Strengthening the capacity of underground transport equipment

In designing an underground coal mine, when constructing a mining diagram, engineers often research, survey and detail the time to transport coal, soil, rock, materials, machinery and equipment and workers. The deeper the mining, the more carefully these factors need to be calculated to ensure production efficiency and labor safety. Therefore, in recent years, the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (TKV) has paid special attention and resolutely directed units to increase the application of technical advances in transportation in underground mines.

In the current conditions of increasingly deep and far-reaching production, labor transportation is considered the most important step for underground coal mines and is invested in relatively synchronously by mines. Investment in transportation is the most important factor to improve working conditions for underground workers; helping mines increase useful working time, thereby increasing production efficiency.

Accordingly, the units have paid attention to and invested in purchasing and installing equipment for transporting people and materials and equipment in the mine. Up to now, basically, the main roads no longer allow workers to walk in the mine at an altitude of more than 500 meters; in the mine slopes at an altitude of more than 150 meters and manually transport materials and equipment in the upper mine for a distance of more than 30 meters.

Transporting people by river at Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin.

According to the TKV Mechanical and Electrical Department, the number of tunnels installed with passenger transport equipment at underground coal mining units currently has 191 systems with a total travel length of 148,985m. The total number of equipment invested and installed to serve the transportation of materials and equipment is 2,211 sets.

Hon Gai Coal Company – TKV is also a unit that invests quite systematically in transportation, serving the travel of workers in the mine. Currently, from the industrial yard to the production areas in the Hon Gai Coal mine, all are transported through the main inclined shaft via a winch system. At the intermediate tunnels, the mine is equipped with wagons to transport people near the production areas.

Mr. Dao Cong Vinh, Deputy Director of the Company, affirmed that currently, Hon Gai Coal no longer has any tunnel route where workers can walk more than 500m, ensuring the Group's requirements. The invested transportation system has helped shorten the travel time in the tunnel, to the production location; at the same time, ensuring the health of workers and improving safety for Hon Gai Coal.

As for the transportation of coal, soil, rock, materials and equipment, most units have also applied continuous transportation systems such as: transporting coal by scraper system, conveyor belt from inside the mine to outside; transporting soil and rock by excavator onto wagon, pulled by battery electric train and traction shaft; transporting materials and equipment by winch combined with wagon and specialized storage...

Regarding the transportation of coal and rock by conveyor belt, underground coal production units continue to invest in installing continuous conveyor belt transport systems to replace the form of transport by scraper chutes. According to statistics from the TKV Mechanical and Electrical Department, the number of conveyor belts in underground mines up to now is 1,385 sets. Of which, the units have invested in installing automatic monitoring and control systems for conveyor belts on the main transport routes with a number of 47 systems/64 systems.

Regarding railway transport, the units have basically built a complete management profile for the operation of the railway transport system and railway transport equipment; continue to invest and convert single-cabin locomotives into double-cabin locomotives to improve safety during production. Up to now, 08 units have implemented this, including: Than Mong Duong, Ha Long, Quang Hanh, Ha Lam, Hon Gai, Uong Bi, Vang Danh, Nam Mau. The remaining units are implementing this: Than Duong Huy, Mao Khe. The total number of two-cabin battery electric locomotives of the units in TKV is currently 112/427.

With the type of inclined shaft hoist transportation, TKV is managing and using 102 inclined shaft hoist systems. In addition, TKV is also managing and using 7 systems at underground coal mines, including: Mong Duong Coal, Ha Lam Coal, Nui Beo Coal. These systems have basically met production requirements.

Vertical well transport hoist system at Nui Beo Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Son, Manager of the Vertical Well Transport Workshop, Nui Beo Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin, on average, the main vertical well transport system transports 2,100 - 2,400 people per day and night. In addition, this system also transports coal and rock to the surface with an average output of 7,000 - 9,000 tons of raw coal per day.

Currently, most units have invested in a transportation system for people, equipment, and materials in the mine with 7 types of equipment such as monorail, crane, winch system, and cable. Most types of underground transportation in the world from countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, China, etc. have been applied. Thus, it can be affirmed that the underground transportation work of TKV has made many breakthroughs compared to the previous period; contributing to ensuring the effective operation of TKV's underground coal mining model, increasing labor productivity, and improving working conditions for workers. By investing in underground transportation, TKV also promotes the synchronous implementation of a modern, high-productivity, and safe underground mine model in the future.

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