A monitoring device and method for monitoring a longwall mining system having a plurality of roof supports, each roof support including a pressure sensor to determine pressure levels of the roof support during a monitoring cycle. Pressure data is obtained for the plurality of roof supports. The pressure data includes pressure information for each roof support of the plurality of roof supports over a monitoring cycle. The pressure data is analyzed to determine, for each roof support, whether a first type pressure failure occurred during the monitoring cycle. A fault quantity is generated that represents the number of roof supports determined to have had the first type of pressure failure occur during the monitoring cycle. An alert is generated upon determining that the fault quantity exceeds an alert threshold.

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.

A monitoring device and method for monitoring a longwall mining system having a roof support, the roof support including a pressure sensor to determine pressure levels of the roof support during a monitoring cycle. Pressure information is obtained for the roof support. An electronic processor then determines whether the pressure information is indicative of a first type of pressure failure of the roof support and whether the pressure information is indicative of a second type of pressure failure of the roof support. An alert is generated in response to determining that the pressure information is indicative of at least one selected from the group consisting of the first type of pressure failure and the second type of pressure failure.

A monitoring device and method for monitoring a longwall mining system having a roof support, the roof support including a pressure sensor to determine pressure levels of the roof support during a monitoring cycle. Pressure information is obtained for the roof support. An electronic processor then determines whether the pressure information is indicative of a first type of pressure failure of the roof support and whether the pressure information is indicative of a second type of pressure failure of the roof support. An alert is generated in response to determining that the pressure information is indicative of at least one selected from the group consisting of the first type of pressure failure and the second type of pressure failure.

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.