Dynamic Analysis of the Reaction of a Scraper Conveyor When a Chain is Jammed

The scraper conveyor is the key coal transportation equipment on the coal mining face. The conveyor often encounters the influence of abnormal working conditions, such as stuck chains, broken chains, and impact loads, which have a great effect on the smooth operation of the scraper chain and seriously affect the safety of coal production. The test risk of the scraper conveyor under abnormal working conditions is relatively large; hence, the test research is impossible to carry out. Therefore, a mathematical model of the scraper conveyor was created based on the finite element method using the Matlab/Simulink package. The resulting model can be used to study the dynamic characteristics of a conveyor when coal suddenly falls onto a traction element, leading to a sharp increase in load and jamming of the traction chain of the scraper conveyor. The simulation results will provide significant assistance to specialists in device development which will make it possible to quickly detect the state of chain jamming, also distinguishing it from the state of a sharp increase in the load on the conveyor and ensuring limitation of the maximum forces in the chain, current and torque of the drive motor.