Mining Institute of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia:

L. Yu. Levin, Head of Aerology and Thermophysics Department, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, aеrolog_lev@mail.ru
D. S. Kormshchikov, Researcher at Aerology and Thermophysics Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
E. G. Kuzminykh, Post-Graduate Student

Uralkali, Berezniki, Russia:

A. M. Machеret, Chief Surveyor, Head of Surveying Department

Mining operations at potash mines are carried out by heading machines. Setting of a direction and control of the movement of the machines is carried out by the mine surveyor and by the machine operator in the manual mode. The lack of automation of this process during production leads to large labor costs of the mine surveying service, while the experience of the machine operator affects accuracy of maintenance of a specified course. Currently, there are no ready-made technical products for automating the process of setting the course and controlling the movement of heading machines. This paper deals with the implementation of the navigation system for heading machines in the underground mines of Uralkali company. At the mines of Uralkali, the requirements for the accuracy of such a system are dictated by the requirements for the accuracy of mine surveying support for underground mining operations in driving new roadways. Possible ways of constructing navigation systems and the problems of their application are considered. The analysis of the existing methods shows that the most promising option for navigation of heading machines in underground mine openings are the systems based on the principles of inertial navigation. To use such systems in underground mines and to ensure the required accuracy, the technical requirements for the systems are formulated. It is shown that modern strapdown inertial navigation systems satisfy the required accuracy. On their basis, a prototype of the heading machine navigation system was developed, and its ground tests were carried out. The achieved accuracy of the system makes it possible to proceed to testing of a real heading machine in a mine.
The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 19-77-30008.

1. Levin L. Yu., Isaevich A. I., Semin M. A., Gazizullin R. R. Dynamics of air-dust mixture in ventilation of blind drifts operating a team of cutter-loaders. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2015. No. 1. pp. 72–75. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2015.01.13
2. Yatsenko S. N., Yatsenko M. A., Nikolaychuk N. A. Application of automation system in underground mining processes. International Scientific Review. 2016. No. 20(30). pp. 23–26.
3. Trifanov G. D., Shishlyannikov D. I., Lavrenko S. A. Assessment of URAL-20R machine use efficiency while developing potash salt fields. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 2016. Vol. 11, No. 9. pp. 5722–5726.
4. Song Gang. Experience in the implementation of process automation and data communication for underground coal mining on the example of China’s coal industry. Ugol. 2016. No. 2. pp. 25–29.
5. Tatarinov B. A., Kotlyarov V. O. Control of two-mass system with a DC motor and change direction at the exit. GIAB. 2016. No. 8. pp. 183–189.
6. Semykina I. Yu., Grigorev A. V., Gargaev A. N. Approaches to robotic heading machine engineering for manless mines. Innovations and Prospects for Development in Mining Machine and Electrical Engineering – IPDME 2017 : International Conference Proceedings. Saint-Petersburg : Sankt-Peterburgskiy gornyi universitet, 2017. pp. 202–205.
7. Selivanova L. M., Shevtsova E. V. Inertial navigation systems : Educational aid. Moscow : Izdatelstvo MGTU im. N. E. Baumana, 2012. Part I: Single-channel inertial navigation systems. 46 p.
8. Stepanov O. A. Processing methods for navigation measurement information : Educational aid. Saint-Petersburg : Universitet ITMO, 2017. 196 p.
9. Kai Shen, Proletarskiy A. V., Neusypin K. A. The research into correction algorithms for aircraft navigation systems. Vestnik MGTU im. N. E. Baumana. Seriya Priborostroenie. 2016. No. 2(107). pp. 28–39.
10. Kivokurtsev A. L., Sokolov O. A. Special features optimization of algorithms of orientation of the strapdown inertial navigation system of the modern plane. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta grazhdanskoy aviatsii. 2019. No. 3(24). pp. 62–73.
11. Qiangwen Fu, Yang Liu, Zhenbo Liu, Sihai Li, Bofan Guan. Autonomous In-motion Alignment for Land Vehicle Strapdown Inertial Navigation System without the Aid of External Sensors. The Journal of Navigation. 2018. Vol. 71, Iss. 6. pp. 1312–1328.
12. Hai Yang, Wei Li, Chengming Luo, Jinyao Zhang, Zhuoyin Si et al. Research on Error Compensation Property of Strapdown Inertial Navigation System Using Dynamic Model of Shearer. IEEE Access. 2016. Vol. 4. pp. 2045–2055.
13. Kai Shen, Selezneva M. S., Neusypin K. A. Development of an Algorithm for Correction of an Inertial Navigation System in Off-Line Mode. Measurement Techniques. 2018. Vol. 60, Iss. 10. pp. 991–997.
14. Jiangning Xu, Hongyang He, Fangjun Qin, Lubin Chang. A Novel Autonomous Initial Alignment Method for Strapdown Inertial Navigation System. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. 2017. Vol. 66, No. 9. pp. 2274–2282.