UNDERGROUND FLUID CONVEYOR TRANSPORTATION METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 3,602,551 A
• Filed: 07/29/1968
• Issued: 08/31/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John L. Velegol
• Original Assignee: John L. Velegol
• Inventors: Velegol, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nielsen, Andres H.
• Application Number:
  US04/748,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 302/23,34,64,14 299/12,18,19
• US Class Current: 406/39
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/042 Vertical hydraulic conveying of coal conveying by water flow in general B65G53/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus to accomplish underground mining and to convey the mined material from locations within the mine such as the mine face to other locations, e.g., in a coal mine to convey the material to a more convenient disposition location, such as a furnace. The machine utilizes fluid movement in a conduit, the fluid being either liquid such as water or gases such as air, both of which are normally being pumped in substantially all underground mines, the fluid entraining mined materials including particles and fines as well as mine gases at the inlet end of the conduit at or near the face of the mine and carrying the entrained material to the egress of the machine conduit. Wetting or soaking of the fines is provided. The conduit can be sufficiently large to enable emergency escape passages of a person and when serving such purpose, is provided with a personnel bypass around the fluid pump. It is envisaged that the inlet end of the conduit can be incorporated directly into existing mine face mining machinery or devices which digs, loosens, cuts, rips, grinds, augers, pulverizes, crushes or otherwise works on the material being mined. Emergency protective operators enclosures for mining machinery, with access to entries into the conduit are provided.

Claims

1. A method of transporting coal separated from the face of an underground mine and enabling personnel escape comprising:

providing a conduit system from a conduit inlet at a source of mined material in the mine to a conduit outlet at a disposition side located way from the mine face area;

creating a pressure differential through the conduit system from the inlet to the outlet, utilizing a fluid medium available at the mine site as the material carrier inside of the mine and with in the conduit;

providing, at least adjacent the inlet end of the conduit system, conduit flexibility for manipulation and location of the inlet end of the conduit system, by virtue of the flexibility provision at the inlet end of the conduit system, entraining substantially all separated and loosened coal particles, fines and surrounding gases at least in the mine area adjacent the source of mined material and transporting all such entrained material to a point of disposition; and

providing means in the conduit system enabling through passage at least from adjacent the inlet to beyond and bypassing the means for creating the pressure differential.

2. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of having the inlet of the conduit system disposed adjacent and receiving mined material directly from mine face working equipment.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising rendering mobile, portions of the conduit system at least adjacent mine face working equipment.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising rendering mobile, the entire conduit system.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of incorporating the inlet end of said system with and thereby receiving mined material including surrounding gases into said conduit and while said material is being conveyed through the system to accomplish at least one processing step on the mined material.

6. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1, further comprising disposing of the conduit system outlet at a location external of the underground mine and causing the entrained materials to egress into a combustion device and burning the entrained material.

7. A method of transporting coal and gases as defined in claim 1, further comprising disposing of the conduit system outlet at a material storage location, separating the conveyed material to gases and solids and independently storing each of said gases and said solids.

8. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1 wherein gases are used as the conveying medium.

9. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 8 wherein the gases and entrained material are subjected to soaking in liquid.

10. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1, wherein a liquid conveying medium entrains the materials being conveyed in the system.

11. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 10, comprising using underground water appearing in the mine as the liquid conveying medium. 12 A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1 wherein the mine ventilating air is used as the fluid-conveying medium and entrains and conveys the mined material and gases.

13. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1 wherein the conduit system serves as at least a portion of the mine ventilating system.

14. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 1 wherein the conduit system and bypass sizes are sufficient to enable passage of mine personnel, personnel entry devices are provided and the conduit system is used as an emergency mine exit system.

15. A method of transporting coal as defined in claim 14, wherein at least one of said personnel entry devices incorporates emergency food and oxygen and shelter which is resistant to fire and explosions.

16. Apparatus for transporting coal or the like from adjacent at least one source of mined material in an underground mine comprising:

a conduit system having a plurality of conduit sections with inlet means, outlet means and pump means intermediate said inlet means and outlet means;

said conduit sections located immediately adjacent the source of mined material including said inlet means and sections of telescoping conduit and adjacent flexible conduit, conduit means connecting between said inlet means and said pumps and including kickback valve means; and

a gated bypass means around said pump means enabling passage from the inlet side of said pump means to the outlet side of said pump means.

17. Apparatus for transporting coal or the like as defined in claim 16, wherein said conduit system includes at least one mine material processing machine and personnel shelter means are provided on said machine, said shelter being provided with means for resisting emergency conditions.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein all conduit sections and portions of said conduit system including said valve means and said gated bypass means around said pump means are made with sufficient cross section to enable utilization of said system as a personnel emergency passage, said shelter means being located closely adjacent a conduit section and provision being made between said shelter means and said conduit system enabling passage of personnel into said conduit system.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said means for resisting emergency conditions include emergency supplies of food and oxygen and enclosure structure for resisting explosion and heat.

20. Apparatus for transporting coal or the like as defined in claim 16, wherein mine face working machinery is connected directly to the inlet end of said conduit system;

and means are provided in said system enabling mobility at least of the components in the area of the mine face.

21. Apparatus for transporting coal or the like as defined in claim 19, wherein said mine face working equipment includes mined material pulverizing machinery.

22. Apparatus for transporting coal or the like as defined in claim 16, wherein at least one branch inlet means is provided in said conduit means and a branch conduit system with conduit sections including inlet means is coupled to said branch inlet means.

23. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein a said telescoping conduit section is located at the terminal inlet end and flexible conduit section connects between said telescoping conduit section and the succeeding section in said conduit system.

24. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein means are included which couple said conduit sections and other components in said conduit system which enables rotation of said conduit sections to distribute wear.

25. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein means are provided in said conduit system for spraying and soaking the fine particles enTrained in the carrier fluid.

26. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein all conduit sections and portions of said conduit system and said gated bypass means around said pump means are made with sufficient cross section to enable utilization of said system as a personnel emergency passage.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein a plurality of access doors are provided in various sections of said conduit system and at least some of said access doors enable passage of personnel into and out from said conduit system.

28. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein auxiliary mined material entraining devices are provided and means in at least one of said conduit sections ahead of a said pump means enable a fluid inlet coupling from said auxiliary device into said conduit system.