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Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China

Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China This study considered the role of coal as China’s basic energy source and examines the development of the coal industry. We focused on the intelligent development of coal mines, and introduced the “Chinese mode” of intelligent mining in underground coal mines, which uses complete sets of technical equipment to propose classification and grading standards. In view of the basic characteristics and technical requirements of intelligent coal mine systems, we established a digital logic model and propose an information entity and knowledge map construction method. This involves an active information push strategy based on a knowledge demand model and an intelligent portfolio modeling and distribution method for collabora- tive control of coal mines. The top-level architecture of 5G+ intelligent coal mine systems combines intelligent applications such as autonomous intelligent mining, human–machine collaborative rapid tunneling, unmanned auxiliary transportation, closed-loop safety control, lean collaborative operation, and intelligent ecology. Progress in intelligent mining technology was described in terms of a dynamic modified geological model, underground 5G network and positioning technology, intelligent control of the mining height and straightness of the longwall working face, and intelligent mining equipment. The development of intelligent coal mines was analyzed in terms of its imbalances, bottlenecks, and the compatibility of large-scale systems. Implementation ideas for promoting the development of intelligent coal mines were proposed, such as establishing construction standards and technical specifications, implementing classification and grading standards according to mining policy, accelerating key technology research, and building a new management and control model. Keywords Intelligent coal mine · Digital logic model · 5G+ intelligent coal mine · Top-level architecture · Application system * Huaiwei Ren Coal Mining and Designing Department, Tiandi Science renhuaiwei@tdkcsj.com and Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100013, China Guofa Wang CCTEG Coal Mining Research Institute Co., Ltd., wangguofa@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Guorui Zhao China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Corp, zhaoguorui@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Desheng Zhang Mining Design Institute, China Coal Research Institute, zhangdesheng@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Zhiguo Wen Beijing Tianma Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd., 18810309558@163.com Beijing 101320, China Lingyu Meng mengly@tdmarco.com Shixin Gong gongshixin1990@163.com Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 24 Page 2 of 17 G. Wang et al. 1 Introduction 2 Overview of intelligent coal mine development in China Over the past 40 years, China’s coal industry has achieved significant progress through comprehensive mechaniza-2.1 Transformation and development tion. From 2016 to 2019, the long-term safety produc- from mechanization to intelligence tion mechanisms were improved, coal mine mechaniza- tion, automation, and intelligence were accelerated, and The coal seams in China are complex and diverse. In the the efficiency and safety levels were comprehensively last century, artificial mining and blasting mining were enhanced. The withdrawal of outdated coal production used for a long time, resulting in low efficiency and high capacity is currently running at over 900 million t/a, casualty rates. In the mid-1980s, fully mechanized min- which significantly reduces the environmental footprint ing equipment for the medium-thick coal seams was intro- of the coal industry. At present, there are more than 3000 duced to carry out longwall comprehensive mechanized coal mines in China, including more than 1000 large- mining. However, the incompatibility of the hydraulic scale coal mines with an annual output of more than 1.2 supports required for fully mechanized mining with the million tons. complex and changeable coal seam conditions in China led In 2020, the national raw coal output was 3.84 billion to the hydraulic supports often being crushed at the work- tons and the total coal consumption was nearly 4.14 bil- ing face. In view of the problems encountered in longwall lion tons (Wang et al. 2020a). Coal accounts for 55.3% of fully mechanized mining, systematic research and devel- primary energy production and 56.8% of primary energy opment has focused on the theory, technology, and equip- consumption. China is not yet fully industrialized, and so ment of fully mechanized mining, leading to a complete the level of urbanization will continue to increase and the set of technologies and equipment for fully mechanized level of electrification still has great room for improve- mining in thin and medium-thick coal seams, at large min- ment (Wang and Du 2020). China has a huge demand for ing heights, and for caving mining. energy consumption. In 2019, China’s per capita primary In the past 10 years, innovative research and develop- energy consumption was 3.47 tons of standard coal per ment on intelligent mining technology and equipment year, which is far lower than that of the United States, have seen breakthroughs in a number of key core tech- Canada, and other developed countries (the OECD per nologies and important achievements in intelligent fully capita average is about 6 tons of standard coal per year, mechanized mining of thin and very-thin coal seams, at while Canada, the United States, Australia, and other large and super-large mining heights, and in the equip- developed countries have a per capita energy consump- ment required for extra-thick coal seams. Some mines in tion of about 10 tons of standard coal per year) (Gross- Huangling, Shaanbei, Shandong, and other mining areas ner et al. 2008). The development of China’s economy have achieved varying levels of automation, resulting requires strong support from energy, and so China’s in intelligent unmanned mining of thin coal seams (less energy demand is likely to grow, with coal remaining than 1.3 m) and intelligent fully mechanized mining at the main energy source for some time to come. super-large mining heights of 6–9 m. This provides a solid Given the coal resources in China, underground min- foundation for comprehensively promoting the intelligent ing is the main method of extraction, with open-pit min- development of coal mines. ing accounting for less than 15% of coal production. The rapid development of modern information and Scientific research has enabled underground mining to control technology has modified many traditional indus- shift from mechanized mining to automated and intel- tries and promoted changes in human lifestyles, forcing ligent mining. Coal mine intelligence is the core techni- the mining industry to move away from traditional high- cal support for the high-quality development of the coal intensity work methods. Intelligent mining pioneers and industry in this new development stage, and has become pilot companies enjoy cost and development advantages. the industry consensus. In recent years, the research and At the same time, the recruitment difficulties faced by coal development of intelligent coal mine technology systems mining companies have forced coal mines to transform have achieved significant progress. Currently, 71 intelli- from comprehensive mechanization to intelligent devel- gent coal mines are in construction, and the development opment, and accelerate the construction of intelligent of intelligent coal mines is accelerating. coal mines (Wang et al. 2018). Intelligent coal mines are 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 3 of 17 24 characterized by deep integration of the Internet of Things Category III mines have complex intelligent construction (IoT), cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, conditions. Finally, the construction level of intelligent coal automatic control, mobile internet technology, and intel- mines is evaluated through the development of an informa- ligent equipment with coal development technology to tion infrastructure, geological support system, intelligent enable comprehensive autonomous perception, real-time tunneling system, intelligent mining system, main coal flow and efficient interconnection, intelligent analysis and transportation system, auxiliary transportation system, com- decision-making, independent learning, dynamic predic- prehensive support system, safety monitoring system, intel- tion and early warning, and accurate collaborative control. ligent sorting system, operation management system, and The result is efficient and intelligent operation across the other indicators. The level of the intelligent coal mining face whole process of mine geological protection, coal mining, is evaluated based on the formulation of intelligent coal cut- production, and operation management. The fundamental ting, intelligent support, intelligent transportation, intelligent goal of developing intelligent coal mines is to increase control, network communication, intelligent video, intelli- safety, improve efficiency, increase the recovery rate of gent spray, intelligent liquid supply, intelligent inspection, resources, and achieve high-quality development of coal intelligent power supply, working face lighting, working face mines (Wang et al. 2020f). voice, ventilation, fire prevention, safety monitoring, and other indicators. 2.2 Intelligent development of underground coal mines 2.2.2 Cases of intelligent construction of production coal mines 2.2.1 Intelligent classification and grading standards for underground coal mines The upgrade and transformation of Shenmu Zhangjiamao Mining Co., Ltd., of Shaanxi Coal Group into an intelligent China’s coal occurrence conditions are complex and diverse. coal mine operation was launched in early 2018. Develop- There are vast differences in mining technology and equip- ment was based on a standard system, a comprehensive per- ment levels, engineering foundations, technical pathways, ception network, a high-speed data transmission channel, and construction goals at different coal mines, all of which a big data application center, and a business cloud service is subject to the development level of intelligent mining platform. The overall system realizes information technol- technology and equipment. The difficulty and final effect of ogy services for different business needs and creates a world- the intelligent construction of coal mines with different coal class intelligent coal mine construction plan. After 2 years seam occurrence conditions are also different. It is difficult to of construction, Zhangjiamao coal mine has consolidated use a single indicator to evaluate the intelligent construction the top-level design and produced a development blueprint and mining level of all coal mines. After thorough research for constructing intelligent key technology and equipment and discussion, various classification schemes and evalu - research and development. The key intelligent technologies ation standards have been formulated (Wang et al 2020b, cover mining, tunneling, transportation, ventilation, and the c). These define terms such as intelligent coal mine, intel- protection and utilization of resources. This will create a ligent coal mining face, intelligent centralized control center, new pattern of comprehensive intelligent safety