Electricity and technical progress: The bituminous coal mining industry, mechanization to automation

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6052397

Devine, Jr, W D

Development and use of electric mobile machinery facilitated the mechanization of underground bituminous coal mining and has played a lesser but important role in the growth of surface mining. Electricity has been central to the rise of mechanically integrated mining, both underground (after 1950) and on the surface (recently). Increasing labor productivity in coal mining and decreasing total energy use per ton of coal mined are associated with penetration of new electric technology through at least 1967. Productivity declined and energy intensity increased during the 1970s due in part to government regulations. Recent productivity gains stem partly from new technology that permits automation of certain mining operations. On most big electric excavating machines, a pair of large alternating current (ac) motors operate continuously at full speed. These drive direct current (dc) generators that energize dc motors, each matched to the desired power and speed range of a particular machine function. Direct-current motors provide high torque at low speeds, thus reducing the amount of gearing required; each crawler is independently propelled forward or backward by its own variable-speed dc motors. The principal advantages of electric power are that mechanical power-transmission systems - shafts, gears, etc. - are eliminated or greatly simplified. Reliability is higher, lifetime is longer, and maintenance is much simpler with electric power than with diesel power, and the spare parts inventory is considerably smaller. 100 refs., 11 figs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76OR00033
• OSTI ID: 6052397
• Report Number(s): ORAU/IEA-87-1-M; ON: DE87014233
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012020 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Surface Mining-- (1987-)
012030* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Underground Mining-- (1987-)
AUTOMATION
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATORS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL MINERS
COAL MINING
COAL PREPARATION
CONTINUOUS MINERS
CONTROL
CUTTER LOADERS
CUTTING MACHINES
DC SYSTEMS
DESIGN
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
ELECTRIC MOTORS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
LAWS
LOADERS
LOADING
LONGWALL MINING
MACHINE PARTS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MECHANICAL TRANSMISSIONS
MINE HAULAGE
MINERS
MINING
MINING EQUIPMENT
MINING LAWS
MONITORING
MOTORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PERSONNEL
POWER SYSTEMS
PRODUCTIVITY
RELIABILITY
REMOTE CONTROL
SIZE
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE MINING ACTS
TORQUE
UNDERGROUND MINING
US DOE
US MSHA
US ORGANIZATIONS