Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Griffiths, W. R..
Guidance and control system automatically positions cutting drums of double-ended longwall shearer so they follow coal seam. System determines location of upper interface between coal and shale and continuously adjusts cutting-drum positions, upward or downward, to track undulating interface. Objective to keep cutting edges as close as practicable to interface and thus extract as much coal as possible from seam.
A design, fabrication, and implementation of a horizon control of a longwall shearer was performed. This equipment was tested and demonstrated aboveground. This hardware was also installed on a longwall face. The feasibility of providing horizon control for a shearer was demonstrated aboveground. The feasibility of retrofitting the necessary sensors in a survivable manner was demonstrated underground. Subsequent field tests of a specific component, the natural background sensor, at a western location demonstrated the particular usefulness of this device on a wider application basis.
Software documentation and a computer program listing for a horizon control of a longwall shearer are presented.