manage- and intelligent mining mode, and propose general technical ment and enable auxiliary projects such as underground requirements and supporting conditions for intelligent coal high-speed industrial ring networks, 5G private networks, mines and coal mining faces. First, the mining modes of intelligent management and control platforms, and intel- intelligent coal mines and coal mining faces are classified ligent safety production management systems. Essentially, according to the thickness of the coal seam, the occurrence this development will ensure the transition from traditional conditions, the mining methods, and the mining technical extensive production to refined, customized, and intelligent parameters. Second, taking the coal seam occurrence condi- production and operation management. tions as the basic index and the mining technical parameters as the reference index, a classification and evaluation index 2.2.3 Intelligent construction case of new coal mine system is established for intelligent coal mines and intel- ligent coal mining faces. According to the technical condi- The Balasu coal mine, operated by Shaanxi Yanchang tions of mine classification and evaluation, intelligent coal Petroleum and Mining Company, is currently under con- mines can be divided into three categories: Category I mines struction and is expected to have a capacity of 10 mil- have good intelligent construction conditions, Category II lion t/a. The mine adopts the full vertical shaft develop- mines have medium intelligent construction conditions, and ment mode. The mine field is divided into three levels 1 3 24 Page 4 of 17 G. Wang et al. according to the positions of the coal group. The construc- and standardized integration of the mining enterprise. How- tion goal was determined at the beginning of construction ever, there is currently little interconnection and data sharing of Balasu coal mine. It is being constructed in accordance between production systems. The intelligent construction of with the principles of “high starting point, high stand- open-pit coal mines is still in its initial stage. The automation ards, high efficiency, and high benefit”, and “first-class of equipment, design, and management information does not design, first-class equipment, first-class management and meet the requirements of intelligent mining. Therefore, the first-class efficiency”. The mine integrates artificial intel- intelligent transformation, upgrading, and development of ligence, big data, and other new technologies to change open-pit coal mines is an urgent and difficult task. traditional production methods to a new industrial model and operating system. According to the top-level design, the coal mine will have an efficient 5G-based information 3 Digital foundation of intelligent coal network and a precise location service system, and will mines be connected to the 4D-GIS transparent geological model and dynamic information system to realize the integra- Effective correlation and efficient transmission of data tion of control, management, and operation of the coal and information are the basic characteristics and require- mine. An integrated cloud data center and regional con- ments of intelligent coal mine systems. By establishing trol core are being built based on the “cloud edge” data data association relationships among the major systems of architecture and three-tier hierarchical control strategy to intelligent coal mines, an efficient data push strategy can be achieve cloud edge collaboration and distributed control. constructed, which enables the cooperative control of min- During the construction process, an intelligent manage- ing equipment with “active analysis and intelligent decision ment system and the specific requirements and manage- making” (Ren et al 2019). ment processes of intelligent coal mine production and operation are being determined, and a management model 3.1 Digital logic model of intelligent coal mines that is compatible with intelligent coal production meth- ods is being established. This will improve management With the continuous integration of more extensive and in- efficiency and maximize the intelligence of the coal mine. depth information covering geological exploration, environ- Eighteen intelligent systems and integrated management mental monitoring, mining equipment status, and produc- platforms, including an intelligent working face system, tion systems, the production and operation management data rapid tunneling system, and unattended fixed-site system, associated with coal mines have increased exponentially. have been built to realize full-time space monitoring, oper- However, as there is no unified and effective data model, it is ation automation, decision-making intelligence, real-time difficult to complete in-depth information processing, knowl- control, knowledge modeling, information management, edge discovery, and application. Therefore, it is necessary to and digitalization of the business flow. Data integration, establish a digital logic model suitable for expressing data capability integration, and application integration are association relationships in intelligent coal mines, map the expected to be realized. actual coal mine production-related objects and their related relationships into information “entities” in a unified manner, and establish an interaction mechanism between informa- 2.3 Intelligent development of open‑pit coal mines tion “entities”. This would provide an effective method for studying the correlation among the massive volumes of data The development of open-pit coal mines in China started produced by coal mines. late, and coal resources suitable for open-pit mining only account for 10%–15% of the total coal resources of China. Since the beginning of this century, open-pit coal mines 3.1.1 Construction of intelligent coal mine information (characterized by low investment and quick results) have entity increased in number, and the development of the associ- ated mining technology and equipment has accelerated (Li Many types of coal mine information have complex inter- et al 2019; Zhang et al 2019). Relatively independent system relationships involving multi-dimensional attributes. An modules, such as remote intelligent slope monitoring, truck information entity is a data description of a physical entity anti-collision, overspeed alarms, and automatic navigation of extracted and abstracted from the original description of the drilling rigs, have been successfully applied in open-pit coal physical entity, that is, the metadata of the information. The mines. The informatization of mine management and safety information entity is at the node position in the intelligent production focuses on information collection and sorting, coal mine information network system. Building a clearly networked transmission, automatic control, visual display, 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 5 of 17 24 classified information entity is the basis for building a coal system. To realize the classification and clustering of infor - mine information network and realizing the mapping from mation entities, a bidirectional long short-term memory the physical space to the data space. (BiLSTM) module is combined with a conditional random According to the theory of complex networks, informa- field (CRF) method for entity recognition and relationship tion entities should have basic entity attributes and asso- extraction. The basic idea is to calculate the corresponding ciated attributes. Entity attributes reflect the manifesta - scores of the objects to be labeled and each label sequence tion of information, whereas associated attributes express through the Bi-LSTM, and then obtain the dependency rela- the level of the information entities and the relationship tionship between the entity tags and complete the labeling between them in the information network. Multiple infor- task. The CRF is then applied to introduce the constraints mation entities are associated to form an information between the tags, enabling the tag sequence to be selected. whole, which can be regarded as a higher-level informa- Finally, a more reasonable information entity classification tion entity. The coal mine data attributes and forms of is obtained. expression can be decomposed into coal mine information The calculation of the CRF layer adopts the linear chain attributes including entity attributes, correlation attributes, formulation designed by Lample. Given the input sequence and space-time attributes. Entity attributes provide a basic w ={w , w , … , w , w , …} , the probability of labeling 1 2 t−1 t description of information entities, including attribute sequence y is: information, structure information, and function informa- P(yx)= exp  Ψ (y , w, t)+  Γ (y , y , w, t) tion. Correlation attributes describe the relationship attrib- n n t m m t−1 t t,n t,m Z(w) utes between information entities, including association (2) attributes such as grouping/classification, hierarchical where Ψ y , w, t is the state function, representing the n t relationship attributes, importance relationships, influ- probability that sequence w is marked as y at position t ; encing relationship attributes, and behavior descriptions. is the weight of the state function; Γ y , y , w, t is the n m t−1 t Space-time attributes include spatial orientation attributes probability transfer function;  is the weight of the prob- based on geographic information and state attributes that ability transfer function; and Z(w) is a normalization factor. change over time. On the basis of obtaining the information entity, the BiL- Mathematically, intelligent coal mine information entities STM-CRF method is used to extract its attributes, as shown can be expressed as follows: in Fig. 1, providing a complete outline of the entity attributes according to the association relationship. O = E (N, P(n), S(n), F(n)), R (C(n), L(n), …), ST (T(n), U(n)) i i i i (1) 3.1.2 Construction of intelligent coal mine knowledge map where, O represents the i-th information entity unit; E rep- i i resents the entity attribute of the unit, which is composed Through the establishment of information entities, the map- of attribute information P(n) , structural information S(n) , ping from the physical space to the digital space is real- and functional information F(n) ; R represents the associ- ized. This mapping includes not only physical entities (e.g., ated attribute of the entity, and ST represents the space-time coal mining machines, hydraulic supports, and tunneling attribute of the entity, which is composed of time attributes machines), but also time entities (e.g., roof pressure, gas T(n) and U(n). overruns, equipment failures) and functional entities (e.g., The construction of an intelligent coal mine digital logic spatial position relationships and surrounding rock coupling model is an iterative process of building a knowledge map relationships). The basic association between the various from the bottom up. The construction process of information information entities is described by a semantic network, entities involves describing the decomposition of the key but the degree of the association relationship needs to be nodes in complex tasks after semantic modeling of the data; described in detail. The Apriori algorithm is used to mine knowledge fusion is completed by determining the relation- the association rules among information entities, calculate ships connecting information entities, that is, the virtual the support and confidence, and describe the degree of and real mappings. On this basis, the entities are clustered association. to construct the ontology library, and the new associations Let task T be decomposed into four tuples: between the entities are established by reasoning. Through a continuous iterative update process, an intelligent coal Schema(T) = ⟨TaskSet, State, Action, QSet⟩ (3) mine knowledge graph is formed, providing data services and decision support for various scenarios. wher e, TaskSet ={T , T , … , T } is the set of sub - 1 2 n Due to the dynamic changes in the data content of intel- tasks decomposed according to the ontology knowl- ligent coal mines, it is difficult to guarantee the quality of edge base, State ={S , S , … , S } is the basic environ- 1 2 n information entities when using a manual predefined entity ment information in the process of completing the task, 1 3 24 Page 6 of 17 G. Wang et al. Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of information entity extraction based on BiLSTM-CRF (Wang et al. 2020b) Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of mining decision and control based on knowledge map (Wang et al. 2020b) 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 7 of 17 24 Action ={A , A , … , A } is the behavior decision made by subsystems with independent functions, which ensures the 1 2 n each agent to complete the task, and QSet ={Q , Q , … , Q } efficiency and agility of execution. The second type of data, 1 2 n is the environmental information required to complete the and their fusion with the first type, are the basis for com- subtask. prehensive management and multi-system collaboration. To On the basis of task decomposition, the existing entity ensure the agility of the intelligent mining system and realize relationship data are calculated, and then new associations the synergy of multiple systems, an information active push between information entities are established. This enables system is proposed to build a knowledge update mechanism new knowledge to be discovered and an ontology database and an active push model within a query–feedback loop, as for coal mine multiagent control and decision-making to be shown in Fig. 3. constructed. Through continuous iteration and updating, an First, the application scenario is described in detail and intelligent knowledge map of the coal mine can be devel- the preferred outcomes are analyzed. The attribute infor- oped, as shown in Fig. 2. mation E of the information entity is then updated using machine learning. Second, the association relationships of 3.2 Data push strategy of intelligent coal mines the scenario data are mined, and the association attributes R of the information entity are updated through matching The traditional data application is a query–feedback mecha- degree analysis. Big data analysis is then used to analyze nism. The low efficiency of data utilization is unsuitable for historical data, and pushing events are triggered based on active analysis, intelligent decision-making, or the autono- predicted and early warning information. At the same time, mous operation of a comprehensive management and control the space-time information ST containing the time baseline system. Therefore, the relevant technologies for the analysis is passed to the information entity, so that the information and processing of big data and the mining of associate rela- entity O can be unified with the time baseline. The informa- tionships are introduced, and an information entity database tion entity is then passed to the corresponding scenario by for intelligent coal mine applications is established. This the functional operation library to provide timely, compre- section describes an active information push strategy based hensive, and reliable information for scenario-based applica- on demand preference analysis. tions and decision-making control. From the perspective of real-time demand, coal mine data can be divided into two categories. One is real-time feed- 3.3 Intelligent coal mine combination modeling back control data, which usually require direct feedback to and distributed cooperative control the controller; the other is trend query data, which usually have low real-time requirements and are mostly used for The intelligent operation of coal mines is determined by data mining and situation analysis. The application of the various basic conditions, such as dynamic geological condi- first type of data and system is contained within existing tions, development deployment, and production equipment. Fig. 3 Data update and active push architecture 1 3 24 Page 8 of 17 G. Wang et al. proposed. The method of combinatorial modeling comes from the “hierarchical” view of system theory and the modu- lar structure of complex systems (Liu et al 2007). The main idea is to divide the system into a number of subsystems (independent agents) according to their functions, establish models of each subsystem separately without considering the associations between the systems, and then establish an association model between them. Finally, the models of each subsystem are integrated to form the overall system model. The subsystem model and correlation model are generally established by mechanism analysis, system identification, or a combination of the two. From a simulation perspec- Fig. 4 Overall function model of intelligent coal mine tive, combination modeling can be described as (Zeigler et al 2000): Operations are oriented to the goals of production planning, N = T , XN, YN, D M d ∈ D I d ∈ D ∪(N) Z d ∈ D ∪(N) d d d quality management, and safety assurance. In accordance (4) with the constraints of policies and regulations, personnel organization, and operation monitoring, the operation is sys- M = T , X , Y ,Ω, Q,Δ,Λ (5) d d N N tematically optimized to export coal according to demand by where, N is the global model; T is the system internal rela- setting process parameters suitable for the basic conditions. tional model collection; X is the system external input The overall function model of the intelligent coal mine is quantity; Y is the system output quantity; D is the collection shown in Fig. 4. of all internal subsystem models, d ∈ D ; M is the input and Intelligent coal mines are complex systems that cannot output system of the subsystems, d ∈ D ∪ N ; T is the inter- be expressed, analyzed, and researched by a single model. nal relation model of subsystem d ; I is the set of influential On the basis of a multi-source heterogeneous data informa- subsystems of d ; Z is the interface mapping of subsystem tion model and data interaction strategy for intelligent coal d ; Ω is the allowable input partition; Q is the state set; Δ is mines, a method based on a multi-agent system (MAS) is Fig. 5 MAS agent combination model of intelligent coal mine 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 9 of 17 24 the system output function; and Λ is the subsystem global mining control strategy for working faces in high-gas mines state transfer function. is established. According to the combination modeling method, the The MAS combination model is an adaptive and flexible overall model of the intelligent coal mine can be decom- dynamic system composed of multiple agents. It is suitable posed into the combined model of the MAS, as shown in for the modeling, optimization, and control of coal mines Fig. 5. that are greatly affected by external dynamic geological The intelligent coal mine combination model includes conditions, the coexistence of black box/gray box models, seven intelligent combination models: geological survey high dependence on knowledge and experience, and rela- and design, material management, equipment management, tive lack of data accumulation and analysis. Based on this financial management, human resources, quality manage- model, centralized, distributed, and hybrid control methods ment, and production scheduling, which comprehensively can be implemented, with distributed collaborative control support the process links of resource exploration, planning overcoming the nonlinear problems between agents that can- and development, production preparation, tunneling, min- not be described or solved by mathematical equations. The ing, washing, and transportation. These agents correspond primary method of control between coal mine production to relatively independent subsystems, which interact with the equipment must be able to consider the various characteris- outside world autonomously, possess certain knowledge and tics and random interference of the system. reasoning capabilities, and complete corresponding tasks Taking the production system of a fully mechanized independently. The unified agent-based model is shown in mining face as an example, equipment groups with strong Fig. 6. motion correlation (e.g., coal mining machine, hydraulic Each agent needs to perceive environmental information support, and scraper conveyor) work in coordination with and process it into a data structure applicable to the sys- auxiliary, weakly related equipment groups (e.g., transpor- tem. With the support of a professional knowledge base and tation and ventilation equipment). The main feature of this adaptive technology, the agents can realize decision-making system is the chain-locked relationship between the con- and intelligent control, allowing the execution module to trolled objects, with relatively little loop control. To form perform and operate accordingly. Related status information a global optimal control strategy for equipment groups in and knowledge are exchanged among the agents through the accordance with the fully mechanized mining conditions, communication module. Each of the above links requires a three-level control architecture for single-group clusters different modeling and control methods to realize functions and a distributed control architecture are established. The such as data signal processing, state prediction, intelligent optimal operation trajectory planning and the cooperative decision-making, and collaborative linkage. For example, control method, under the influence of multiple time-varying the geological survey and design agent uses various infor- factors, are adopted to solve the optimal cooperative control mation about drilling and geophysical exploration to form a problem of a complex mining system. three-dimensional information model of the stope with the In the specific control process, a variety of state per - support of professional interpretation. This model supports ception methods and models for the surrounding rock and the subsequent deployment and mining process. The pro- equipment are established to form the state description duction scheduling agent is affected by gas emissions, thus model, prediction model, and correlation model of the min- a gas emission prediction model based on the Petri model ing environment–production system. This process uses data should be established (Kong 2011). This is associated with fusion (Gu et al 2015), proportional-integral-derivative con- the production system of the working face, whereby the trol (Xue et al 2019), a mathematical machine following Fig. 6 Unified agent model 1 3 24 Page 10 of 17 G. Wang et al. model (Shi et al 2016), and fuzzy control. Data pertaining coal mining (Wang et al 2020d). Based on the communica- to the hydraulic support posture and load are fused, and a tion environment and characteristics of underground mines, collaborative group hydraulic support method is established. effective “digital highways” can be constructed by integrat- The shearer’s self-adapting coal cutting control logic is ing 5G+F5G+WiFi6. developed based on the