Tunneling machine positioning device and method in coal mine tunneling working face

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of coal mine tunneling positioning and navigation, and discloses a tunneling machine positioning device and method in a coal mine tunneling working face, and the specific technical scheme is as follows: a plurality of corner reflectors for positioning are arranged in a tunneling working face roadway, and a millimeter wave 4D radar is mounted at the tail part of a tunneling machine body; a plurality of corner reflectors and a millimeter wave 4D radar form a positioning detection system, the millimeter wave 4D radar measures the distance and azimuth angle information between the heading machine and each corner reflector in real time by transmitting and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic wave signals, data acquired by the millimeter wave 4D radar is calculated and processed by a vehicle-mounted data processing module, and a triangulation positioning method is adopted to determine the position of the heading machine. According to the method, the accurate three-dimensional coordinate position of the heading machine in the roadway coordinate system and the space attitude angle of the heading machine are determined by combining angle difference analysis, the system can stably work in the severe dust environment, the attitude angle information of the heading machine can be directly provided by the system, and the precision and practicability of underground positioning navigation are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of coal mine excavation positioning and navigation, and in particular relates to a self-positioning device and method for an excavation working face based on millimeter wave radar in a narrow and high-dust environment. Background Art

[0002] In traditional underground coal mine tunneling operations, positioning systems primarily rely on inertial navigation and laser pointing technologies to support the directional navigation of the tunnel boring machine. Inertial navigation systems use sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers to measure the machine's motion and infer its position and orientation using mathematical models. However, over time, inertial navigation systems are prone to error accumulation, resulting in a gradual decrease in positioning accuracy. Laser pointing systems, on the other hand, use laser transmitters and receivers deployed within the tunnel to guide the tunnel boring machine's movement. However, traditional laser systems are often affected by dust and smoke in the underground environment, making them unstable and leading to positioning errors or interruptions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the existing technology such as low underground positioning accuracy of tunnel boring machines, weak anti-dust interference ability, and difficulty in obtaining posture angles, the present invention provides a tunnel boring machine positioning device and method within the coal mine tunneling working face, which can obtain the three-dimensional position and posture information of the tunnel boring machine in real time, thereby effectively supporting intelligent tunneling operations in the complex environment of underground coal mines.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a device and method for positioning a roadheader within a coal mine excavation working face, wherein several corner reflectors for positioning are arranged in the tunnel of the excavation working face, and a millimeter-wave 4D radar is installed at the rear of the roadheader fuselage. The several corner reflectors and the millimeter-wave 4D radar constitute a positioning detection system. The millimeter-wave 4D radar measures the distance and azimuth information between the roadheader and each corner reflector in real time by transmitting and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic wave signals. The data obtained by the millimeter-wave 4D radar is calculated and processed by the vehicle-mounted data processing module.

[0005] The corner reflectors are passive, requiring no external power supply and offering flexible deployment options. The optimal number of corner reflectors is three, with two installed on the sidewalls of the tunnel and one on the roof. These three passive corner reflectors form a triangular layout, while the millimeter-wave 4D radar is mounted on the rear of the tunnel boring machine. Alternatively, the three passive corner reflectors can be mounted on separate brackets to form a spatial triangular arrangement. The corner reflectors can also be moved and adjusted according to tunneling progress to ensure they remain within the radar's effective detection range.

[0006] The millimeter-wave 4D radar uses a LFMCW system with a millimeter-level operating wavelength, capable of continuously transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals. The radar system consists of a transmitter and a receiver, and uses a multi-antenna array to achieve multi-channel data acquisition and processing.

[0007] The positioning method of the roadheader in the coal mine excavation working face, the specific positioning steps are as follows:

[0008] The triangulation method is used in combination with angle difference analysis to determine the precise three-dimensional coordinate position of the roadheader in the roadway coordinate system and the spatial attitude angle of the roadheader. The positions of the three angle transmitters are set as P1 ( , , )、P2( , , )、P3( , , ), the radar measures the distance to the first transmitter as d1, the radar measures the distance to the second transmitter as d2, and the radar measures the distance to the third transmitter as d3. The relative coordinates of the radar are (X r ,Y r ,Z r ).

