RU2250373C2 - Mining combine and method for controlling depth of mining combine extracting means location - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mining industry.

SUBSTANCE: mining combine has extraction means, on which a body is mounted, having at least one first liquid outlet, for supplying liquid to material. Pipeline, through which liquid is fed to first liquid outlet, contains means for measuring flow and/or pressure of liquid in pipeline, for determining, in which of to layers outlet is positioned. Combine can have at least one second liquid outlet, placed in such a way, that first liquid outlet is in lower layer, and second liquid outlet is placed in upper layer. First liquid outlet can have one of multiple first liquid outlets spaced from each other, and second liquid outlet - one of multiple spaced from each other second liquid outlets. Efficiency of liquid flow through multiple spaced first outlets can surpass those of multiple spaced from each other second liquid outlets. Placement of second liquid outlet in separate body cover is possible. First and second liquid outlets can be directed downwardly relatively to direction of mining combine displacement. Method for controlling depth of position of mining combine extraction means includes placing two liquid outlets, interacting with material extraction means, in a material, while second liquid outlet is placed above first liquid outlet, liquid is fed to first and second liquid outlets and flow and/or pressure of liquid is measured. Layer, wherein liquid outlet lies, is detected, and first liquid outlet is placed in lower layer and second liquid outlet is placed in upper layer, to determine depth of position of extraction means relatively to two layers.

EFFECT: higher precision.

2 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a device and method for determining position, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for determining position in two layers having different permeability.

Underwater mining combines allow you to extract material on the seabed and transport this material to a technological vessel operating on the sea surface. Combine harvesters usually operate without service personnel and are controlled with the help of one or more operators located on the processing vessel, who receive control information from various sensors installed on the combine.

In the underwater mining of alluvial diamonds, these diamonds are usually found in a layer of diamond-containing gravel that lies on barren clay or clay soles. One of the main problems associated with mining under such conditions is the difficulty in controlling the depth of the knife or bucket of the excavator. If the knife is not deep enough, there is a danger that some of the diamond gravel will not be mined. On the other hand, if the knife is too deep, excess clay will be mined. This clay will then be transported unnecessarily to the surface, where it creates the likelihood of clogging of process equipment and reduces the efficiency of the mining process.

The first objective of the present invention is to provide a device and method for determining the position in two layers having different permeability.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a device and method for determining the position relative to the diamond-containing gravel and the sole of clay, so that the knife of the mining machine can be held at an optimal level directly below the interface between the diamond-containing gravel and the sole of clay.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device for determining position in two layers having different permeability, which contains at least one fluid outlet, means for supplying liquid to the outlet, and also measuring means for measuring fluid flow and / or pressure, for in order to determine the position in two layers.

The device mainly contains many outlets placed with a gap above each other. Outlets installed with a clearance have a fluid discharge capacity increasing from the uppermost outlet to the lowest outlet. Outlets installed with a clearance advantageously comprise a number of nozzles that increases from the uppermost outlet to the lowest outlet.

The fluid enters the outlet or outlets from the feed line, which preferably includes a control means for controlling the pressure in the feed line. The liquid flow measuring means and the pressure measuring means are preferably installed in the supply line.

The device can be combined with a mining tool for extracting material, so that the depth of the material extraction means relative to the two layers can be set by a signal from the position determination device.

The outlet or outlets may be facing downward relative to the direction of travel of the mining machine. Additionally or alternatively, the outlet or outlets can be turned in a lateral direction relative to the direction of movement of the mining machine.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the mining machine includes a material recovery means that comprises the device described above, combined with a material recovery means so that the depth of the material recovery means relative to the two layers can be set by a signal from the position sensing device.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mining machine includes material extraction means for extracting material in an upper layer located on a lower layer having a permeability different from that of the upper layer, the material extraction means having a casing fixed to it having at least one outlet of the fluid through which the fluid can be vented, wherein the fluid enters the vent of the fluid through a conduit that contains the measuring means, used to measure the flow rate and / or pressure of the liquid in the pipeline, in order to determine which of the two layers is the outlet, so that it is possible to establish the position of the material extraction means relative to the two layers.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining position in two layers having different permeability, which includes the following operations: supplying liquid to at least one outlet located in the layers, measuring a flow rate and / or pressure of a liquid, and determining a position in two layers based on measured flow rate and / or pressure.

The method may include the operation of discharging liquid through the release down into the layers. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include the operation of discharging the liquid through the outlet mainly parallel to the layers.

The method mainly includes the operation of supplying fluid to a plurality of outlets installed with a gap above each other.

