The new infrastructure helps the mine upgrade, and the era of smart mines has arrived

First, smart mine is the future development trend

1.1 What is a smart mine?

Smart mine refers to a complete intelligent system based on the modern intelligent concept of coal mine, which deeply integrates the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, automatic control, industrial Internet, robotized equipment, etc., with modern mining development technologies to form a comprehensive mine perception, real-time interconnection, analysis and decision-making, self-learning, dynamic prediction, and collaborative control. Realize the intelligent operation of the whole process of mine development, mining, transportation, sorting, safety protection, ecological protection, production management, etc.

Generally speaking, smart mines and traditional coal mines are like smart phones and ordinary mobile phones, smart cars (driverless) and traditional cars. Take unmanned driving as an example, it can be realized through "map + planning + prediction" combined with "big data platform + artificial intelligence", and intelligent driving can be realized through "control + positioning" combined with "machine learning + simulation training". Smart coal mine is also the development and application of various new technologies on the basis of existing coal mines, and the continuous development and improvement of new concepts to achieve intelligent coal mines.

How to develop ordinary coal mines into smart coal mines, one is the need for intelligent system base stations, remote control platforms and other infrastructure; Second, the need for intelligent transformation or purchase of equipment such as coal machines; The third is the need for interactive information platform, data analysis system platform and other software and hardware construction; Fourth, it is necessary to connect and integrate each sub-control system and control technology, such as fully mechanized mining subsystem, integrated mining subsystem, safety subsystem, lifting subsystem, etc., to form an intelligent complete set of control system for the entire mine.

1.2 The development of smart mines in developed countries is relatively early

Western developed countries from the 1990s began to study intelligent mining technology, especially Canada, the United States and other countries, in order to obtain a competitive advantage in the mining industry, has developed the "intelligent mine" and "unmanned mine" development plans.

The Canadian International Nickel company began to study automatic mining technology in the early 1990s, and plans to realize unmanned mining in a mine in 2050, and realize mechanical automatic mining through satellite control of all equipment in the mine. In 1999, the United States carried out research on automatic positioning and navigation technology of underground coal mine, and obtained commercial research results. In 2008, Rio Tinto Group launched the "future mine" plan, deploying driverless trucks, driverless trains, automatic drilling RIGS, automatic excavators and bulldozers around the computer control center. At the end of 2018, Rio Tinto approved an investment of $2.6 billion to build the first pure "smart mine" project in Western Australia. In 2018, Anglo American launched the "Smart Mine of the Future" program.

1.3 Coal mine development experience mechanization - automation - intelligence

(1) The degree of mechanization in coal mines is increasing year by year

China from the introduction of fully mechanized mining equipment in the 1970s, the implementation of comprehensive mechanized mining in the 1980s, to the development of large-scale coal mine machinery and equipment, to achieve the localization of coal machinery and equipment, coal machinery and equipment manufacturing in the world's leading ranks. Coal machine mainly includes boring machine, shearer, scraper transport, hydraulic support and so on. By 2018, the mechanization level of coal mining in China had reached 78.5 percent, a significant increase from 32.3 percent in 1978.

High reliability mining equipment is the basic guarantee for realizing automatic and intelligent mining of working face. Since the "eleventh Five-Year Plan", the rapid development of domestic large coal machine installation, overcome a series of constraints on the development of coal machine equipment technical bottlenecks, gradually established a complete set of mining, mining, transport, support equipment, successfully developed a complete set of serialized domestic coal machine equipment, the total installed power of shearer reached nearly 3000kW, cutting power reached 1150kW, The cutting height breaks through 8.8m, and the production capacity reaches 4500t/h, reaching the world's leading level.

(2) Coal mining automation is gradually upgraded

In order to meet the technical requirements of coal mining, it is necessary to use electrical automation control technology to improve the performance of the shearer, and gradually form a drum shearer with higher automation control degree from the traditional mechanical shearer. With the continuous update of electrical automation technology, in the control of mechanical equipment, electro-hydraulic control technology continues to develop. Coal mining automation technology has been widely used in coal mining enterprises, which can not only improve the production efficiency of coal enterprises, but also reduce labor costs.