Post on 06-Apr-2017
Supporting Toolsets
for
Efficient & Productive
Longwall Operation
Dr. Sebastian Mundry
CATERPILLAR GLOBAL MINING
Hunter Valley – October 26-27 th, 2015
2 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Outline of the Presentation
What is Needed for Efficient and Productive Longwall Operation?
Indirect Supporting Toolsets
Cat® MineStar™ capability set “Health for Longwall”
Equipment Care Advisor (ECA)
Direct Supporting Toolsets
VFD Technology for Plow & Conveyor Systems
Cat® MineStar™ capability set “Command for Longwall“
Featuring LongwallNavigator
Realization of Benefits in Known Environment & Installations
Conclusion
3 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Efficient and Productive Longwall Operation
Longwall mining
… is an expensive undertaking, from the preparation of the site itself to capital investment in the equipment.
Longwall owners
… have extremely high performance expectations—especially in tough economic times when commodity prices are low.
Longwall mines
… should achieve or even exceed their owners’ expectations through the extensive use of automation.
With Indirect and Direct Toolsets.
4 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Efficient and Productive Longwall Operation
What is Needed ?
A. General Requirements:
Robust high performing Longwall Equipment (Shearer / Plow, Roof Supports, Conveyor system, Belt system)
Appropriate mining conditions
Motivated crew, well trained on individual responsibilities
B. Indirect Supporting Toolsets:
Condition Monitoring and Analysis Tools and Services for all equipment in operation allowing corrective and proactive actions
Combined with supportive and advising business partner - 24/7
C. Direct Supporting Toolsets:
Reliable automation at a sufficient level
for all equipment in operation and
the interactions of this equipment
INDIRECT
SUPPORTING
TOOLSETS
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Structure of 8 Product Levels
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 7
7 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Product Landscape
Cat® MineStar™ System
8 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Longwall Capabilities
Cat® MineStar™ System
• Vibration Analysis (VibraGuard®)
• V-Software like VShield, VDrive, VShearer, VPlow, VBSL, VBootEnd, VGraph3D, etc.
• VLongwall Database
• MineStar Reports
• Personnel
• HD & DomeCamera
• Camera S/W
• Shearer Tracking
• 3D Face Visualization
• Longwall Navigator
• Plow System Control Cab
9 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Health for Longwall
Latest Released Toolsets
Health for
Longwall
Vibration
Analysis
V VFDfor Plow
V VFDfor AFC
Longwall
Web View
10 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Caterpillar developed web-based application combining:
equipment and application information
with advanced analytics and
dealer interpretive expertise
that results in an improved ability for dealers and customers to
make informed maintenance, repair or component replacement decisions
The application integrates and correlates
condition monitoring data,
utilizes advanced analytics,
incorporates Caterpillar and Dealer global knowledge sharing,
provides recommendation management, and
value tracking
Cat Equipment Care Advisor Protect
(Cat ECA-Protect)
11 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
ECA - Equipment Care Advisor
Turning Equipment Data into Actionable
InformationGlobal Customer Supporting Technology
Traditional Cat Equipment
12 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Caterpillar CPI Organization
Cat Dealer
Caterpillar Engineering
VSoftwareSurface
Caterpillar Condition Monitoring Service
CustomerMine Site
Provide
Service &
Reports
CaterpillarData Warehouse / “Cloud”
(GIS, Peoria)
Longwall
Equipment
Data Transfer Site Server
ECA - Equipment Care Advisor
PL Longwall Perspective
13 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Electronic Data
• Vibration Analysis (VibraGuard®)
• V-Software like VShield, VDrive, VShearer, VPlow, VBootEnd, VGraph3D, VBSL, Vchain Tensioner
• VLongwallDatabase
• MineStar Reports
• VshieldPerformance
Inspections
• Spreadsheets
• Portal
• “Smart Device”
• Cat Inspect
• iPad/iPhone
• Droid
Fluids
•Cat® S.O.SSM
Services
•3rd Party
Machine History
• ERP / Work order system
• Warranty
• AS Built information
• Machine Specification data
• Component Life Data
Site Conditions
• Geology
• Wear rate
• Production plans
• Adverse conditions
• Mining method
Data Sources – Five Elements of
Condition Monitoring
14 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
CustomerMine Site
Cat DealerCaterpillar
ECA or Health for Longwall
Choice of Toolset depending of Initiatives
Health for LongwallVLongwallData & Reports Initiative at
Customer only1
Health for LongwallVLongwallData & Reports
Initiative at
Customer &
Dealer
2 Initiative at
Dealer mainly
ECA & Reports
Collect data
Provide service
3
DIRECT
SUPPORTING
TOOLSETS
16 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Structure of 8 Product Levels
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 7
17 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Direct Supporting Toolsets
VFD Technology for Conveyor and Plow Systems
Air cooled unit Water cooled unit
GM3 ~
Data - Link
Frequency Converter
Speed sensor AC Motor Gear Box AFC / Plow
Mains
Voltage source converters
Current source converter
L1
L2
L321
1
2
18 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
VFD Drives
Technical Features
Remote Parameter settings
in dependence of particular application
Remote operation from
Gate End and / or Surface
4 quadrant operation
(regeneration function)
Cable length up to 4000m
(allow to cross whole face by cable)
External encoder interface for real time speed feedback
based on fibre optic data link
Controlled chain force reduction
in case of blockades or chain cracks
Total torque control at zero speed => allow further feature without
