Measurement of Forces in a Mining Plough Chain during Operation

Pulling chains are one of the most critical components of a plough longwall system. Their failure is hard to predict and results in costly and lengthy downtimes. Measurements of the actual forces acting on a plough chain are needed as they can provide important information about the nature of their operation and contribute to preventing their wear and failure by supplementing data gathered by a plough control station. In this work, a strain gauge system for the measurement of the forces in a plough chain is designed, manufactured and tested under real conditions for the first time. Constructed using a cylindrical strain gauge and widely available electronic components, the finished sensor was calibrated on a testing machine and used to measure forces in a 42 × 137 plough chain at LW Bogdanka. Measurements conducted under real conditions show that forces in the chain during steady ploughing does not exceed 400 kN. However, the forces peaked to up to 728.6 kN at certain points in the operation. The implications of such events are discussed. The device allowed for successful measurements of forces in difficult conditions of a mining plough longwall and provides new information on their course and characteristics, which is very valuable for plough operators and chain-life predictions. This work suggests the further integration of force sensors into longwall plough system.