cutting parameters and stope envi- The use of 5G technology alongside the integration of ronment. At the same time, by considering the asynchronous new-generation information technologies such as big data, and variable time-delay characteristics of the sensor data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, edge computing, cloud multi-scale information interaction analysis can be used to computing, and the IoT characterizes a 5G+ intelligent predict the operation status of the mining equipment with coal mine. This combination of technologies empowers and respect to environmental changes in the fully mechanized reshapes coal mine development design, geological surveys, working face. In this way, distributed cooperative control can mining, transportation, washing, security, ecological protec- be employed to formulate an appropriate response. tion, operation, and management. As a result, the coal mine has the basic capabilities of self-perception, self-learning, self-decision-making, and self-execution, thus realizing 4 System architecture of 5G+ intelligent the intelligent operation of the intelligent system (Fan et al coal mines 2020). In summary, 5G+ intelligent coal mine technology has the following characteristics: Coal mine systems include a wide variety of subsystems (1) Deep interconnection. The 5G network has the abil- with numerous, complex connections. There is a lack of ity to integrate multiple types of existing or future wireless interconnection among the processes of coal mine produc- access transmission technologies and functional networks, tion and operation management, such as coal mine devel- and can be controlled through a unified core network to pro- opment, mining, transportation, washing, operation, and vide ultra-high data rates and ultra-low delays with consist- management. An important task of building an intelligent ent and seamless service in multiple scenarios. coal mine is to study the logical connections among each (2) Comprehensive and thorough perception. The envi- link system, construct the control logic, and finally realize ronment and equipment status can be perceived accurately, an intelligent system. Communication technology is vital enabling improved command and control of mining and for intercommunication within the coal mine system and production. between related subsystems, and the widespread applica- (3) Data-driven business. On the basis of deep intercon- tion of advanced technologies such as big data, artificial nection and thorough perception, data mining and knowl- intelligence, and virtual reality is necessary in an intelligent edge discovery are carried out through the use of data. mining system. By building a high-speed digital communi- cation network, the channels for the efficient exchange of 4.2 Top‑level architecture of intelligent coal mines information between different application scenarios in coal mining and management are opened up, allowing traditional The intelligent construction of coal mines needs to be industries to be empowered and reshaped towards a digital planned in a unified manner from the strategic perspectives transformation. of safety, intensity, efficiency, and sustainable development. Therefore, the overall reform and innovation of top-level 4.1 T echnical characteristics of 5G+ intelligent coal design aspects should be conducted, focusing on the intel- mines ligent coal mine safety management and control mode, infor- mation system architecture, intelligent decision-making, and The development of intelligent coal mines is inseparable situation analysis mode. The aim is to create a smart, con- from the efficient interconnection of data and information. venient, efficient, and secure coal mine ecosystem covering The characteristics of large bandwidth, low latency, and all aspects of production and associated services. comprehensive connection, as well as micro-base stations, The main purpose of the intelligent coal mine is to uti- slicing technology, and end-to-end 5G connections, provide lize an intelligent application system with an ubiquitous the core technological support for overcoming the bottleneck network and big data cloud platform for the core intelligent of data transmission and processing for intelligent mining. management and control functions. Through the coordina- The fifth-generation mobile communication system is tion of basic resources, including intelligent management characterized by an ultra-high data rate, ultra-low delay, and and control platforms, 5G converged networks, cloud data ultra-large-scale access. Compared with 4G technology, 5G centers, and GIS spatial information services, it is possible offers great improvements in traffic density, connection den- to realize the perception, analysis, decision-making, and sity, delay, and peak rate, enabling the core technical support control of the entire process of coal mine development, for enhancing data transmission and processing in intelligent production, and operation (Wang et al 2020e). Specifically, 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 11 of 17 24 Fig. 7 Top-level architecture of 5G+ intelligent coal mine the construction of intelligent coal mines enhances the coal mine management system, (2) safe and efficient coal perception, execution, and management systems, and cre- mine information network, (3) precise underground loca- ates a solid and reliable industrial operation system based tion service, (4) geological support and 4D-GIS dynamic on advanced, intelligent, and highly reliable production information system, (5) rapid roadway tunneling system, equipment. Additionally, intelligent coal mines rely on (6) mining face collaborative control system, (7) coal flow cutting-edge technology to achieve industrial empower- and auxiliary transportation and storage system, (8) coal ment and upgrading. Based on the control mode of “global mine environment perception and safety management/ optimization, regional classification, multi-point coordi- control system, (9) coal washing system, (10) fixed-place nation,” the construction process includes eleven major unattended management system, and (11) coal field area intelligent systems (as shown in Fig.  7): (1) integrated and ecological system. 1 3 24 Page 12 of 17 G. Wang et al. 4.3 Application system 5 Research progress on key technologies of coal mine intelligence Based on the main activities of coal mines, intelligent appli- cation systems are constructed using basic networks, data The ultimate goal of coal mine intelligence is to realize centers, and GIS spatial information services, including self-perception, self-learning, self-decision-making, and autonomous intelligent mining, human–machine collabo- automatic operation of major systems such as coal mine ration and rapid tunneling, unmanned auxiliary transporta- development design, geological surveys, mining, transpor- tion, safety closed-loop control, unmanned fixed places, lean tation, washing, safety assurance, and production manage- collaborative operation, and smart ecology (Fan et al 2016; ment. Through continuous scientific research and innovative Wang et al 2019; Pang et al 2019; Wu et al 2020). practices, breakthroughs have been made in related technical The autonomous intelligent mining system is based on the equipment. coordinated mechanism of the shearer, hydraulic support, and scraper conveyor to realize the two-way communication 5.1 Intelligent mining technology based of fully mechanized mining equipment, solve the problem of on dynamically revised geological model differentiated and refined control requirements of the com- plete set of working face equipment, and achieve the goal of For intelligent mining, knowledge of the geological con- intelligent mining. ditions is a prerequisite, for which the information system The human–machine collaborative rapid tunneling sys- is the foundation and intelligent control and reliability of tem improves the tunneling efficiency through equipment equipment are key factors. Only by accurately detecting and integration, digital monitoring, and control automation, and predicting the static and dynamic geological conditions in achieves remote centralized monitoring of tunneling work- the mining process, and building a dynamic 3D geological ing faces and high-efficiency intelligent tunneling with model of the working face, can reliable technical support fewer workers. Thus, efficient production is realized through be provided for intelligent mining (Mao et al. 2020, 2018). man–machine cooperation. To realize precise identification of the geological condi- The driverless auxiliary transportation system is based on tions of the working face, advanced technical methods such a 5G positioning and navigation system and Ultra-Wideband as high-density 3D seismic ground exploration and 3D seis- (UWB) digitalization of underground roadways, using pre- mic data interpretation are used to identify the geological cise positioning and navigation modules combined with GIS conditions of the coal mining area. This helps to prevent technology to achieve unmanned, precise positioning and unfavorable factors such as faults, collapse columns, and intelligent dispatch of underground vehicles. thinning coal seams being encountered in the design stage The safety closed-loop management and control system of the working face. Second, geological data are obtained uses IoT data collection, video pattern recognition, and through channel wave seismic surveys, bedding-oriented intelligent analysis to create a systematic and collaborative directional drilling, borehole geophysical exploration, or system of mine safety situation awareness and information gas drainage holes in the working face. These data describe sharing, effectively forming a 360° intelligent monitoring hidden geological structures (such as small folds, small platform. faults), changes in coal thickness, and other geological The fixed places unattended system monitors the health of anomalies (such as collapsed columns and magmatic rocks) equipment and facilities in the mine and forms a collabora- in the working face. In the process of mining the working tive intelligence and management platform for underground face, directional drilling and mining detection dynamically robot groups. Robots are used to replace manual operations modify the working face geological model. On the basis of and inspections, thus achieving unmanned fixed positions in an accurate 3D geological model, an absolute digital model underground mines. of the working face is constructed to implement autonomous The lean collaborative management system has an intel- intelligent coal cutting. This technology has been success- ligent resource supply configuration, which can realize intel- fully applied in Yujialiang coal mine and Huangling No. 1 ligent management and control of material procurement, coal mine. equipment deployment, warehousing distribution, collabo- rative coal blending, and intelligent marketing. The result is 5.2 Underground 5G network and positioning an improvement in the efficiency of enterprise production technology resources. The smart ecosystem is based on cloud computing, big Accurate location services in the underground space are data, IoT, and other technologies. A comprehensive digital essential for intelligent coal mines. The mine geology and ecosystem is constructed with full system connectivity and mining conditions are complex, the production systems are data integration. 