add. components (chain tensioning without auxiliary motor)
19 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
VFD Container
Each drive of the face conveyor system requiresone air-cooled and one liquid-cooled VFD station(connected to a separate dual circuit cooling station)
Separate CoolingStationTwo Drives at Maingate
Drive at Tailgate
Cable Distance betweenVFDs and AFC drives: up to 4km (2.5 miles)
Application:
Drives for Conveyor Systems
20 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Application:
Drives for Plow Systems
Preferred mining procedure
for seam hights below 1,8 m
For mid and low seams in the range
of 0.8 m – 2.3 m seam height
High Speed of up to 3,6 m/s
Highest available
Drive Power: 2 x 800 kW
Max. production per hour: 3.500 tons
1.8 m2.3 m
Co
al s
eam
th
ickn
ess
[m
]
Shearer
Plow
Low operational costs
Fully automated Plow Systems
Command functionality available
21 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Synchronicity and Precision
=> Utilization of the Full Installed Power
High and constant torque possible throughout the entire speed
range from 0 to maximum speed
Full utilization of installed power on both plow / conveyor
motors through load shearing
Intelligent and continuous torque and speed control function
(Master = speed controlled, Slave = torque controlled)
Synchronized startup of all drives at full load
(with or without CST)
Flexible control concepts / algorithms according to mining process
and stage
Comprehensive and flexible
parameter setting
for torque and speed
22 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Customer Benefit:
Low Life Cycle Costs and High Availability
No limitation of start up cycles per time
interval
Reduction of impact of drive system on chains,
line pans and chain sprockets
Reduced impact on hardware in case of
blockades or chain cracks
Improvement of overload protection for motors
and chains
Early detection of chain break
allows controlled shut down
=> Less wear => Less damages
=> Reduced down time & effort
=> Reduced cost
23 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Command for Longwall
Plow Control Rooms
Underground
At Surface
24 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Life Data From VPlow
(a Health for Longwall Product)
Life dataFrom VPlow
(a Health for Longwall product)
Plow position
Plow Speed
Torque MG / TG
Motor Speed
Motor PowerMG / TG
25 // AIMS 2015 RWTH AACHEN // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Structure of 8 Product Levels
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 7
26 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Direct Supporting Toolsets
Main Elements: SRB and LongwallNavigator
SRB - Shearer Random Batch
= RSC (Roof Support Control) supported Automation of Roof Supports allowing man less shield cycle (lower, advance and set) and full conveyor push, accompanied by several miner automation functions like spray water pattern, side shield operation, etc.
LongwallNavigator:
= 3D control of Shearer cutting operation, supported by onboard IMU and different onboard and gate end S/W tools providing 100% detection of conveyor profile and accurate ranging arm steering, accompanied by SBA (State Based Automation) and other miner Shearer automation functions. *)
Where applicable - TCC (Top Coal Caving) Automation:
= RSC supported automation of caving shields and doors. Rear AFC control automation.
*) As at the date of creation of this document, the intellectual property rights in the LASC technology
(Interconnection of Landmark Compliant Longwall Mining Equipment-Roof Support System
Communication) are owned by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.
LASC technology is used and distributed by Caterpillar under license.
27 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Cat® MineStar™ System
LongwallNavigator (Version 1)
Horizon Control
Plane
Extraction Control
Plane
Face Alignment
Plane
3 Main Elements of LongwallNavigator:
Extraction Control & Horizon Control & Face Alignment
28 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Extraction Control
@ LongwallNavigator
“Extraction Control” allows the machine to mine defined floor and roof profiles along the face to follow given a coal seam undulations for optimal extraction and production.
PanCoal Face
g Gravity
Roof profile
Pan profileFace View
PanPan
31 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Extraction Control
Improvement of Profiling During Enrolment
Change of floor profiles over 3 months during enrolment of shearer automation.Herby the degree of automation was increased in two major steps and the periods of manual override were constantly reduced.
Enhancement of
Software Functionality
Regular operation
in automation mode
Manual Mode
32 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Extraction Control
Example Extraction Profile
Shear 10 – 12:02pm - Third Shear in Auto - MG to TG
-1000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6
13
20
27
34
41
48
55
62
69
76
83
90
97
10
4
11
1
11
8
12
5
13
2
13
9
14
6
15
3
16
0
16
7
17
4
18
1
18
8
19
5
20
2
20
9
21
6
22
3
23
0
23
7
24
4
25
1
25
8
26
5
27
2
27
9
28
6
LH Manual
LH Over
LH Auto
RH Man
RH Over
RH Auto
Manual Operation
Cu
ttin
g H
eigh
t [m
m]
Face Length [m]
33 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Extraction Control
Face Wide Usage of Automation Mode
% of Automation 5 th to 13th Sept. 2014
Face Length [m]
34 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Coal
Seam
Horizon Control
@ LongwallNavigator
Face Advance Tilt (FAT) Side View
In parallel to “Extraction Control” the “Horizon Control” guides the machine to follow the seam undulations in advance direction e.g. to follow a given constant Face Advance Tilt (FAT).
g Gravity
35 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Horizon Control
Automatic correction of a introduced height change with regard to machine roll angle to keep target FAT.
