when the operator shuts off
the control valve prematurely or when multiple
demand situation results in low setting pressure.
• During this period the GSV will automatically top-up
leg pressure when demand on the supply system
reduces.
 2.26 MINING MACHINERY

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Explain the SERDS.

2. Sketch and explain the DERDS.
3. State the applicability of SERDS and DERDS.
4. Sketch and explain the construction of AFC conveyor.
5. List the requirements of AFC conveyor.
6. State the principle of lump breaker.
7. Draw the diagram of
a. Framed supports
b. Chock supports
c. Shield
d. Chock shield
8. State the composition of hydraulic fluid.
9. State the composition of hydraulic fluid.

s 10. List hydraulic control systems.