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 13 of 17 24 huge, and the mining environment is changeable. Thus, it is The straightness of the scraper conveyor is controlled by necessary to apply IoT technology for real-time monitoring the inertial navigation of the shearer, which involves meas- to obtain more information. In this way, the interconnection uring the curvature of the scraper conveyor and then coop- of all underground personnel, equipment, and environment erating with the difference algorithm and self-displacement data can be realized, and a comprehensive perception net- feedback to complete the quantitative “push-shift” hydraulic work can be constructed. Initially, location information must support arrangement, thus correcting the deviation of the be obtained. scraper conveyor. To reduce the positioning error of the iner- Zhangjiamao Coal Mine has established a 5G network tial navigation system, a fully automatic measuring robot is transmission system for underground roadways and key introduced to dynamically correct the absolute coordinates safety monitoring sites. The underground 5G transmission of the inertial navigation, enabling the automatic relay trans- performance, attenuation characteristics, and actual power mission of the geodetic coordinates and accurate pose meas- consumption of 5G micro- and pico-base stations were tested urement of the fully mechanized mining face equipment. in a pioneering exploration for the underground application Heze Coal and Electricity Co. Ltd. integrated the above of 5G networks. Xinyuan coal mine further studied the use technologies in their Guoton coal mine, and realized a high of a 5G network for underground high-definition video trans- level of integration of intelligent mining technology in the mission and remote control issues, and proposed that the working face under the support of the latest communication, uplink and downlink time slot ratio used in underground coal control, information, big data, and industrial IoT. mines should be 3:1. The actual delay of 5G in underground remote control was found to be less than 50 ms, providing 5.4 New development of intelligent mining a valuable reference for scenario-based applications based equipment on 5G technology. At present, underground coal mine positioning systems Intelligent mining equipment and coal mine robots are the are mostly based on traditional wireless transmission tech- core support of intelligent coal mines. At the beginning of nologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and ultra-wideband. 2019, the National Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau The dynamic positioning accuracy is not high, and the released the “R&D Catalog for Key Products of Coal Mine related infrastructure must be deployed separately. Real- Robots”, which included intelligent mining equipment. time performance cannot be guaranteed. The development of millimeter-wave technology and low-delay characteristics 5.4.1 Intelligent heavy‑duty coal mining robot group based on 5G, as well as underground integrated positioning for 1.1‑m hard coal seams and application services based on 5G networks, will enable underground vehicle management, improved mining preci- Limitations in the installed power, machine height, and auto- sion, and solve the real-time control and management prob- mation technology make it difficult to mine hard and thin lems associated with mobile equipment. coal seams. The installed power of existing thin seam shear- ers is less than 730 kW, the supporting machine face height 5.3 Intelligent control technology for mining height is greater than 845 mm, and the mining height is greater than and straightness of working face 1.3 m. The small working face production capacity and the low degree of automation do not meet the safety and intelli- The basic requirements for safe production in longwall coal gent mining requirements of hard, thin coal seam of less than mining are a straight and flat working face. The straightness 1.1 m. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the support for generally refers to that of the hydraulic support, the cut coal thin coal seam mining equipment, improve the cutting and wall, and the scraper conveyor of the fully mechanized min- propulsion capabilities, enhance the perception and control ing face. The flatness refers to the flat top (bottom) plate of capabilities, and build a group of coal mining robots that the fully mechanized mining face. Control of the mining height is related to changes in the thickness of the coal seam in the direction and the inclining direction of the working face. On the basis of “memory cutting” by the shearer to adjust the height of the drum, several core technologies are adopted to realize adaptive coal cutting following changes in the coal seam. These technologies include a precise posi- tioning and measurement robot system, the construction and dynamic correction of the 3D geological model, construction of a transparent working face, and an intelligent visualiza- tion management and control platform. Fig. 8 Coal and rock boundary of 1.1-m thin coal seam working face 1 3 24 Page 14 of 17 G. Wang et al. Fig. 9 Complete sets of equipment for thin coal seams can cut independently and advance cooperatively, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Technology with a high performance–volume ratio Fig. 10 Coupling of super-large mining height hydraulic support and (PVR = 402) that allows for space-time cooperation and surrounding rock flexibility, with a large drop between the laneway and the face end of the coal mining face, has been proposed. This technology can support safe and efficient mining of 1.1-m 5.4.2 Complete set of intelligent fully mechanized mining hard thin coal seams. equipment for 6–10 m super‑large mining heights A robot cluster for 1.1-m hard thin coal seams has been developed, including a semi-suspended body, full- Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia are large coal bases suspended cutting low body shearer, coal shearer with with mainly high-quality hard coal, and account for 70% an installed power of 1050 kW, and a high-rigidity anti- of the total coal output of China. Fully mechanized min- dynamic load hydraulic support with a working resistance ing with super-large mining heights faces problems such as of 9000 kN. Additionally, 34/86 × 126 ultra-flat chain trans- rib spalling, roof collapse, roof impact, super-high-power portation equipment with a large capacity, low body, and equipment structures, control reliability, and stable opera- overlapping side unloading has been adopted for the first tion. To solve these problems, intelligent fully mechanized time. mining equipment for super-large mining heights has been An intelligent control device for thin coal seams has developed in Hongliulin, Jinjitan, Shangwan, and other coal been developed. An intelligent monitoring system with mines. wired and wireless dual-network communication and The theory and technology of fully mechanized mining multi-data fusion has been adopted, including automatic with super-large mining heights have been proposed, as straightening by high accuracy inertial navigation, coal shown in Fig. 10. This is the first time that a full-thickness, flow balancing, an automatic towing trolley, and a high- fully mechanized coal mining method has been developed definition intrinsically safe camera. Together, these items for multiple-stress-field coupling and intelligent control of form the “perception, control, and execution” system of the surrounding rock in coal seams of more than 6-m thick. the coal mining robot cluster, enabling remote fault diag- The coupling principle of the support and the surrounding nosis, whole lifecycle management, the application of a rock strength, stiffness, and stability, and the collaborative new underground intelligent control system and centralized technology of support, mining, and transportation are pro- control center for thin coal seams, and unmanned operation posed. This solves the problems of super-high mining tech- along the thin coal seam face. nology and surrounding rock control. The mining efficiency The intelligent heavy-duty coal mining robot group devel- can be increased by up to 70%, and the resource recovery oped for hard thin coal seams has been applied in the Huisen rate has increased by more than 25%. Liangshuijing coal mine in Yulin. The equipment and sys- The super-high mining height hydraulic support, self- tem are stable and reliable, reaching an annual output of 1 adaptive support of the surrounding rock, and cooperative million t/a. Collectively, this promotes the collaboration of control technology have been proposed. The 3D dynamic the mining equipment cluster and plays an important role in optimization design of the hydraulic support, capacity- demonstrating the advancement of China’s thin coal seam increasing buffer anti-impact column, three-stage coopera- mining technology. tive support device, automatic compensation of the initial 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 15 of 17 24 using high-strength materials, distributed liquid supplies, and super-high-power shearer and scraper conveyors, and will lead to the development of fully mechanized mining technology and equipment. 5.4.3 Coal mine tunneling robot system In recent years, intelligent rapid tunneling has received increasing attention. A variety of supporting models have been explored for different geological conditions in China, and rapid tunneling equipment has been developed. The Fig. 11 Complete set of fully mechanized mining equipment for level of footage and the degree of automation have been super-large mining heights significantly improved. A gantry shield-type intelligent tun- neling robot system, developed by Xi’an University of Sci- support force and rapid moving frame system, and adaptive ence and Technology and Xi’an Coal Mining Machinery cooperative control technology for the hydraulic support Co., Ltd. (Fig. 12), includes tunneling robots, anchor drilling group were developed, which solved the problems of the robots, temporary support robots, drill supplement robots, original rigid support structure not adapting to the dynamic anchor net transportation robots, a ventilation system, a sec- load impact conditions and the difficulty of realizing real- ond transport system, and a self-moving tail. The anchor time cooperative control. As a result, fully mechanized min- drill robot, temporary support robot, and drill supplement ing support has been established with a new super-large min- robot are all frame structures, arranged one after the other to ing height concept and technical realization path. provide a safe working space for the tunneling robot. They The key technologies and mechanized equipment for complete the tasks of anchor mesh support and drilling and super-high mining height high-power autonomous cutting anchoring. The tunneling robot and the second transport and continuous transportation of over-heavy loads have been system are arranged in sequence, located inside the frame proposed. A low-carbon micro-alloyed cast steel material structure formed by the anchor drilling robot, temporary was developed for the cutting part of the shearer, and its support robot, and drill supplement robot, and realize coal manufacturing process and automatic cutting control system mining and transportation alongside the parallel operation were established. Additionally, a scraper conveyor with a of tunneling and support. pre-crushing function for large pieces of coal, a variable-fre- The tunneling robot system integrates the functions of quency drive speed control method, and a super-large chain