36 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Horizon Control – Example of Operation
Machine Roll (FAT) over Face Length and Time
Target: Zero Degree Horizon
Height changes for
profile correction
causing roll changes
Setting new target line
37 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Coal Seam
Pan line
Face Alignment
@ LongwallNavigator
“Face alignment” keeps face conveyor straight or in a defined shape all the time of operation for consistent production and minimal wear of the conveyor system.
Top View
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
Pan
RS
g Gravity
Ad
va
nc
e
dir
ecti
on
38 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Face Alignment
Before Alignment Alignment in process
Realization of Benefits
in Known
Environment &
Installations
40 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Realize the cultural change!
All mine personnel need to be striving for improvements as a culture
Get crew well trained
Get crews focused on total mine conditions instead machine conditions only
Usage of Indirect Toolsets for continuous improvement
Regularly review operations
The targeting for efficiency and improvement must never end
Make crew trust in automation:
Change the culture
From: “I better operate manual!”(suppress automation to often)
To: “Will I really be better?“(request for manual override at foreman)
Lesson’s Learned
When Realizing the Benefits
41 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Personnel Needed to Operate a Sherarer Longwall
(Australian Operations)
Level of Automation
Highly automated longwall
Highly automated longwall
Low degree of automation (installed or used)
Mining conditions
Well manageablemining conditions
Difficult mining conditions or difficult miningstyle
Manageable mining conditions
Main Automation Features used
SRBand LongwallNavigator
Part time SRB
Personnel needed at face
6-7 miner
6-7 + 5-10 miner
12-16 ++ miner
42 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Highly Automated Longwall
Role of Personnel (Australia Operations)
Opertor at face Explanation of role
1. Deputy Safety Man, monitoring safety conditions at face
2. Longwall CoordinatorForeman, coordinating production progress and actions
3. Shearer operatorAccompanies Shearer at fresh air side, interacts only if necessary
4. Shield operatorAccompanies automated shield advance, interacts only if necessary
5. Electrical engineer Carry out electrical maintenance
6. Mechanical engineer Carry out mechanical maintenance
(7. Boot End Operator) Care for smooth boot end operation
43 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Automation Utilization Shearer Longwall
(Australian Operations)
Color Legend:
Green = Automation
(Idle method)
Yellow = Automation
(Previous
Reference
Extraction)
Blue = Drum Override mode
Purple = Manual mode
Floor Drum Mode
Roof Drum Mode
44 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Personnel Needed to Operate a Plow Longwall
(Europe Operations)
Nobody needs to be at face,
when the plow is running
Tail
drive
Main
driveGob
coal face
Rectangular gate-roads:
1 supervisor
5 operators
4 maintenance
= 10
Arch support gate-roads:
1-2 supervisors
3-4 MG operators
2-4 TG operators
4-6 maintenance
= 10 - 16
45 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Production Rate - Plow Longwall
(Poland Operations)
Face length: 247 m - Seam thickness: 1.8 m - Specific gravity: 1.8 t/m³
CONCLUSION
47 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Direct benefits regarding operation
High automation allows predictable and continuous productivity
=> Even machine load
=> Reduce wear & reduce components damage
=> Less costs
=> Predictable maintenance intervals
Exact production performance adaptation to planned mine production
Benefits regarding Personnel
Get operator out of the dust area - operate from fresh weather side only
Reduced exposure to operation hazards at face
Reduced personnel needed at operation area
Changed skillset of operator crew - reduced pressure on operator skills
Conclusion
Benefits for the Longwall Business
48 // 14th LONGWALL CONFERENCE - Hunter Valley // Caterpillar Confidential: GREEN
Conclusion:
Span of requirements needed to be fulfilled
High performing Longwall Equipment
Appropriate mining conditions
Well trained and motivated crew
Continuous usage of Direct and Indirect Toolsets provide by Caterpillar
Realize cultural change in operation
Reducing human interaction with equipment for significant periods off operation
Efficient and Productive Longwall Operation can be reached
=> Allow Mines to stay competitive in challenging economical times
=> Best Total Cost of Ownership
Outlook: Migrate customer fleet to ECA (2016 ff.) LongwallNavigator 2&3: Move from “Target Line Commands” to “Target Volumes” Get ready for Autonomous Longwall Operation
Conclusion and Outlook
Hunter Valley – October 26-27 th, 2015
CATERPILLAR GLOBAL MINING
Thank you
for your attention!
and as Germans say:
Glückauf!