Dynamic Modeling System to Determine Stopping Distances of Mobile Underground Coal Equipment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Jobes ◽  
Jacob Carr
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Modeling ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Stopping Distance ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Continuous Mining

In underground coal mines, miners face the hazard of being struck or pinned by a piece of mobile mining machinery. Proximity detection systems have been developed and are used by the industry to protect miners around these machines by detecting the presence of the miners and automatically issuing warnings or disabling machine motion when a miner is in potentially dangerous proximity. These systems were originally developed for continuous mining machines, slow-moving machines that move on bulldozer-style tracks, and are now mandated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to be used on continuous mining machines. These systems are now being adapted to other underground vehicles, such as shuttle cars, scoops, and battery haulers — vehicles that move on rubber tires at much higher speeds. There are concerns that the detection range of these systems may not provide for an adequate stopping distance on these faster moving machines. To address these concerns, researchers have developed a dynamic modeling system to determine the stopping distance of mobile underground coal equipment. This model can be used in conjunction with worker escapability data and/or information on interaction with other vehicles to provide insight into whether or not proximity detection systems will be adequate for the underground mining workplace. This paper details the background, development, and operation of the resulting application software, focusing on the utility of the graphical user interface to visualize the generated data. The refined data developed by this process can then be utilized by mine operators and proximity detection system manufacturers to more accurately determine the detection range needed to provide effective protection for miners working in an underground mining environment.

Performance Summary of Continuous Mining Machine Proximity Detection Systems

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Bissert ◽  
Joseph P. DuCarme ◽  
Jacob L. Carr ◽  
Christopher C. Jobes ◽  
Jeffrey A. Yonkey
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Continuous Mining ◽  
Shuttle Car ◽  
Parasitic Coupling

Since 1984, remote controlled continuous mining machines (CMM) have caused 40 crushing and pinning fatalities in the United States. Due to limited space in the underground environment and visibility needs, CMM operators typically work close to the machine which exposes them to the danger of being struck or pinned by it. Because of these fatalities, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has published a rule requiring proximity detection systems (PDSs) on all CMMs except for full-face machines. To test PDS performance, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a series of field tests in underground coal mines throughout the United States on CMMs equipped with PDSs. The field tests collected data under a variety of conditions to evaluate the warning and shutdown zone performance of these systems. A baseline test condition was measured when the machine was operating in non-mining mode. Three additional conditions discussed in this paper include testing of the PDS while the machine was operating in mining mode, examining the possibility of parasitic coupling to the trailing cable, and examining the effects of the presence of a shuttle car. The results of this study indicate that the average warning and stop zones vary minimally between non-mining mode and trailing cable influence measurements, as well as between the mining mode and shuttle car presence tests. A majority of the measurements for warning and stop zones showed repeatability within +/− 5 inches (12.7 cm). Additionally, parasitic coupling to the trailing cable was not experienced during this field testing. However, these results show that the range of stop zone measurements varied by 4.7 ft on average and as much as 11.7 ft in different field sites. This is most likely due to individual preferences by operators during installation when the warning and stop zone distances are set. While a PDS should effectively stop a CMM when an operator gets too close to the machine, the large variations between field test measurements indicate that there is a wide variation of performance established during system installation.

Causal Factors of Collision Accidents Involving Underground Coal Mobile Equipment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Noll ◽  
Cory DeGennaro ◽  
Jacob Carr ◽  
Joseph DuCarme ◽  
Gerald Homce
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Underground Coal Mining ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Underground Coal Mines

From 2000–2015, thirty-two fatalities occurred due to collisions involving mobile equipment in underground coal mining in the United States. Studies have shown that proximity detection systems (PDS) can be a potential mitigation strategy for this type of accident. However, the effectiveness of this approach for mobile equipment has yet to be fully studied or validated. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated the causal factors of this type of fatality. Fatal accident reports from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) accident report database provided details to analyze and determine causal factors and to evaluate whether a PDS may have been a preventive factor in each accident. NIOSH researchers concluded that PDSs used in underground coal mines on mobile equipment which are designed to detect a miner, provide warning to the operator and other miners, and automatically stop the machine before a miner is hit may have helped to prevent 25 of the 32 or 78% of the accidents.

