Improving Mine Safety Through the Application of Electronics: The Case of the Remotely Controlled Continuous Miner

A design is presented for a human-engineered system to remotely mine coal in thin seams by controlling a continuous mining machine from an underground location beyond direct sight of the operator. The system consists of a remote, two-wheeled trailer cab linked to a Jeffrey 101 miner by a multifunction cable. Modifications to the miner include an automatic cable handling system, a multiplexed remote control and sensor system, and two controllable closed-circuit TV cameras. The application of electronics technology to this remote mining system was governed by mission, environmental, human factors, and safety constraints to the overall system design. Each constraint posed special problems unique to the mining environment and each required effective electronic solutions to make the system work. Among the problems solved were: minimizing size and weight of the communications link between miner and cab; coping with dust, moisture, and intrinsic safety requirements; sensing and displaying miner information to the human operator; validating commands from the cab to the miner; and providing for foolproof emergency shutdown. Problems and their respective solutions are presented as a guide to future designers who need to apply electronics to the underground mining environment.