GB1573117A - Distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring - Google Patents

Distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1573117A
GB1573117A GB5295776A GB5295776A GB1573117A GB 1573117 A GB1573117 A GB 1573117A GB 5295776 A GB5295776 A GB 5295776A GB 5295776 A GB5295776 A GB 5295776A GB 1573117 A GB1573117 A GB 1573117A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
ultrasonic
jet
distance
monitoring
pulses
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB5295776A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cardiff University
Original Assignee
Cardiff University College
Cardiff University
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB52259/75A external-priority patent/GB1525720A/en
Application filed by Cardiff University College, Cardiff University filed Critical Cardiff University College
Priority to GB5295776A priority Critical patent/GB1573117A/en
Publication of GB1573117A publication Critical patent/GB1573117A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B17/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/02—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems using reflection of acoustic waves
    • G01S15/06—Systems determining the position data of a target
    • G01S15/08—Systems for measuring distance only
    • G01S15/10—Systems for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
    • G01S15/14—Systems for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves wherein a voltage or current pulse is initiated and terminated in accordance respectively with the pulse transmission and echo reception
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Length Measuring Devices Characterised By Use Of Acoustic Means (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DISTANCE MEASUR ING APPARATUS FOR MINE WORKING MONITORING (71) We, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CARDIFF, a British University College of Cardiff, Cardiff, S. Wales, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is for improvements in or relating to distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring based on the science of ultrasonics. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to circumstance where the distance measured is required to be monitored, indicated or recorded at a remote station.
In the monitoring of mineral mining operations such as in measuring the spacing of equipment from a mineral face, a problem arises that is common to any apparatus to be used in a mine in that it must be intrinsically safe and reliable over a long period in the arduous and hazardous conditions to which it will be subjected.
Research work, by members of the Strata Mechanics Research Group of the Department of Mineral Exploitation of the University College of Cardiff, has shown that the science of ultrasonics can, with material advantages, be applied to the solution of the problem in particular by allowing the use of surprisingly low voltages, in some cases as low as 12 volts or less, at least for the apparatus part measuring system of our U.K.
Patent Specification No. 1,525,720.
Briefly, ultrasonic distance measurement is based on the pulse method which comprises, for example, the generation of short, regular pulses of ultrasonic waves through a specified medium or media. The time taken for these pulses to traverse a given path, usually a return path is a function of their velocity and distance of travel. Ultrasonic waves may be produced by a transducer which relies on the piezoelectric or magnetostrictive effect to convert electrical energy into ultrasonic energy.This effect is usually reversible, i.e. such transducers may be used as transmitters and receivers, conveniently called transceivers enabling reflected and thus returning ultrasonic energy to be reconverted into electrical energy and, with the aid of suitable electronic apparatus, used to provide (e.g. on an oscilloscope or as a digital or analog signal or output) an indication or display of said distance of travel and thereby a measurement of the distance between the transducer and the member or body by which the return pulses are reflected or beamed back to said transducer.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of monitoring distances in mine workings comprising the steps of establishing a column of ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means, operating the ultrasonic transducer means to transmit ultrasonic pulses through said column and to receive pulses reflected or beamed back along said column from said mine working surface or equipment, and measuring an interval of time representing distance travelled by a said pulse.
Preferred apparatus when used or adapted for use in carrying out the method set out above comprises ultrasonic distance measuring means comprising means for providing a column of an ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means that is adapted and positioned for transmission of ultrasonic pulses through said medium from one position and to receive pulses reflected or beamed back through said medium by said mine working surface at another position, and means for measuring an interval representing a distance travelled by a said pulse.
Preferably, a column of fluid is produced, in the form of a jet, by means of a nozzle device. An ultrasonic transducer is positioned at least to transmit ultrasonic pulses along the column like body of the jet.
When the jet is directed against a solid obstacle (e.g. a mineral face or mine roof) the pulses are reflected therefrom back to the transducer and reconverted into electrical energy which may be used to power suitable instruments for monitoring the distance between the transducer and said obstacle, typically the mineral face of a mine working.
If desired, a separate receiving transducer may be provided and associated with another fluid jet preferably at a nozzle device therefor, which other jet should substantially meet the first jet at the obstacle. Water is satisfactory for the fluid jet or jets.
Embodiments of the invention will now be specifically described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an application of the invention to the monitoring of a distance from a mineral face or the like; Figure 2 shows the display of an oscilloscope unit associated with a monitoring apparatus; and Figure 3 shows a nozzle device.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1 comprises a nozzle device 16 adapted to project a jet or column of water W, or other suitable ultrasonic wave sustaining fluid, against a solid obstacle 0. The latter could be, for example, a face from which mineral is being mined, or the roof of a mine working. The nozzle device houses or includes an ultrasonic transceiver 17 having leads 18 for connection to an oscilloscope circuit.
Ultrasonic pulses from the transceiver 17 are transmitted along the jet W and then reflected back therealong, by the obstacle 0, to the transceiver. The resultant electrical pulses may be used to provide a graphical display, see Figure 2, on an oscilloscope of the distance between the transceiver 17 and the obstacle 0, say by suitable graph calibration and/or scaling from the time interval representing twice the distance.
The nozzle device 16 and associated equipment could, for example be mounted on a mine roof support or mineral face conveyor so as to monitor the distance thereof from the mineral face or some other surface of the mine working, or said device could be mounted on a mineral mining machine so as to monitor the distance of the machine from the mineral face as it travels therealong or use may be made of dust suppression jets for Although operating voltages in ultrasonics Atthough operating voltages in ultrasonics are usually in the region of 100 volts it has been found that this can be substantially reduced and still give a satisfactory sensitivity or accuracy of measurement.Investigations have indicated that, with suitable amplification measurements sufficiently accurate for monitoring the movements of many items of mining equipment can be obtained with an operating voltage in the region of or, in some cases materially below 30 volts.
In addition to the intrinsic safety factor apparatus according to the invention, because of the absence of moving parts, has great reliability. The surface distance monitor could, for example, be a simple and compact 'bolt-on' device with no moving parts and would, therefore, require little maintenance.