digging, supporting, anchoring, transportation, ventilation, drive system were developed. This equipment constitutes a and dust removal. It has functions for positioning and navi- complete system for super-large mining heights, as shown gation, automatic cutting, remote control, intelligent network in Fig. 11. deployment, multi-robot cooperative control and parallel The complete set of equipment has been used in 39 super- operation, and remote intelligent monitoring. The result is large coal mines, including Hongliulin and Jinjitan. The out- virtual intelligent measurement and control, with one-key put of the working face has been increased from less than start and stop of the whole system on and under the ground 30,000 tons per day to more than 60,000 tons per day. At (Fig. 13). The application was implemented in the working present, ultra-large mining height technology and equipment for working heights above 10 m are being developed and implemented in the Caojiatan coal mine of Yubei, Shaanxi Coal. This continues the development of core technologies Fig. 12 Shield-type intelligent tunneling robot system Fig. 13 Underground monitoring center 1 3 24 Page 16 of 17 G. Wang et al. face of a smooth channel in the No. 1 Coal Mine of Xia- 6.2 Development goals for the next 5 years obaodang Company. At present, the single-row operation time is controlled at 20 min, the footage per day exceeds The intelligent construction of coal mines adheres to the 45 m, the per capita work efficiency has been improved to principles of classified construction and the implementa - 3 m per worker, and the monthly footage has reached 816 m. tion of policies according to the differences among mines; the promotion of comprehensive and graded compliance, safety and efficiency, and the quality-first principle are also 6 Future prospects important. The key development goals for the next 5 years are the The development of intelligent coal mines is a continuous comprehensive upgrade and transformation of Category I process, and enhancing the degree of intelligence is an itera- (good mining technical conditions) and II (medium min- tive task. At present, China’s coal mine intelligence is still ing technical conditions) coal mines, focusing on improving in the cultivation and development stage, and there are still the intelligence level of the coal mining face, reducing the some problems such as inconsistent understanding, unbal- number of people and improving the efficiency of the tun- anced development, a lack of relevant technical standards neling face, ensuring full coverage of intelligent security and specifications related to coal mine intelligence, and control, realizing unattended operations in all fixed posi- weak basic theories. Several key technical bottlenecks need tions, and forming an intelligent integrated management and to be overcome, and the research and development of tech- control system based on a comprehensive management and nology and equipment lags behind the development needs of control platform. For Category III (poor mining technical enterprises. Additionally, there is an imperfect research and conditions) coal mines, the focus should be on the basic development platform and the lack of resources in high-end information systems, mechanized and intelligent mining sys- coal mines restricts the development of intelligent systems. tems, monitoring and early warning of major safety hazards, The next 5 years is an important development period for the and improving safety monitoring systems to reduce risks to intelligence of coal mines. It is necessary to recognize the personnel, increase safety, and improve efficiency. For new objective laws of the development of intelligent coal mines coal mines, the design of an intelligent top-level architecture and the existing problems at this stage. According to the should be completed to enable advanced development and occurrence conditions and development status of different production technology, intelligent equipment, and intelligent coal seams, it is necessary to formulate and improve the basic systems, production systems, integrated management intelligent coal mine development plan according to the vari- and control platforms, comprehensive management. The ous regions of China and the existing technical basis of the overall objective should be an intelligent coal mine with a coal mines. It is important to plan the development modes coordinated and efficient operation and maintenance system. of intelligent coal mines at different levels and to clarify the The construction goals of intelligent open-pit coal mines technical systems, implementation paths, construction tasks, are as follows. Production should focus on improving the and construction goals of different development modes. In construction of mine networks, data centers, and perception addition, the resource allocation of coal mine enterprises systems, including the construction of remote control sys- should be optimized and an innovative ecological environ- tems, unmanned driving systems, and remote operation and ment should be created for the intelligent construction of maintenance systems. The goal is to realize the digitization coal mines. Finally, there is an urgent need to actively pro- of the mining environment, with intelligent mining equip- mote the transformation and upgrading of the traditional ment, remote control of the production process, an informa- coal industry to the status of a truly intelligent system. tion transmission network, and informatization of operation and management. New mines should build an information 6.1 Vision for intelligent development of coal mines infrastructure from a high starting point, enabling open-pit mine information transmission, processing, and storage plat- The vision for the intelligent development of the coal indus- forms as well as centralized management and control sys- try involves realizing the real-time perception of all-time and tems. Remote intelligent control of the mining process and multi-source information in coal mines alongside closed- unattended operations at fixed positions should be ensured, loop risk control and intrinsic safety. The efficient and col- alongside an open-pit mine intelligent integrated manage- laborative operation of human–machine–environment–man- ment and control platform and intelligent mining based on agement digital interconnection in the whole process is vital, big data analysis and cloud computing. as is the full automation of the production site. This will Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Nat- result in greater job satisfaction for coal mine employees ural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 51834006  and and more value creation for coal enterprises. 51874174). 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 17 of 17 24 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri- Ren HW, Wang GF, Zhao GR et al (2019) Smart coal mine logic model bution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adapta- and decision control method of mining system. J China Coal Soc tion, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long 44(9):2923–2935. https://doi. or g/10. 13225/j. cnki. jccs. 2018. 1162 as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, Shi Y, Lin J, Cui ZF et al (2016) Mathematical model of automatic provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes following control in the middle of fully mechanized mining face. were made. The images or other third party material in this article are Ind Mine Autom 42(11):14–19. https:// doi. org/ 10. 13272/j. issn. included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated 1671- 251x. 2016. 11. 004 otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in Wang GF, Du YB (2020) Coal mine intelligent standard system frame- the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not work and construction ideas. 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Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China

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Abstract

This study considered the role of coal as China’s basic energy source and examines the development of the coal industry. We focused on the intelligent development of coal mines, and introduced the “Chinese mode” of intelligent mining in underground coal mines, which uses complete sets of technical equipment to propose classification and grading standards. In view of the basic characteristics and technical requirements of intelligent coal mine systems, we established a digital logic model and propose an information entity and knowledge map construction method. This involves an active information push strategy based on a knowledge demand model and an intelligent portfolio modeling and distribution method for collabora- tive control of coal mines. The top-level architecture of 5G+ intelligent coal mine systems combines intelligent applications such as autonomous intelligent mining, human–machine collaborative rapid tunneling, unmanned auxiliary transportation, closed-loop safety control, lean collaborative operation, and intelligent ecology. Progress in intelligent mining technology was described in terms of a dynamic modified geological model, underground 5G network and positioning technology, intelligent control of the mining height and straightness of the longwall working face, and intelligent mining equipment. The development of intelligent coal mines was analyzed in terms of its imbalances, bottlenecks, and the compatibility of large-scale systems. Implementation ideas for promoting the development of intelligent coal mines were proposed, such as establishing construction standards and technical specifications, implementing classification and grading standards according to mining policy, accelerating key technology research, and building a new management and control model. Keywords Intelligent coal mine · Digital logic model · 5G+ intelligent coal mine · Top-level architecture · Application system * Huaiwei Ren Coal Mining and Designing Department, Tiandi Science renhuaiwei@tdkcsj.com and Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100013, China Guofa Wang CCTEG Coal Mining Research Institute Co., Ltd., wangguofa@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Guorui Zhao China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Corp, zhaoguorui@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Desheng Zhang Mining Design Institute, China Coal Research Institute, zhangdesheng@tdkcsj.com Beijing 100013, China Zhiguo Wen Beijing Tianma Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd., 18810309558@163.com Beijing 101320, China Lingyu Meng mengly@tdmarco.com Shixin Gong gongshixin1990@163.com Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 24 Page 2 of 17 G. Wang et al. 1 Introduction 2 Overview of intelligent coal mine development in China Over the past 40 years, China’s coal industry has achieved significant progress through comprehensive mechaniza-2.1 Transformation and development tion. From 2016 to 2019, the long-term safety produc- from mechanization to intelligence tion mechanisms were improved, coal mine mechaniza- tion, automation, and intelligence were accelerated, and The coal seams in China are complex and diverse. In the the efficiency and safety levels were comprehensively last century, artificial mining and blasting mining were enhanced. The withdrawal of outdated coal production used for a long time, resulting in low efficiency and high capacity is currently running at over 900 million t/a, casualty rates. In the mid-1980s, fully mechanized min- which significantly