On show at Bluefield will be a 30M3-L miner equipped with the improved control and traction drive system with remote control option.
This next-generation drive and control system is designed to combine maximised coal production and operator safety with minimum downtime.
The DC traction motors are controlled by a microprocessor-based system, a design that minimises the connection points that are the major cause of downtime. It provides data logging, fast diagnostics and enhanced troubleshooting capability.
The heart of the system is the MCU944 (machine control unit), a mine-duty PLC. Overload, thermal, and timing algorithms provide enhanced motor protection. The MCU 944 is designed for expandability and can offer numerous options now and in the future.
In remote operation the MCU receives instructions from the RX944 receiver package. Plugging a cable from the miner into the transmitter turns it into a fully functional pendant that can also control manual operations.
The ergonomic 10.5in graphics display provides easy access to visualisation, parameters, logs and help. Screens can be accessed via the transmitter and parameter changes are made via an infrared pendant. The unit allows three modes of control: wireless for normal operation, umbilical and manual mode for troubleshooting.
Mounted in a mine-duty enclosure, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGTBs) provide better current control than SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers), according to DBT.
The drives are self-protected for over-current, over-temperature, and over/under/voltage.
The 30M3-L continuous miner equipped with the new drive and control system is on show at the 2005 Bluefield Coal Show, September 14-16 2005, in West Virginia.