The method may include the operation of determining the position of the interface between two layers or determining the position of one of the layers relative to the other layer based on the measured flow rate and / or pressure.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the depth of a mining tool for extracting material from a mining machine, which comprises the step of setting the depth of the material extracting means for a position signal obtained in accordance with the method described above.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the depth of a mining material extraction tool for extracting material in an upper layer located on a lower layer having a permeability that is different from that of the upper layer, which includes the following operations: at least one fluid outlet in the material, supplying fluid to the outlet, measuring the flow rate and / or pressure of the fluid, and determining in which layer the outlet is located fluid, so that you can set the depth of the means of extraction of material relative to two layers.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the principle of operation of the invention in a broad aspect;

on figa shows part in an enlarged view of the schematic image in figure 1;

figure 2 shows a highly schematic representation of the optimal position of the knife;

figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of a first embodiment of a device for determining position in accordance with the present invention;

figure 4 shows a schematic drawing of an output indicator device and a control card operator, forming part of the device for determining the position;

figure 5 shows a visual representation of the collector, forming part of the device for determining the position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an underwater mining machine equipped with the collector of FIG. 5;

Fig. 7 is a rear perspective view of a collector forming part of a positioning apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

on Fig shows a perspective view in front of the collector of Fig.7;

1 and 1A, an exhaust manifold 10 is shown having a plurality of fluid outlets 12.1, 12.2., 12.3 and 12.4, which are shown schematically. Outlets 12.1 and 12.2 go directly to the upper layer of gravel 14, and outlets 12.3 and 12.4 go to the lower layer of clay 16, separated from the gravel layer by the interface 15. The outlet manifold branches out from a single fluid pipe 18 that delivers water to the outlets. As is best shown in FIG. 1A, gravel particles are permeable, so that water passing through outlet 12.2 can pass through the gaps between individual gravel particles 14.1, as shown schematically by arrows 18. In contrast, clay 16 is relatively impenetrable, so that it tends to clog outlet 12.3 and block the flow of water, as shown by arrows 20.

The relative permeability of gravel leads to the condition of maximum low-pressure flow rate occurring at outlets 12.1 and 12.2, while the relative impermeability of clay 16 leads to the relatively high pressure and low flow rate condition occurring at outlets 12.3 and 12.4. It follows that if the entire collector moves upward so that three or more outlets exit into gravel 14, then low pressure and maximum flow conditions will prevail, while if the collector 10 drops to a position in which for example, releases 12.2-12.4 go into clay, then high pressure and low flow conditions will prevail. Thus, it becomes clear how, due to the current control of pressure and flow conditions in a single fluid pipe 18, it is possible to control the position of the collector with respect to gravel and clay, and therefore with respect to the interface 15.

Figure 2 schematically shows a means of extracting material in the form of a knife or bucket 22, forming part of an underwater mining machine, which makes a cutting passage 24 on the seabed. The knife 22 is shown at the optimum level when it is located directly below the interface 15 between gravel 14 and the sole of clay 16. By installing the knife directly under this interface, diamond-containing gravel is mined, while at the same time as little clay as possible is taken . The exhaust manifolds 10 are bolted to the side posts 26 and 28 on opposite sides of the knife 22, in a position in which they are in continuous contact with gravel and clay.

Figure 3 shows a device for determining the position 29 in accordance with the present invention. A pump 30 pumps water through a supply line 18. Water passes through a 10 μm filter 32 and through a pressure reduction unit 34, in which the water pressure decreases to a typical predetermined pressure and flow rate of 50 kPa and 140 l / s, respectively. After that, the water passes through the flow meter 36 and the pressure sensor 38, which allows you to accurately measure the water pressure or pressure drop in it, using the pressure in the measuring pipe 39 from the pressure reduction unit 34 as a reference pressure. Next, the fluid pipe 18 passes to the exhaust manifold 10.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust manifold 10 has a strong steel casing 40 having a plurality of flanges 42 with holes that allow bolt fastening to any of the side posts 26 and 28 of the knife 22. A rigid rubberized insert 44 is fixed to the side the wall of the casing 40 and has many longitudinal protruding horizontal subcollectors, in which the outlets 12.1-12.5 are provided, which have respectively 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 individual nozzles 13 located horizontally. A series of five nozzles 13 in the lowest outlet 12.6 is in the form of a rubber sub-collector 48 mounted on the lower surface of the manifold casing 40.

The signals from the flow meter 36 and the pressure sensor 38 are fed to a processor circuit 50 mounted on a process vessel. The processor diagram contains a conversion table that includes pressure and flow parameters corresponding to different levels of the location of the collector casing relative to the interface, ranging from a situation in which all outlets go to clay, to a situation in which all outlets go to gravel. The increasing concentration of nozzles 13 towards the lower sub-collectors leads to an increase in sensitivity in the area of outlets 12.5 and 12.6, the level of which corresponds to the desired level, which is shown schematically in figure 2, in which, for example, outlet 12.6 and, possibly, outlet 12.5 are in contact with a sole of clay 16, and the remaining issues 12.1-12.4 go into gravel 14.

The output from the circuit of the processor 50 is supplied to the light indicator device 52, which is used to indicate the level of location of the knife. The operator 54 on the ship looks at the indicator and manually remotely sets the knife level using the actuator 56 of the knife 22 provided on the underwater mining machine. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the output from the processor circuitry is used directly to control the actuator 56, so as to adjust the level of the knife, as shown schematically by dashed line 58.