reduces the environmental footprint ing equipment for the medium-thick coal seams was intro- of the coal industry. At present, there are more than 3000 duced to carry out longwall comprehensive mechanized coal mines in China, including more than 1000 large- mining. However, the incompatibility of the hydraulic scale coal mines with an annual output of more than 1.2 supports required for fully mechanized mining with the million tons. complex and changeable coal seam conditions in China led In 2020, the national raw coal output was 3.84 billion to the hydraulic supports often being crushed at the work- tons and the total coal consumption was nearly 4.14 bil- ing face. In view of the problems encountered in longwall lion tons (Wang et al. 2020a). Coal accounts for 55.3% of fully mechanized mining, systematic research and devel- primary energy production and 56.8% of primary energy opment has focused on the theory, technology, and equip- consumption. China is not yet fully industrialized, and so ment of fully mechanized mining, leading to a complete the level of urbanization will continue to increase and the set of technologies and equipment for fully mechanized level of electrification still has great room for improve- mining in thin and medium-thick coal seams, at large min- ment (Wang and Du 2020). China has a huge demand for ing heights, and for caving mining. energy consumption. In 2019, China’s per capita primary In the past 10 years, innovative research and develop- energy consumption was 3.47 tons of standard coal per ment on intelligent mining technology and equipment year, which is far lower than that of the United States, have seen breakthroughs in a number of key core tech- Canada, and other developed countries (the OECD per nologies and important achievements in intelligent fully capita average is about 6 tons of standard coal per year, mechanized mining of thin and very-thin coal seams, at while Canada, the United States, Australia, and other large and super-large mining heights, and in the equip- developed countries have a per capita energy consump- ment required for extra-thick coal seams. Some mines in tion of about 10 tons of standard coal per year) (Gross- Huangling, Shaanbei, Shandong, and other mining areas ner et al. 2008). The development of China’s economy have achieved varying levels of automation, resulting requires strong support from energy, and so China’s in intelligent unmanned mining of thin coal seams (less energy demand is likely to grow, with coal remaining than 1.3 m) and intelligent fully mechanized mining at the main energy source for some time to come. super-large mining heights of 6–9 m. This provides a solid Given the coal resources in China, underground min- foundation for comprehensively promoting the intelligent ing is the main method of extraction, with open-pit min- development of coal mines. ing accounting for less than 15% of coal production. The rapid development of modern information and Scientific research has enabled underground mining to control technology has modified many traditional indus- shift from mechanized mining to automated and intel- tries and promoted changes in human lifestyles, forcing ligent mining. Coal mine intelligence is the core techni- the mining industry to move away from traditional high- cal support for the high-quality development of the coal intensity work methods. Intelligent mining pioneers and industry in this new development stage, and has become pilot companies enjoy cost and development advantages. the industry consensus. In recent years, the research and At the same time, the recruitment difficulties faced by coal development of intelligent coal mine technology systems mining companies have forced coal mines to transform have achieved significant progress. Currently, 71 intelli- from comprehensive mechanization to intelligent devel- gent coal mines are in construction, and the development opment, and accelerate the construction of intelligent of intelligent coal mines is accelerating. coal mines (Wang et al. 2018). Intelligent coal mines are 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 3 of 17 24 characterized by deep integration of the Internet of Things Category III mines have complex intelligent construction (IoT), cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, conditions. Finally, the construction level of intelligent coal automatic control, mobile internet technology, and intel- mines is evaluated through the development of an informa- ligent equipment with coal development technology to tion infrastructure, geological support system, intelligent enable comprehensive autonomous perception, real-time tunneling system, intelligent mining system, main coal flow and efficient interconnection, intelligent analysis and transportation system, auxiliary transportation system, com- decision-making, independent learning, dynamic predic- prehensive support system, safety monitoring system, intel- tion and early warning, and accurate collaborative control. ligent sorting system, operation management system, and The result is efficient and intelligent operation across the other indicators. The level of the intelligent coal mining face whole process of mine geological protection, coal mining, is evaluated based on the formulation of intelligent coal cut- production, and operation management. The fundamental ting, intelligent support, intelligent transportation, intelligent goal of developing intelligent coal mines is to increase control, network communication, intelligent video, intelli- safety, improve efficiency, increase the recovery rate of gent spray, intelligent liquid supply, intelligent inspection, resources, and achieve high-quality development of coal intelligent power supply, working face lighting, working face mines (Wang et al. 2020f). voice, ventilation, fire prevention, safety monitoring, and other indicators. 2.2 Intelligent development of underground coal mines 2.2.2 Cases of intelligent construction of production coal mines 2.2.1 Intelligent classification and grading standards for underground coal mines The upgrade and transformation of Shenmu Zhangjiamao Mining Co., Ltd., of Shaanxi Coal Group into an intelligent China’s coal occurrence conditions are complex and diverse. coal mine operation was launched in early 2018. Develop- There are vast differences in mining technology and equip- ment was based on a standard system, a comprehensive per- ment levels, engineering foundations, technical pathways, ception network, a high-speed data transmission channel, and construction goals at different coal mines, all of which a big data application center, and a business cloud service is subject to the development level of intelligent mining platform. The overall system realizes information technol- technology and equipment. The difficulty and final effect of ogy services for different business needs and creates a world- the intelligent construction of coal mines with different coal class intelligent coal mine construction plan. After 2 years seam occurrence conditions are also different. It is difficult to of construction, Zhangjiamao coal mine has consolidated use a single indicator to evaluate the intelligent construction the top-level design and produced a development blueprint and mining level of all coal mines. After thorough research for constructing intelligent key technology and equipment and discussion, various classification schemes and evalu - research and development. The key intelligent technologies ation standards have been formulated (Wang et al 2020b, cover mining, tunneling, transportation, ventilation, and the c). These define terms such as intelligent coal mine, intel- protection and utilization of resources. This will create a ligent coal mining face, intelligent centralized control center, new pattern of comprehensive intelligent safety manage- and intelligent mining mode, and propose general technical ment and enable auxiliary projects such as underground requirements and supporting conditions for intelligent coal high-speed industrial ring networks, 5G private networks, mines and coal mining faces. First, the mining modes of intelligent management and control platforms, and intel- intelligent coal mines and coal mining faces are classified ligent safety production management systems. Essentially, according to the thickness of the coal seam, the occurrence this development will ensure the transition from traditional conditions, the mining methods, and the mining technical extensive production to refined, customized, and intelligent parameters. Second, taking the coal seam occurrence condi- production and operation management. tions as the basic index and the mining technical parameters as the reference index, a classification and evaluation index 2.2.3 Intelligent construction case of new coal mine system is established for intelligent coal mines and intel- ligent coal mining faces. According to the technical condi- The Balasu coal mine, operated by Shaanxi Yanchang tions of mine classification and evaluation, intelligent coal Petroleum and Mining Company, is currently under con- mines can be divided into three categories: Category I mines struction and is expected to have a capacity of 10 mil- have good intelligent construction conditions, Category II lion t/a. The mine adopts the full vertical shaft develop- mines have medium intelligent construction conditions, and ment mode. The mine field is divided into three levels 1 3 24 Page 4 of 17 G. Wang et al. according to the positions of the coal group. The construc- and standardized integration of the mining enterprise. How- tion goal was determined at the beginning of construction ever, there is currently little interconnection and data sharing of Balasu coal mine. It is being constructed in accordance between production systems. The intelligent construction of with the principles of “high starting point, high stand- open-pit coal mines is still in its initial stage. The automation ards, high efficiency, and high benefit”, and “first-class of equipment, design, and management information does not design, first-class equipment, first-class management and meet the requirements of intelligent mining. Therefore, the first-class efficiency”. The mine integrates artificial intel- intelligent transformation, upgrading, and development of ligence, big data, and other new technologies to change open-pit coal mines is an urgent and difficult task. traditional production methods to a new industrial model and operating system. According to the top-level design, the coal mine will have an efficient 5G-based information 3 Digital foundation of intelligent coal network and a precise location service system, and will mines be connected to the 4D-GIS transparent geological model and dynamic information system to realize the integra- Effective correlation and efficient transmission of data tion of control, management, and operation of the coal and information are the basic characteristics and require- mine. An integrated cloud data center and regional con- ments of intelligent coal mine systems. By establishing trol core are being built based on the “cloud edge” data data association relationships among the major systems of architecture and three-tier hierarchical control strategy to intelligent coal mines, an efficient data push strategy can be achieve cloud edge collaboration and distributed control. constructed, which enables the cooperative control of min- During the construction process, an intelligent manage- ing equipment with “active analysis and intelligent decision ment system and the