Longwall Visual Analysis

June 2007 Update...

• LVA is installed on three Australian coal mines and is running 24 hours a day scanning and analysing longwall support pressures.  Please contact us to if you would like to arrange a site visit and presentation of the software operating. We are also happy to discuss trial installations on your live longwall data. 
• We also now have a separate dedicated web site for LVA, www.lva.com.au

Real-time monitoring of Longwall mining support pressures

Encore Consulting has developed a product to monitor and analyse support pressures in longwall mining, in partnership and with financial support from BHP-Billiton, as a joint venture with Data Manipulation Services.  This major project includes automated reading and real-time analyses of PLC data, saving to a suite of databases, analysing millions of pressure readings, and visually presenting the data and calculations in an intuitive way so that mine staff can quickly assess the behaviour of the mine roof. 

• Please contact us to express an interest or to be kept informed of developments.

SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES

Longwall Visual Analysis (LVA) is a 3D longwall monitoring program designed to assist your mine to maintain a high level of safety and production. By monitoring the pressures of your longwall and comparing these against other cycles and data you can help avoid costly downtime and life threatening accidents. LVA is designed by an expert in process engineering, mathematical analysis and algorithims, ensuring a high level of data validity and accuracy. Each installation can be configured to suit your unique setup, style or methods and is covered by fast telephone support and onsite visits as required. 

• Real time shield monitoring, analysis, and alarms.
• Multiple panels per mine.
• Data is read from files written by the monitoring PLC, and processed data are saved to simple text databases for easy access by other applications.
• Automatically analyse the data and save results for TWAP, cycle times, yield/set statistics, and periodic weighting.
• Fast configurable 3D plots as visual aids to longwall status
  • Current or historical pressure readings over any time period.
  • Show shearer position and direction
  • Generation of grid plot data files to display TWAP, set pressure, average pressure as 3D function across the panel and lengthways down the gate road. Includes data processing options such as smoothing.
  • 3D plots can be zoomed and scrolled, and overlaid onto mine maps supplied in DXF format.  Optional 3D view or Plan view.
  • Display specific data for support pointed to by the Mouse
  • Images can be copied to clipboard for pasting into other applications, or saved as bitmap files.  Create animated movies scrolling through time or space.
• Fast configurable 2D plots
  • Current pressure readings
  • Alarms & warnings, current and historical
  • Trending of multiple parameters against time or face position, eg TWAP, set pressure, maximum pressure, shearer position and face position.
• All features are user-configurable, with comprehensive on-line help files.
• Password log-in system for access to configuration settings.
• Weighting analyses over multiple panels, color-coded according to severity, can be overlayed onto mine maps.
• Configurable processing of current and historical raw data using agreed algorithms for cycle detection and weighting analyses based on peak weighting intervals.
• Data analysis algorithms are transparent and agreed to by clients (in confidence). Algorithms can be updated as and when necessary.

SOME IMAGES...

Click on the icons at left to see full size images.  The image below shows a subset of historical support pressure data across the longwall face and back in time, as a 3D columnar image that can be scrolled and zoomed. Also visit www.lva.com.au