Within the INESI-project (Increasing Efficiency and Safety Improvement in Underground Mining Transportation Routes) long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) cameras are used for detecting persons on underground belt conveyors or within hazardous areas e.g. in front of crusher or skip vessels by the project partners KOMAG and the Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT). The test case for evaluating the performance of thermal imaging regarding these applications is the Polish Sobieski underground coal mine operated by Tauron mining company. By the development of thermal image processing algorithms, an automated detection of persons and classification of different objects was achieved. This may allow implementing smart services for person detection on underground belt conveyors as well as material characterization between coal, rock and disturbing objects on belt conveyors.
To use lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs in the supply systems of any electric mining equipment and/or machines, the required conditions of work safety must be met. This applies in particular to coal mines endangered by fire and/or explosion. To meet the spark-safety conditions, the cells (together with the battery management system—BMS) must be isolated from the influence of the environment, and therefore placed in special fire-tight housings. This significantly degrades the heat dissipation, thus affecting the operating conditions of the cell-packs. Therefore, their usage without the so-called BMS is not recommended, as shown in the authors’ preliminary research. In practice, various BMS are used, most often with the so-called passive balancing. However, their application in mines is uncertain, due to the effect of heating under operation. When it comes to active BMS, they usually possess a quite complex structure and hence, are relatively expensive. Therefore, the authors conducted research for two specially developed active and one commercial passive BMS cooperating with selected lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries when used in a suspended mining vehicle type PCA-1. The tests were carried out under environmental temperatures ranging from +5 °C to +60 °C. The effect of mismatching (12.5% to 37.5% of total cells number) of the cell parameters on the temperature distribution and voltage fading at the terminals of individual cells was checked. As a result of the investigations, the practical usefulness of the developed active BMS was determined, enabling the extension of the lithium-iron-phosphate battery life under onerous mine conditions, for a single recharge, which is a novelty. On the basis of the obtained results, appropriate practical conclusions were formulated.
The article presents and discusses the results of research on hazard, especially temperature, for selected lithium-ion-phosphate cells operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations but used under onerous mining conditions. This applies to the performance of cells in battery sets without the application of any management system (BMS). On the basis of the obtained test results, first of all, the influence of the value of the charging current of cells and the ambient temperature for both free and deteriorated heat exchange, appropriate conclusions and practical recommendations were formulated. This applies especially to threats in the case of random, cyclic, minor overloading, and discharging of the cells.
The article presents methods for balancing the cells of batteries made in lithium-ion technology. They have many advantages over the traditional lead-acid batteries. The most important advantages include fast charging, high energy density and power as well as a wider range of operating temperatures. However, they require the use of battery surveillance and management systems (BMS) to increase work safety. One of the most important functions of such a system is the method of balancing, i.e. charge equalization of each cell. This article explains the purpose of balancing, presents the test results, describes the methods for realization of this process, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
Mining machines are often powered by batteries consisting of leadacid batteries. These cells release hydrogen when they are loaded or recharged, which, after exceeding certain concentrations, becomes explosive gas. This danger is most of the users of machines with battery power known, hence their interest in eliminating it or minimizing it as much as possible. The paper presents the results of investigations of the concentration of electrolytic gas -hydrogen inside the battery box, during the mining operation of the battery locomotive with energy recuperation during electrical braking as well as during charging the cells in the charging chamber in the mine. A solution has been proposed to improve the operational safety of lead-powered batteries in the form of an autonomous system for monitoring lead battery batteries. It discusses its construction and principle of operation. The benefits of using the developed system can be identified by the user.
The article discusses the results of research on the efficiency of a battery assembled with lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFeP04) cells when managed by an active Battery Management System (BMS) using the “battery-to-cell” energy transfer. This arrangement was especially developed by the authors and is intended for use in a selected suspended mining vehicle. The main emphasis was placed on variation of the two most important factors limiting in practice the effective use of a selected battery: a battery heating during operation and its voltage (power) fade over time. The advantage of the active BMS developed using the “battery-to-cell” energy transfer was compared both with the active BMS based on the cell-to-battery method and with the passive BMS as well. Particular attention was paid to the performance of the BMS balancing effect during the simulated unequal discharging of randomly selected cells (from 12 % to about 40 % of all cells number in the battery). The results obtained allowed for the formulation of appropriate conclusions and practical recommendations.
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