Quality of Hydraulic Fluid in a Hard Coal Mine under Control !

CORROSION IN SHIELD SUPPORT UNDER CONTROL !

The shield support is the most expensive equipment in a longwall installation for hard coal mining. In addition to a long service life the determining factor as to its economic efficiency is low cost of repairs. The basis of this is the use of a perfectly intact hydraulic fluid of adequate concentration the condition of which is permanently monitored. 

Hand refractometers have been used to date to conduct these measurements on the face. The disadvantage of this method is that the measuring values are obtained by the evaluation of samples which only gives a moderate accuracy. Real-time monitoring and control of the HFA concentration, however, require measurements to be taken continuously.

The system Steuma has developed and build for Tiefenbach Control Systems in Germany is a complete system for monitoring the quality of the HFA emulsions and solutions on-line and destined for use as a module of the Tiefenbach Face Supple System. Generally, however, there is also the possibility of integrating the Tiefenbach HFA-QCS into already existing installations. Positive experience has been gained with this application in underground mines for more than 3 years.

The core components of the system are easily exchangable modules, installed in a flameproof housing. This arrangement facilitates maintenance. Any necessary repairs can be conducted at the surface. These modules are:

• Process Refractometer ProcanND-XPD module
• RioMaster module with PAC (Programmable Automation Controller) for processing the analog input and output signals, TFT screen and fibre optic module for communication with the PC system at the surface. 

The PDA which is supplied as standard allows the measurement parameters and software settings of the RioMaster module to be changed. Furthermore, it permits to change between different screen displays.

Communication between the PDA and the RioMaster module is effected via a Bluetooth interface without the need to open the unit. The PDA is certified for use in ATEX Zone 1/21