Movable Conveyor Bridge Spanning Gaps During Longwall Mining Support Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In longwall mining conveyor systems, the existing support structures are often disassembled to accommodate the advancing mining equipment, leading to unsupported conveyor belt sections, which results in belt damage, material spillage, and safety issues due to loss of trough angle.
Innovation Solution
A movable bridge is integrated between the boot end and the support structure of the conveyor system, allowing the bridge to move parallel to the conveyor axis, providing continuous support for the conveyor belt and spanning the gaps created by the removal of support sections, thereby maintaining belt integrity and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the support structure is disassembled to accommodate advancing mining equipment, then the mining operation can progress, but the conveyor belt becomes unsupported causing damage and material spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is designed as a movable structure that can translate along the conveyor axis, allowing it to dynamically follow the boot end as support sections are removed. This dynamic capability ensures the bridge continuously provides belt support regardless of the support structure configuration, resolving the contradiction between mining progress and belt integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge acts as an intermediary support element between the boot end and the fixed support structure. It fills the gap created when support sections are removed, providing continuous belt support without requiring the entire support structure to remain in place, thus enabling mining progress while maintaining belt reliability
2Reliability
If the bridge is made movable to span gaps created by support structure removal, then belt support is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is divided into multiple segments that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the bridge to accommodate gap creation and support structure removal without requiring a completely complex reconfiguration mechanism, thus maintaining reliability while controlling complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge structure serves multiple functions: it provides belt support, spans gaps created by support removal, and can be repositioned as needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor includes an endless belt, a boot end supporting a portion of the endless belt, a support structure, and a bridge. The endless belt includes a first run and a second run, and the first run extends along a conveyor axis. The support structure includes an end spaced apart from the boot end, a plurality of frames, and a plurality of idler rolls. The frames are spaced apart from one another and aligned with one another in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis. The idler rolls support another portion of the endless belt. The bridge extends between the boot end and the end of the support structure. The bridge is movable in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis relative to at least one of the boot end and the support structure.