[0009] According to the triangulation method, the position of the tunnel boring machine (X m ,Y m ,Z m ) The specific calculation formula is:

[0010] ;

[0011] ;

[0012] ;

[0013] According to the angular distribution of the corner reflectors in the radar field of view, the horizontal yaw angle Y of the roadheader is derived. aw And the pitch angle Pitch, the specific calculation method is as follows:

[0014] Horizontal yaw angle Y aw : By comparing the horizontal angle difference between the two corner reflectors installed on the side wall of the tunnel and the tunnel boring machine, the angle at which the tunnel boring machine deviates from the tunnel centerline is calculated;

[0015] ;

[0016] Pitch angle: By comparing the vertical angle difference between the top corner reflector and the side wall corner reflector, the pitch attitude of the tunnel boring machine body relative to the horizontal plane is calculated;

[0017] .

[0018] The present invention adopts passive corner reflectors, and the positioning base station of the entire system does not require power supply, and is very easy to deploy and maintain. The millimeter wave 4D radar has high ranging accuracy, and the signal is not affected by coal dust. It can work stably in harsh dust environments, and the positioning results are stable and reliable. The system can directly provide the attitude angle information of the tunnel boring machine, realizing high-precision perception of the position and attitude of the tunnel boring machine. The overall robustness of the system is high, and it is suitable for the complex environment of dense dust and narrow space in coal mines, which significantly improves the accuracy and practicality of underground positioning and navigation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is the overall layout diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the corner reflector.

[0021] Figure 3 This is the overall point cloud diagram of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the position of the left corner reflector in the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 : is a diagram showing the position of the middle corner reflector in the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the position of the right corner reflector in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] like Figure 1-2 As shown, a device and method for positioning a roadheader in a coal mine excavation working face comprises several corner reflectors for positioning arranged in the tunnel of the excavation working face, and a millimeter-wave 4D radar installed at the rear of the roadheader body. The several corner reflectors and the millimeter-wave 4D radar form a positioning detection system. The millimeter-wave 4D radar measures the distance and azimuth information between the roadheader and each corner reflector in real time by transmitting and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic wave signals. The data obtained by the millimeter-wave 4D radar is calculated and processed by the on-board data processing module.

[0027] The corner reflectors are passive and require no external power supply. Composed of three mutually perpendicular metal surfaces, they reflect received radar waves back in their original direction. Their deployment is flexible and diverse, with three corner reflectors ideally being installed. The first corner reflector is mounted on the left side of the tunnel wall, the second on the right side, and the third on the roof. These three passive corner reflectors form a triangular layout. The millimeter-wave 4D radar is mounted on the rear of the tunnel boring machine. Alternatively, the three passive corner reflectors can be mounted on independent brackets to form a spatial triangular arrangement. By accurately reflecting signals from the corner reflectors and combining them with the high-precision data processing of the millimeter-wave 4D radar, the system can acquire the tunnel boring machine's three-dimensional position and attitude information in real time, effectively supporting intelligent tunneling operations in the complex environments of underground coal mines.

[0028] The millimeter-wave 4D radar utilizes a frequency-modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) system with an operating wavelength in the millimeter range, capable of continuously transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals. The radar system consists of a transmitter and a receiver, utilizing a multi-antenna array for multi-channel data acquisition and processing. Millimeter-wave radar accurately images targets in three dimensions and outputs high-resolution point cloud data. It can scan and process over 300,000 points per second, providing information on the target's range, angle, and velocity. Due to its short wavelength, millimeter-wave radar can penetrate dust, rain, fog, and smoke in most underground environments, maintaining stable detection and imaging capabilities. It delivers reliable data output even in challenging visual conditions, such as low illumination or complete darkness. By integrating machine learning and deep learning algorithms, millimeter-wave radar can intelligently identify and classify objects in complex scenes, such as vehicles, people, and obstacles, and can also detect corner reflectors.

[0029] Furthermore, the corner reflectors can be moved and adjusted according to tunneling progress to ensure they remain within the radar's effective detection range. For example, as the tunneling machine advances, the position of the corner reflectors can be adjusted to ensure they remain within the effective detection range of the millimeter-wave radar, thus ensuring continuous and stable operation of the positioning system. Due to their high reflectivity and stable reflection characteristics, the corner reflectors produce clear reflected signals in radar scans. These signals are captured and processed by the millimeter-wave radar to calculate the precise position and attitude angle of the tunneling machine relative to the roadway.

