A system for determining the position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of a highwall miner is provided. The cutter module is attached to the highwall miner by a string of push beams and moveable relative to the highwall miner. A reel is rotatably mounted to the highwall miner frame and configured to feed out a hose chain that supplies fluid to the cutter module. A fiber optic shape sensing system is associated with the cutter module is configured to receive strain information from the fiber bundle and compute the location of at least one position of the fiber bundle that is associated with the cutter module relative to the reference frame.

A control system and related method for controlling the machine in a mine. The control system may comprise a LADAR, an interface device, a processor and an AECM. The LADAR may be configured to capture scan data of physical mine walls. The interface device may be configured to display a mine map illustrating a section of the mine. The processor may be configured to add a virtual wall to the mine map in response to a first user input. The processor may be configured to add a temporary wall to the mine map in response to a second user input. The temporary wall may be based on scan data of a physical mine wall captured by the LADAR. The AECM is configured to control an operation of the machine, based on the mine map, to avoid collision of the machine with the virtual wall or the temporary wall.

A tunnel boring machine having a cutting wheel equipped with a number of excavation tools provided with sensor units and, in a corresponding tunnelling method, only substantially fully worn excavation tools are able to be replaced using a data processing device designed with an advancement planning unit by detecting the current state of the excavation tools and predicting the state of the excavation tools on tool replacement predication planes lying in the advancing direction.

Embodiments of this invention relate to highwall mining, and more particularly to a launch vehicle adapted for use in highwall mining of downward angled seams of mineable material, such as coal. More specifically, the provided launch vehicle includes a substantially horizontally oriented control deck, a launch deck pivotally attached to the control deck, and a substantially horizontally oriented conveyor belt. A miner and at least one conveyor car are positioned on the launch deck while the launch deck is in a substantially horizontal orientation, then the launch deck is tilted upward relative to the conveyor belt to substantially match a planned entry dip angle of the seam to be mined. As the miner and at least one conveyor car advance into the seam, the launch deck is returned to a substantially horizontal orientation, an additional conveyor car is added to the launch deck, and the launch deck is again tilted to substantially match the entry dip angle of the seam to connect the additional conveyor car as the rearmost car in the conveyor train.

Embodiments of this invention relate to highwall mining, and more particularly to a launch vehicle adapted for use in highwall mining of downward angled seams of mineable material, such as coal. More specifically, the provided launch vehicle includes a substantially horizontally oriented control deck, a launch deck pivotally attached to the control deck, and a substantially horizontally oriented conveyor belt. A miner and at least one conveyor car are positioned on the launch deck while the launch deck is in a substantially horizontal orientation, then the launch deck is tilted upward relative to the conveyor belt to substantially match a planned entry dip angle of the seam to be mined. As the miner and at least one conveyor car advance into the seam, the launch deck is returned to a substantially horizontal orientation, an additional conveyor car is added to the launch deck, and the launch deck is again tilted to substantially match the entry dip angle of the seam to connect the additional conveyor car as the rearmost car in the conveyor train.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting face alignment and face steering of a longwall mining system. The system includes a detection device mounted in a maingate roadway and a first indicator device mounted on a shearer of the longwall mining system to indicate a position of the shearer to the detection device. The system further includes a controller coupled to the detection device. The controller determines a shearer path of the shearer as the shearer moves along an ore face. The shearer path is determined based on a signal from the first indicator device received by the detection device. The controller generates an indication of face alignment based on the shearer path.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting face alignment and face steering of a longwall mining system. The system includes a detection device mounted in a maingate roadway and a first indicator device mounted on a shearer of the longwall mining system to indicate a position of the shearer to the detection device. The system further includes a controller coupled to the detection device. The controller determines a shearer path of the shearer as the shearer moves along an ore face. The shearer path is determined based on a signal from the first indicator device received by the detection device. The controller generates an indication of face alignment based on the shearer path.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting face creep of a longwall mining system. The system includes a detection device mounted in a maingate roadway and coupled to the detection device. The controller determines the position of the beam stage loader-armored face conveyor interface based on a signal from the first indicator device, determines a position of a maingate line based on a signal from a maingate indicator device, and determines a position of a belt conveyor based on a signal from a belt conveyor indicator device. The controller further determines a first distance between the position of the beam stage loader-armored face conveyor interface and a maingate line, and a second distance between the position of the belt conveyor and the maingate line. The controller generates an indication of face creep based on the first distance and the second distance.

Embodiments of this invention relate to highwall mining, and more particularly to a launch vehicle adapted for use in highwall mining of downward angled seams of mineable material, such as coal. More specifically, the provided launch vehicle includes a lower deck, an upper deck disposed above the lower deck, a launch deck pivotally attached to the upper deck, a first conveyor belt carried on the lower deck and a second conveyor belt carried on the launch deck. A conveyor car is positioned on the launch deck while the launch deck is in a substantially horizontal orientation, then the launch deck is tilted in a vertical place relative to the upper deck to substantially match a dip angle of the seam to be mined. The conveyor car is attached to a conveyor train extending into the seam as the rearmost car in the train. As the conveyor train advances into the seam, the launch deck is returned to a horizontal orientation, an additional conveyor car is added to the launch deck, and the launch deck is again tilted to substantially match the dip angle of the seam to add the additional conveyor car as the new rearmost car in the conveyor train.

Embodiments of this invention relate to highwall mining, and more particularly to a launch vehicle adapted for use in highwall mining of downward angled seams of mineable material, such as coal. More specifically, the provided launch vehicle includes a lower deck, an upper deck disposed above the lower deck, a launch deck pivotally attached to the upper deck, a first conveyor belt carried on the lower deck and a second conveyor belt carried on the launch deck. A conveyor car is positioned on the launch deck while the launch deck is in a substantially horizontal orientation, then the launch deck is tilted in a vertical place relative to the upper deck to substantially match a dip angle of the seam to be mined. The conveyor car is attached to a conveyor train extending into the seam as the rearmost car in the train. As the conveyor train advances into the seam, the launch deck is returned to a horizontal orientation, an additional conveyor car is added to the launch deck, and the launch deck is again tilted to substantially match the dip angle of the seam to add the additional conveyor car as the new rearmost car in the conveyor train.