In some circumstances it may be advantageous for embodiments of the invention to use two columns of liquid for ultrasonic pulses, with separate transmitting and receiving transducers associated with jets played onto the same position of the surface to be monitored.
A suitable nozzle device 13 is shown in Figure 3 as comprising a body 23 having a transducer housing bore 22 that is preferably screw threaded and positioned at a part of the body interior that will be filled with water or other fluid in operation. The nozzle 25 proper is indicated as comprising an insert of flexible resilient material with its orifice 24 adjustable by means of screws 26 to achieve a desired jet with appropriate focusing relative to the face or other surface to be monitored.
In practice, of course, such an insert is not essential and the monitoring may well be of a line of self-advancing roof supports relative to a face rather than the face itself, or both.
A device 27 is shown in the water supply to act as a valve and, preferably, provide for absorption or dispersion of ultrasonic wave energy, say be a labyrinth construction, to avoid mutual interference of ultrasonic monitoring at spaced jets utilising a common water supply.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of monitoring distances in mine workings comprising the steps of establishing a column of ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means, operating the ultrasonic transducer means to transmit ultrasonic pulses through said column and to receive pulses reflected or beamed back along said column from said mine working surface or equipment, and measuring an interval of time representing distance travelled by a said pulse.
2. Mine working monitoring apparatus when used or adapted for use in carrying out the method of claim 1, comprising ultrasonic distance measuring means comprising means for providing a column of an ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means that
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. device. An ultrasonic transducer is positioned at least to transmit ultrasonic pulses along the column like body of the jet. When the jet is directed against a solid obstacle (e.g. a mineral face or mine roof) the pulses are reflected therefrom back to the transducer and reconverted into electrical energy which may be used to power suitable instruments for monitoring the distance between the transducer and said obstacle, typically the mineral face of a mine working. If desired, a separate receiving transducer may be provided and associated with another fluid jet preferably at a nozzle device therefor, which other jet should substantially meet the first jet at the obstacle. Water is satisfactory for the fluid jet or jets. Embodiments of the invention will now be specifically described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an application of the invention to the monitoring of a distance from a mineral face or the like; Figure 2 shows the display of an oscilloscope unit associated with a monitoring apparatus; and Figure 3 shows a nozzle device. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1 comprises a nozzle device 16 adapted to project a jet or column of water W, or other suitable ultrasonic wave sustaining fluid, against a solid obstacle 0. The latter could be, for example, a face from which mineral is being mined, or the roof of a mine working. The nozzle device houses or includes an ultrasonic transceiver 17 having leads 18 for connection to an oscilloscope circuit. Ultrasonic pulses from the transceiver 17 are transmitted along the jet W and then reflected back therealong, by the obstacle 0, to the transceiver. The resultant electrical pulses may be used to provide a graphical display, see Figure 2, on an oscilloscope of the distance between the transceiver 17 and the obstacle 0, say by suitable graph calibration and/or scaling from the time interval representing twice the distance. The nozzle device 16 and associated equipment could, for example be mounted on a mine roof support or mineral face conveyor so as to monitor the distance thereof from the mineral face or some other surface of the mine working, or said device could be mounted on a mineral mining machine so as to monitor the distance of the machine from the mineral face as it travels therealong or use may be made of dust suppression jets for Although operating voltages in ultrasonics Atthough operating voltages in ultrasonics are usually in the region of 100 volts it has been found that this can be substantially reduced and still give a satisfactory sensitivity or accuracy of measurement.Investigations have indicated that, with suitable amplification measurements sufficiently accurate for monitoring the movements of many items of mining equipment can be obtained with an operating voltage in the region of or, in some cases materially below 30 volts. In addition to the intrinsic safety factor apparatus according to the invention, because of the absence of moving parts, has great reliability. The surface distance monitor could, for example, be a simple and compact 'bolt-on' device with no moving parts and would, therefore, require little maintenance. In some circumstances it may be advantageous for embodiments of the invention to use two columns of liquid for ultrasonic pulses, with separate transmitting and receiving transducers associated with jets played onto the same position of the surface to be monitored. A suitable nozzle device 13 is shown in Figure 3 as comprising a body 23 having a transducer housing bore 22 that is preferably screw threaded and positioned at a part of the body interior that will be filled with water or other fluid in operation. The nozzle 25 proper is indicated as comprising an insert of flexible resilient material with its orifice 24 adjustable by means of screws 26 to achieve a desired jet with appropriate focusing relative to the face or other surface to be monitored. In practice, of course, such an insert is not essential and the monitoring may well be of a line of self-advancing roof supports relative to a face rather than the face itself, or both. A device 27 is shown in the water supply to act as a valve and, preferably, provide for absorption or dispersion of ultrasonic wave energy, say be a labyrinth construction, to avoid mutual interference of ultrasonic monitoring at spaced jets utilising a common water supply. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. A method of monitoring distances in mine workings comprising the steps of establishing a column of ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means, operating the ultrasonic transducer means to transmit ultrasonic pulses through said column and to receive pulses reflected or beamed back along said column from said mine working surface or equipment, and measuring an interval of time representing distance travelled by a said pulse.
2. Mine working monitoring apparatus when used or adapted for use in carrying out the method of claim 1, comprising ultrasonic distance measuring means comprising means for providing a column of an ultrasonic pulse sustaining medium between a surface of a mine working or exterior of equipment therein and ultrasonic transducer means that
is adapted and positioned for transmission of ultrasonic pulses through said medium from one position and to receive pulses reflected or beamed back through said medium by said mine working surface or equipment at another position, and means for measuring an interval representing a distance travelled by a said pulse.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for providing comprises a fluid jet producing nozzle device and an ultrasonic transducer is positioned at least to transmit pulses along a fluid jet.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transducer also serves to receive reflections along the jet from an obstacle intercepting the jet.
5. Apparatus according to claims 2, 3 or 4, wherein the jet producing nozzle device is on or forms part of mining equipment.
6. A method of monitoring distances in mine workings substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. Ultrasonic distance measuring apparatus arranged and adapted substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
GB5295776A 1975-12-20 1976-12-20 Distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring Expired GB1573117A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB5295776A GB1573117A (en) 1975-12-20 1976-12-20 Distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB52259/75A GB1525720A (en) 1975-12-20 1975-12-20 Distance measuring apparatus
GB5295776A GB1573117A (en) 1975-12-20 1976-12-20 Distance measuring apparatus for mine working monitoring