The indicator device 52, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 4, includes a light unit that contains two central green light sources 60, intermediate upper and lower orange light sources 62 and 64, and the uppermost and lowermost red light sources 66 and 68. Section surface 15 is shown as a section line 70 on a control map, with upper and lower thresholds shown by upper and lower lines 72 and 74, respectively. The position of the knife is shown in graph 76, whereby an auxiliary indicator device 78 may be provided on which the HOLD indicator corresponds to green light sources 60, the DOWN indicators correspond to orange and red light sources 62 and 66, and the Up indicators (UP) correspond to the orange and red sources 64 and 68. This indication gives clear instructions to the operator to move the knife up or down, depending on its position relative to the interface 70 and relative to the upper and lower threshold 72 and the 74.

FIG. 6 shows an exhaust manifold 10 mounted to the side of a knife 22 protruding from one of two brackets 80 forming part of an underwater mining machine 82. It is clearly shown that the base of the exhaust manifold 10 is located slightly below the leading edge 22A of the knife, whereby the exhaust the collector is embedded in the sole of clay 16, while the knife operates in an optimal position at the interface 15 between the upper layer of gravel 14 and the lower layer of clay or sole 16.

Figures 7 and 8 show the exhaust manifold 10.1, which has a steel casing 40.1 with an opening having a flange 42.1, which allows it to be bolted in the holes of the side racks 26 or 28 of the knife 22. The inclined outlet 12.6 is mounted on the steel casing 40.1 using the cover 84, which is bolted 86 to a steel casing 40.1. The outlet 12.6 has five nozzles 13. Water is supplied to the five nozzles 13 by the inlet connection 88.

In operation, the collector 10.1 is connected to a supply pipe similar to that shown in FIG. 3, in which pressure is measured and adjusted, and the flow rate is measured. Nozzles 13 face down to clay or gravel. When the nozzles 13 are located in clay, the measured pressure increases and the measured flow rate decreases. When the collector 10.1 is located in gravel, the measured pressure decreases and the measured flow rate increases. Due to this, it is possible to determine whether the nozzles 13 are in clay or in gravel. Therefore, the knife 22 can be lowered through the thickness of the gravel to clay, if you continuously monitor the measured pressure and flow rate in the supply pipe.

Despite the fact that this is not shown in the drawings, two collectors 10.1 can be used, installed with a gap above each other, so that the nozzles of one of the collectors during operation can be in gravel, and the nozzles of the other collector can be in clay, which allows to optimize the position of the knife 22.

Despite the fact that the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it is completely clear that experts and experts in this field may make changes and additions that do not, however, go beyond the scope of the claims.

Claims (9)

1. A mountain harvester comprising material extraction means for extracting material in an upper layer located on the lower layer, wherein the material in the upper layer has a permeability that is different from that of the material in the lower layer, the material extraction means having a housing fixed thereon having at least one first fluid outlet through which fluid is discharged into the material, the fluid being supplied to the first fluid outlet through a conduit that comprises a measuring means designed to measure the flow rate and / or pressure of the liquid in the pipeline, in order to determine which of the two layers is the first outlet of the liquid, to establish the depth of the location of the means of extraction of material relative to the two layers. 2. The harvester according to claim 1, comprising at least one second fluid outlet located above the first fluid outlet so that the first fluid outlet is located in the lower layer and the second fluid outlet is located in the upper layer to optimize the depth of the material recovery means relative to two layers. 3. The harvester according to claim 1, in which the first fluid outlet contains one of a plurality of first fluid outlets disposed with a gap. 4. The harvester according to claim 2, in which the second fluid outlet contains one of a plurality of second fluid outlets disposed with a gap. 5. The harvester according to claim 4, in which the fluid discharge capacity of the plurality of first fluid outlets disposed with a gap is greater than the fluid production performance of the plurality of second fluid outlets disposed with a gap. 6. The harvester according to claim 2, in which the second fluid outlet is housed in a separate housing casing in which the first fluid outlet is located. 7. The harvester according to claim 1, in which the first fluid outlet is facing downward relative to the direction of movement of the mining machine. 8. The harvester according to claim 2, in which the second fluid outlet is facing downward relative to the direction of movement of the mining machine. 9. A method of controlling the depth of the location of the mining material extraction tool for extracting material in the upper layer located on the lower layer, the material in the upper layer having a permeability that differs from the permeability of the material in the lower layer, which includes the following operations: placing the first and the second fluid outlet interacting with the material extraction means in the material, wherein the second fluid outlet is located above the first fluid outlet, the fluid supply to the first and second rummy liquid outlets, measuring the flow rate and / or pressure of the liquid and determining, using the measured flow rate and / or pressure, in which layer the liquid outlet is located, the placement of the first liquid outlet in the lower layer and the second liquid outlet in the upper layer in order to establish the depth means for extracting material relative to two layers.

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