Rotary boring mining machine inertial steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022349304-A1
Application number	US-202217813526-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2022
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mining system with an inertial guidance system configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or nonlinear excavation path, thereby maximizing productivity of the mind by minimizing a width of un-mined material necessary for support between adjacent excavation paths and minimizing equipment downtime.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mining system with advanced directional guidance configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or a nonlinear excavation path, the mining system comprising:
a mining machine having a steerable drive mechanism configured to advance the mining machine along an intended excavation path, a cutting mechanism configured to separate geological material from a wall of the excavation path, an auger mechanism configured to collect the separated geological material, and a conveyor mechanism configured to convey the collected geological material to a rear of the mining machine; a conveyor chain configured to convey the geological material to a mine exit; and an inertial guidance system configured to sense movement of the mining machine and provide directional guidance as an aid in guiding the steerable drive mechanism along the intended excavation path, the initial guidance system including
at least one accelerometer configured to sense acceleration along an x-axis of the mining machine, along a y-axis of the mining machine, and and/or along a z-axis of the mining machine;
at least one gyroscope configured to sense rotation about the x-axis of the mining machine, rotation about the y-axis of the mining machine, and/or rotation about the z-axis of the mining machine; and
a programmable logic controller configured to receive sensed acceleration data from the at least one accelerometer and/or rotation data from the at least one gyroscope, determine movement of the mining machine as a function of time, and compute directional guidance to maintain advancement of the mining machine along the intended excavation path.

Assignees

• Mosaic Co

Inventors

• Tivas Roy W
• Rasmussen Erik

Classifications

• E21C35/08 Primary

  Guiding the machine · CPC title

• E21C41/20

  for rock salt or potash salt · CPC title

• E21C35/00

  Details of, or accessories for, machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam, not provided for in groups E21C25/00 - E21C33/00, E21C37/00 or E21C39/00 · CPC title

• E21C41/16 Primary

  Methods of underground mining (winning machines therefor E21C25/00 - E21C39/00); Layouts therefor · CPC title

• E21C35/24

  Remote control specially adapted for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral (control in general G05) · CPC title