[0030] The positioning method of the roadheader in the coal mine excavation working face, the specific positioning steps are as follows:

[0031] Using the triangulation method, the positions of the three angle transmitters are set as P1 ( , , )、P2( , , )、P3( , , ), the radar measures the distance to the first transmitter as d1, the radar measures the distance to the second transmitter as d2, and the radar measures the distance to the third transmitter as d3. The relative coordinates of the radar are (X r ,Y r ,Z r ),

[0032] According to the triangulation method, the position of the tunnel boring machine (X m ,Y m ,Z m ) The specific calculation formula is:

[0033] ;

[0034] ;

[0035] ;

[0036] According to the angular distribution of the corner reflectors in the radar field of view, the horizontal yaw angle Y of the roadheader is derived. aw And the pitch angle Pitch, the specific calculation method is as follows:

[0037] Horizontal yaw angle Y aw : By comparing the horizontal angle difference between the two corner reflectors installed on the side wall of the tunnel and the tunnel boring machine, the angle at which the tunnel boring machine deviates from the tunnel centerline is calculated;

[0038] ;

[0039] Pitch angle: By comparing the vertical angle difference between the top corner reflector and the side wall corner reflector, the pitch attitude of the tunnel boring machine body relative to the horizontal plane is calculated.

[0040] .

[0041] These technologies and formulas will ensure that the system can accurately obtain the position and posture information of the tunnel boring machine in real time, thereby supporting intelligent tunneling operations underground in coal mines.

[0042] The specific actual case is: a corner reflector is installed in the tunnel at a distance of about 18 meters from the radar, and the installation height of the millimeter-wave 4D radar itself is 1.92 meters; the tunnel is 5.2 meters wide and 3.5 meters high; the installation height of the corner reflector is 2.3 meters, and the middle installation height is 3.45 meters.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown in the figure, the three corner reflectors are actually identified by radar. Taking the radar as the origin, the coordinates of the three reflectors are measured as follows:

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, the left corner reflector is (0.86, 18.14, 0.38).

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the middle corner reflector is (1.14, 18.06, 1.52).

[0046] like Figure 6 As shown, the corner reflector on the right is (4.22, 18.17, 0.37).

[0047] The position data of the three angular reflections can be filtered out by the reflection intensity (power):

[0048] Calculate the radar horizontal deflection angle and pitch angle using the previous formula;

[0049] The horizontal yaw angle (Yaw) of the tunnel boring machine is -10.36°.

[0050] The pitch angle of the tunnel boring machine is 0.10°.

[0051] To align the calculated TBM position with the overall coordinate reference of the roadway, the positioning system can integrate laser baselines or other reference markers in the roadway to unify the coordinate system. This ensures that the positioning results are consistent with the roadway orientation, facilitating the TBM's trajectory along the designed route. Furthermore, as tunneling progresses, the corner reflector array can be periodically moved forward as needed to ensure it remains within the effective detection range of the millimeter-wave radar. This ensures continuous reliable positioning measurements and ensures that the system's positioning accuracy meets the requirements of tunneling navigation.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A roadheader positioning device in a coal mine excavation working face, characterized in that: Several corner reflectors for positioning are arranged in the tunnel of the tunneling working face, and a millimeter-wave 4D radar is installed at the tail of the tunneling machine. Several corner reflectors and the millimeter-wave 4D radar form a positioning detection system. The millimeter-wave 4D radar measures the distance and azimuth to each corner reflector in real time by transmitting and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic wave signals.

2. The tunnel boring machine positioning device in a coal mine tunneling working face according to claim 1, characterized in that: The corner reflectors are passive corner reflectors. There are three of them, two of which are installed on the side walls of the tunnel, and another is installed on the top of the tunnel. The three passive corner reflectors form a triangular layout. The millimeter-wave 4D radar is installed at the tail of the tunnel boring machine.

3. A method for positioning a roadheader in a coal mine excavation working face, characterized in that: Using the tunnel boring machine positioning device in a coal mine tunneling working face as claimed in claim 1, the specific positioning steps are as follows: Using the triangulation method, the positions of the three angle transmitters are set as P1 ( , , )、P2( , , )、P3( , , ), the radar measures the distance to the first transmitter as d1, the radar measures the distance to the second transmitter as d2, and the radar measures the distance to the third transmitter as d3. The relative coordinates of the radar are (X r ,Y r ,Z r ); According to the triangulation method, the position of the tunnel boring machine (X m ,Y m ,Z m ) The specific calculation formula is: ； ； ； According to the angular distribution of the corner reflectors in the radar field of view, the horizontal yaw angle Y of the roadheader is derived. aw And the pitch angle Pitch, the specific calculation method is as follows: Horizontal yaw angle Y aw : By comparing the horizontal angle difference between the two corner reflectors installed on the side wall of the tunnel and the tunnel boring machine, the angle at which the tunnel boring machine deviates from the tunnel centerline is calculated; ； Pitch angle: By comparing the vertical angle difference between the top corner reflector and the side wall corner reflector, the pitch attitude of the tunnel boring machine body relative to the horizontal plane is calculated; 。

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