A roof support includes a base, a canopy for engaging a mine surface, a shield coupled to the canopy, and a link coupled between the base and the shield. The canopy is supported relative to the base and includes an end configured to be spaced apart from a mine face by a distance. The link is movable between a first position and a second position, and movement of the link between the first position and the second position causing the distance to change.

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.

A system for controlling a roof support, including a canopy for engaging a mine surface, includes a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a position of an end of the canopy, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the signal and determine whether a portion of a mining machine will contact a portion of the canopy based on the signal.

Disclosed is a multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway for a deep inclined thick coal seam (DITCS) and a method for coal pillar filling between sections. The multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway includes a floor, a coal seam, an immediate roof, and a basic roof in a multi-section coal seam, where the floor is disposed below the coal seam, a hydraulic support is disposed in a section between the floor and the immediate roof; a return airway and a transportation roadway are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side of each section; the return airway and the transportation roadway in each section are communicated with each other through a working face; and non-pillar staggered layout is used for a return airway of a next section and a transportation roadway of a current section.

Disclosed is a multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway for a deep inclined thick coal seam (DITCS) and a method for coal pillar filling between sections. The multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway includes a floor, a coal seam, an immediate roof, and a basic roof in a multi-section coal seam, where the floor is disposed below the coal seam, a hydraulic support is disposed in a section between the floor and the immediate roof; a return airway and a transportation roadway are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side of each section; the return airway and the transportation roadway in each section are communicated with each other through a working face; and non-pillar staggered layout is used for a return airway of a next section and a transportation roadway of a current section.

A roof support includes a base, a canopy for engaging a mine surface, a shield coupled to the canopy, and a link coupled between the base and the shield. The canopy is supported relative to the base and includes an end configured to be spaced apart from a mine face by a distance. The link is movable between a first position and a second position, and movement of the link between the first position and the second position causing the distance to change.

The invention relates to the longwall face support of an underground mine having supports (plates 1-18), which longwall face support comprises camera housings (35) each having two cameras (36), which record a monitoring area of the face having a plurality of plates in the longitudinal direction of the gallery and the most complete registration possible of the cross section of the gallery. The cameras in a monitoring area are assigned to a common power supply unit (48) for the power supply and are equipped with intrinsically safe electronics. The electronics have a radio device for high-frequency data transfer (transmission and reception) together with antenna 39 (W-LAN antenna) for the wire-free connection to the local camera network (Wireless Local Area Network). Each camera and each camera housing is assigned a camera code and an address code, which is added to the identification data. Each radio device is configured such that data marked with an extrinsic camera code and data and signals marked with an extrinsic address code is emitted to be transmitted following reception.

A method of controlling a longwall mining system, the longwall mining system including a longwall shearer, a conveyor, and a plurality of roof supports, such that the method includes creating, by a controller, a load profile of the conveyor representing a distribution of mineral along a length of the conveyor, calculating, by the controller, a desired change in the load profile based on the load profile of the conveyor, and controlling, by the controller, the longwall mining system to adjust the distribution of mineral on the conveyor based on the desired change in load profile.

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.

A method for removing a hydraulic support for solid filling coal mining includes digging a support removing channel (3) in a coal body (2) in front of the hydraulic support (1), and laying a support removing track (4), then removing the hydraulic support from a coal conveying gateway (11) to a track gateway (5), temporary supporting is carried out by matching a single supporting column with a n-type steel beam before each hydraulic support is removed. A supporting roof is reinforced in time by means of erecting a crib (13) and grouting after each hydraulic support is removed, three grouting pipelines (12) are laid after the supports of the whole work surface are removed, and grouting is carried out in the whole finishing cut space. The roof of the support removing space of the work surface is stable so that the hydraulic supports on the work surface of solid filling coal mining are ensured to be safely and efficiently removed.