Alternative face cutting systems for longwall mining

In an underground coal mining environment, a frictional ignition may be defined as the ignition of an explosive air/methane/coal dust mixture by mining machinery. As the use of power loading equipment has become more widespread, frictional ignition incidents have increased. There have been many fatalities and injuries from this cause including the death of eleven miners in Sydney coalfield of Nova Scotia, Canada in 1979. This paper reports on the findings of a preliminary study carried out under the auspices of the Coal Research Laboratories, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. The objective of this study has been to identify a longwall face cutting system that is inherently safer than the conventional shearer loaders used in Nova Scotia.