Development and Evaluation of a Urethane Jacketed Tail Roller for Continuous Mining Machines

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam K. Smith ◽  
David S. Yantek ◽  
J. Shawn Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Underground Mining ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Mining Machine ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Conveyor System ◽  
Continuous Mining ◽  
Enhance Wear Resistance ◽  
Steel Sleeve

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss continues to be one of the most pervasive health problems in the mining industry, despite over 25 years of regulation. One of the loudest pieces of equipment used in underground mining is the continuous mining machine. Noise sample data collected by the Mine Safety and Health Administration indicate that 42% of noise overexposures between 2000 and 2005 involved continuous mining machine operators. Previously conducted field and laboratory tests have determined that the continuous mining machine conveyor system is a dominant noise source. Loud impacts occur as the conveyor chain flight bars, used to move the mined aggregate, traverse their path from the top to the underside of the conveyor deck. Various noise control treatments have been applied to abate noise caused by the conveyor system. A durable polyurethane coating has been developed for the conveyor flight bars, resulting in a time-weighted average reduction of 3 dB(A) for an eight-hour work shift. In an attempt to further reduce continuous mining machine operator overexposures, a similar urethane coating has been applied to the tail roller component of the conveyor system. Laboratory results showed a 2 dB(A) reduction in sound power levels, but the component failed during underground durability testing. An outer steel sleeve has been added to the urethane coating of the tail roller to enhance wear resistance during mining. The urethane jacketed tail roller is the latest effort, combined with previous noise treatments, to bring the continuous mining machine into compliance with federal noise regulations.

Noise Source Identification on a Continuous Mining Machine

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo E. Camargo ◽  
Adam K. Smith ◽  
Peter G. Kovalchik ◽  
Rudy J. Matetic
Keyword(s):  
Noise Control ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Mining Machine ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Mining Equipment ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Continuous Mining

Noise Induced Hearing Loss is the most common occupational disease in the U.S. and of paramount importance in the mining industry. According to data for 2006 from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Continuous Miner operators accounted for 30.2% of underground mining equipment operators with noise doses exceeding the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). This figure becomes more significant considering that 49% of the 2006 national underground coal production was extracted using continuous mining methods. Thus, there is a clear need to reduce the sound radiated by Continuous Mining Machines. The first step towards efficient noise control of a Continuous Mining Machine requires identification of the various noise sources under controlled operating conditions. To this end, a 42-microphone phased array was used in conjunction with 4 reference microphones to sample the acoustic field of a machine in the Hemi-anechoic chamber of the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory. These data were processed using a frequency-domain beamforming algorithm to obtain acoustic maps of 5 sides of the machine. The focus of the test was on the conveyor noise since previous studies showed that operation of the conveyor is the most important contributor to the sound radiated by the machine. From the acoustic maps, the following potential areas for noise control were identified, and included: chain-tail-roller interaction, chain flight tip-side board interaction, and chain-upper deck interaction.

Development of Parameters for Dynamic Modeling of Underground Haulage Vehicles

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Jobes ◽  
Peter Bissert ◽  
Nina Mahmoudian ◽  
Bingxi Li
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Dynamic Modeling ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Roof Bolter ◽  
Haul Truck ◽  
Shuttle Car

To address concerns of how mobile proximity detection systems will adapt to underground mobile haulage vehicles, researchers have collected and categorized data on the parameters of 145 mine haulage vehicles in 5 categories including load-haul-dump, shuttle car, roof bolter, haul truck, and mobile coal haulage (face drill, production drill, and others.) Statistical methods were used to determine the appropriate representative vehicle for each category. These representative vehicles’ parameters and characteristics could then be used to develop a dynamic model that predicts their dynamic behavior on an underground haulageway surface. These models can be used in conjunction with worker escapability data and/or interaction with other vehicles to provide insight as to whether or not the proximity detection systems will be adequate for the underground mining workplace.

scholarly journals Design of a Microwave Power Detection System in the 5G-Communication Frequency Band

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2674
Author(s):  
Qingying Ren ◽  
Wen Zuo ◽  
Jie Xu ◽  
Leisheng Jin ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Band ◽  
Microwave Power ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Measurement Sensitivity ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Detection Frequency ◽  
Communication Frequency ◽  
5G Communication

At present, the proposed microwave power detection systems cannot provide a high dynamic detection range and measurement sensitivity at the same time. Additionally, the frequency band of these detection systems cannot cover the 5G-communication frequency band. In this work, a novel microwave power detection system is proposed to measure the power of the 5G-communication frequency band. The detection system is composed of a signal receiving module, a power detection module and a data processing module. Experiments show that the detection frequency band of this system ranges from 1.4 GHz to 5.3 GHz, the dynamic measurement range is 70 dB, the minimum detection power is −68 dBm, and the sensitivity is 22.3 mV/dBm. Compared with other detection systems, the performance of this detection system in the 5G-communication frequency band is significantly improved. Therefore, this microwave power detection system has certain reference significance and application value in the microwave signal detection of 5G communication systems.