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GB1573117A true GB1573117A (en) 1980-08-13

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2517567A1 (en) * 1981-12-05 1983-06-10 Paragerm France DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN A SPRAY DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR A SPRAY GUN, AND AN OBJECT FOR RECEIVING THE PULVERIZED PRODUCT, IN PARTICULAR A WALL.
EP0221785A2 (en) * 1985-10-21 1987-05-13 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Ultra-sonic distance sensor and monitoring of surface profile utilizing ultra-sonic distance sensor
GB2194051A (en) * 1986-08-15 1988-02-24 British Aerospace Ultrasonic non-destructive testing apparatus
EP0729008A1 (en) * 1993-06-15 1996-08-28 University Of East London Application and method for detecting changes in distance
WO1998006994A1 (en) * 1996-08-15 1998-02-19 Abb Air Preheater, Inc. Method and device for sensing a clearance

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2517567A1 (en) * 1981-12-05 1983-06-10 Paragerm France DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN A SPRAY DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR A SPRAY GUN, AND AN OBJECT FOR RECEIVING THE PULVERIZED PRODUCT, IN PARTICULAR A WALL.
EP0115710A1 (en) * 1981-12-05 1984-08-15 PARAGERM-FRANCE S.A. Société dite: Device to control the distance between a pulveriser, in particular a pulveriser pistol, and an object which receives the pulverised product, in particular a wall
EP0221785A2 (en) * 1985-10-21 1987-05-13 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Ultra-sonic distance sensor and monitoring of surface profile utilizing ultra-sonic distance sensor
EP0221785A3 (en) * 1985-10-21 1989-04-26 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Ultra-sonic distance sensor and monitoring of surface profile utilizing ultra-sonic distance sensor
US4976149A (en) * 1985-10-21 1990-12-11 Kawasaki Steel Corporation Ultrasonic distance sensor and monitoring of surface profile utilizing ultrasonic distance sensor
GB2194051A (en) * 1986-08-15 1988-02-24 British Aerospace Ultrasonic non-destructive testing apparatus
GB2194051B (en) * 1986-08-15 1991-04-24 British Aerospace Ultrasonic non-destructive testing apparatus
EP0729008A1 (en) * 1993-06-15 1996-08-28 University Of East London Application and method for detecting changes in distance
WO1998006994A1 (en) * 1996-08-15 1998-02-19 Abb Air Preheater, Inc. Method and device for sensing a clearance
US6279647B1 (en) 1996-08-15 2001-08-28 Abb Air Preheater Inc. Method and device for sensing a clearance

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PS Patent sealed
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee