Mobile roof support load rate monitoring system

Abstract

Mobile roof sunwrt (MRS) machines are used as roof .. . . ~ ~~~ suppiirt during pillar rccovery in retreat operations in lieu of wooden posts, cribs, or hydraulic props. A Mine Safely and Hrdlth Administmtion-perniissihle load rate monituring sydrm was developed fnr the hlRS by researchers at the Spokane Research Laboratnry of the Satiunnl Institute for Occupational Safety and Hedth. The system uses a dedicated embedded processor to monitor changes in pressure inside the hydraulic cylinders of the hIRS through multiplexed data acquisition channels and converts these pressure changes to load rntcs Lhdt xquentid~y activate three load-rate-indicator lighh mounted on the mchinc. Each light represents a different luading rate to alert mine personnel t u dangerous ronditiuns during pillar rxtraction.

New Possibilities for Process Analysis in an Underground Mine

“…Mathematical models for distinguished phases of the roof support operation cycle describing the changes in pressure in the props can be found in 11 . Research on this subject and various analytic approaches can be also found in 12 .…”