The Influence of a Continuous Mining Machine and Roof/Rib Mesh on Magnetic Proximity Detection Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-756
Author(s):  
Jingcheng Li ◽  
Jacob Carr ◽  
Chenming Zhou ◽  
Christopher C. Jobes ◽  
LaTasha R. Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mining Machine ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Continuous Mining

The Roles of Government in Protecting and Promoting Occupational and Environmental Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Wagner ◽  
Emily A. Spieler
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Regulatory Interventions ◽  
The Government ◽  
The U.S

This chapter discusses the roles of government in promoting occupational and environmental health, with a focus on the U.S. federal government. Governmental interventions, as described here, can range from non-regulatory interventions, such as dissemination of information or generation and communication of information, to establishing regulatory requirements through the promulgation and enforcement of standards and regulations. The chapter describes the U.S. laws and roles of the administrative agencies responsible for occupational and environmental health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Noting the budgetary and political constraints on these federal agencies, the chapter goes on to discuss briefly the role of the public and the states. The government also plays a role when preventive efforts fail, and the chapter provides a brief summary of programs designed to provide compensation to injured workers.

scholarly journals A Compact Detection Platform Based on Gradient Guided-Mode Resonance for Colorimetric and Fluorescence Liquid Assay Detection

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2797
Author(s):  
Jing-Jhong Gao ◽  
Ching-Wei Chiu ◽  
Kuo-Hsing Wen ◽  
Cheng-Sheng Huang
Keyword(s):  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Fluorescence Emission ◽  
Assay Sensitivity ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Guided Mode ◽  
Spectral Detection ◽  
Guided Mode Resonance ◽  
Colorimetric Assays

This paper presents a compact spectral detection system for common fluorescent and colorimetric assays. This system includes a gradient grating period guided-mode resonance (GGP-GMR) filter and charge-coupled device. In its current form, the GGP-GMR filter, which has a size of less than 2.5 mm, can achieve a spectral detection range of 500–700 nm. Through the direct measurement of the fluorescence emission, the proposed system was demonstrated to detect both the peak wavelength and its corresponding intensity. One fluorescent assay (albumin) and two colorimetric assays (albumin and creatinine) were performed to demonstrate the practical application of the proposed system for quantifying common liquid assays. The results of our system exhibited suitable agreement with those of a commercial spectrometer in terms of the assay sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD). With the proposed system, the fluorescent albumin, colorimetric albumin, and colorimetric creatinine assays achieved LODs of 40.99 and 398 and 25.49 mg/L, respectively. For a wide selection of biomolecules in point-of-care applications, the spectral detection range achieved by the GGP-GMR filter can be further extended and the simple and compact optical path configuration can be integrated with a lab-on-a-chip system.

scholarly journals How detection ranges and usage stops impact digital contact tracing effectiveness for COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin D. Pandl ◽  
Scott Thiebes ◽  
Manuel Schmidt-Kraepelin ◽  
Ali Sunyaev
Keyword(s):  
Disease Spread ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Behavioral Characteristics ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Proximity Detection ◽  
Effective Technology ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo combat the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries around the globe have adopted digital contact tracing apps. Various technologies exist to trace contacts that are potentially prone to different types of tracing errors. Here, we study the impact of different proximity detection ranges on the effectiveness and efficiency of digital contact tracing apps. Furthermore, we study a usage stop effect induced by a false positive quarantine. Our results reveal that policy makers should adjust digital contact tracing apps to the behavioral characteristics of a society. Based on this, the proximity detection range should at least cover the range of a disease spread, and be much wider in certain cases. The widely used Bluetooth Low Energy protocol may not necessarily be the most effective technology for contact tracing.

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