specific requirements and manage- making” (Ren et al 2019). ment processes of intelligent coal mine production and operation are being determined, and a management model 3.1 Digital logic model of intelligent coal mines that is compatible with intelligent coal production meth- ods is being established. This will improve management With the continuous integration of more extensive and in- efficiency and maximize the intelligence of the coal mine. depth information covering geological exploration, environ- Eighteen intelligent systems and integrated management mental monitoring, mining equipment status, and produc- platforms, including an intelligent working face system, tion systems, the production and operation management data rapid tunneling system, and unattended fixed-site system, associated with coal mines have increased exponentially. have been built to realize full-time space monitoring, oper- However, as there is no unified and effective data model, it is ation automation, decision-making intelligence, real-time difficult to complete in-depth information processing, knowl- control, knowledge modeling, information management, edge discovery, and application. Therefore, it is necessary to and digitalization of the business flow. Data integration, establish a digital logic model suitable for expressing data capability integration, and application integration are association relationships in intelligent coal mines, map the expected to be realized. actual coal mine production-related objects and their related relationships into information “entities” in a unified manner, and establish an interaction mechanism between informa- 2.3 Intelligent development of open‑pit coal mines tion “entities”. This would provide an effective method for studying the correlation among the massive volumes of data The development of open-pit coal mines in China started produced by coal mines. late, and coal resources suitable for open-pit mining only account for 10%–15% of the total coal resources of China. Since the beginning of this century, open-pit coal mines 3.1.1 Construction of intelligent coal mine information (characterized by low investment and quick results) have entity increased in number, and the development of the associ- ated mining technology and equipment has accelerated (Li Many types of coal mine information have complex inter- et al 2019; Zhang et al 2019). Relatively independent system relationships involving multi-dimensional attributes. An modules, such as remote intelligent slope monitoring, truck information entity is a data description of a physical entity anti-collision, overspeed alarms, and automatic navigation of extracted and abstracted from the original description of the drilling rigs, have been successfully applied in open-pit coal physical entity, that is, the metadata of the information. The mines. The informatization of mine management and safety information entity is at the node position in the intelligent production focuses on information collection and sorting, coal mine information network system. Building a clearly networked transmission, automatic control, visual display, 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 5 of 17 24 classified information entity is the basis for building a coal system. To realize the classification and clustering of infor - mine information network and realizing the mapping from mation entities, a bidirectional long short-term memory the physical space to the data space. (BiLSTM) module is combined with a conditional random According to the theory of complex networks, informa- field (CRF) method for entity recognition and relationship tion entities should have basic entity attributes and asso- extraction. The basic idea is to calculate the corresponding ciated attributes. Entity attributes reflect the manifesta - scores of the objects to be labeled and each label sequence tion of information, whereas associated attributes express through the Bi-LSTM, and then obtain the dependency rela- the level of the information entities and the relationship tionship between the entity tags and complete the labeling between them in the information network. Multiple infor- task. The CRF is then applied to introduce the constraints mation entities are associated to form an information between the tags, enabling the tag sequence to be selected. whole, which can be regarded as a higher-level informa- Finally, a more reasonable information entity classification tion entity. The coal mine data attributes and forms of is obtained. expression can be decomposed into coal mine information The calculation of the CRF layer adopts the linear chain attributes including entity attributes, correlation attributes, formulation designed by Lample. Given the input sequence and space-time attributes. Entity attributes provide a basic w ={w , w , … , w , w , …} , the probability of labeling 1 2 t−1 t description of information entities, including attribute sequence y is: information, structure information, and function informa- P(yx)= exp  Ψ (y , w, t)+  Γ (y , y , w, t) tion. Correlation attributes describe the relationship attrib- n n t m m t−1 t t,n t,m Z(w) utes between information entities, including association (2) attributes such as grouping/classification, hierarchical where Ψ y , w, t is the state function, representing the n t relationship attributes, importance relationships, influ- probability that sequence w is marked as y at position t ; encing relationship attributes, and behavior descriptions. is the weight of the state function; Γ y , y , w, t is the n m t−1 t Space-time attributes include spatial orientation attributes probability transfer function;  is the weight of the prob- based on geographic information and state attributes that ability transfer function; and Z(w) is a normalization factor. change over time. On the basis of obtaining the information entity, the BiL- Mathematically, intelligent coal mine information entities STM-CRF method is used to extract its attributes, as shown can be expressed as follows: in Fig. 1, providing a complete outline of the entity attributes according to the association relationship. O = E (N, P(n), S(n), F(n)), R (C(n), L(n), …), ST (T(n), U(n)) i i i i (1) 3.1.2 Construction of intelligent coal mine knowledge map where, O represents the i-th information entity unit; E rep- i i resents the entity attribute of the unit, which is composed Through the establishment of information entities, the map- of attribute information P(n) , structural information S(n) , ping from the physical space to the digital space is real- and functional information F(n) ; R represents the associ- ized. This mapping includes not only physical entities (e.g., ated attribute of the entity, and ST represents the space-time coal mining machines, hydraulic supports, and tunneling attribute of the entity, which is composed of time attributes machines), but also time entities (e.g., roof pressure, gas T(n) and U(n). overruns, equipment failures) and functional entities (e.g., The construction of an intelligent coal mine digital logic spatial position relationships and surrounding rock coupling model is an iterative process of building a knowledge map relationships). The basic association between the various from the bottom up. The construction process of information information entities is described by a semantic network, entities involves describing the decomposition of the key but the degree of the association relationship needs to be nodes in complex tasks after semantic modeling of the data; described in detail. The Apriori algorithm is used to mine knowledge fusion is completed by determining the relation- the association rules among information entities, calculate ships connecting information entities, that is, the virtual the support and confidence, and describe the degree of and real mappings. On this basis, the entities are clustered association. to construct the ontology library, and the new associations Let task T be decomposed into four tuples: between the entities are established by reasoning. Through a continuous iterative update process, an intelligent coal Schema(T) = ⟨TaskSet, State, Action, QSet⟩ (3) mine knowledge graph is formed, providing data services and decision support for various scenarios. wher e, TaskSet ={T , T , … , T } is the set of sub - 1 2 n Due to the dynamic changes in the data content of intel- tasks decomposed according to the ontology knowl- ligent coal mines, it is difficult to guarantee the quality of edge base, State ={S , S , … , S } is the basic environ- 1 2 n information entities when using a manual predefined entity ment information in the process of completing the task, 1 3 24 Page 6 of 17 G. Wang et al. Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of information entity extraction based on BiLSTM-CRF (Wang et al. 2020b) Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of mining decision and control based on knowledge map (Wang et al. 2020b) 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 7 of 17 24 Action ={A , A , … , A } is the behavior decision made by subsystems with independent functions, which ensures the 1 2 n each agent to complete the task, and QSet ={Q , Q , … , Q } efficiency and agility of execution. The second type of data, 1 2 n is the environmental information required to complete the and their fusion with the first type, are the basis for com- subtask. prehensive management and multi-system collaboration. To On the basis of task decomposition, the existing entity ensure the agility of the intelligent mining system and realize relationship data are calculated, and then new associations the synergy of multiple systems, an information active push between information entities are established. This enables system is proposed to build a knowledge update mechanism new knowledge to be discovered and an ontology database and an active push model within a query–feedback loop, as for coal mine multiagent control and decision-making to be shown in Fig. 3. constructed. Through continuous iteration and updating, an First, the application scenario is described in detail and intelligent knowledge map of the coal mine can be devel- the preferred outcomes are analyzed. The attribute infor- oped, as shown in Fig. 2. mation E of the information entity is then updated using machine learning. Second, the association relationships of 3.2 Data push strategy of intelligent coal mines the scenario data are mined, and the association attributes R of the information entity are updated through matching The traditional data application is a query–feedback mecha- degree analysis. Big data analysis is then used to analyze nism. The low efficiency of data utilization is unsuitable for historical data, and pushing events are triggered based on active analysis, intelligent decision-making, or the autono- predicted and early warning information. At the same time, mous operation of a comprehensive management and control the space-time information ST containing the time baseline system. Therefore, the relevant technologies for the analysis is passed to the information entity, so that the information and processing of big data and the mining of associate rela- entity O can be unified with the time baseline. The informa- tionships are introduced, and an information entity database tion entity is then passed to the corresponding scenario by for intelligent coal mine applications is established. This the functional operation library to provide timely, compre- section describes an active information push strategy based hensive, and reliable information for scenario-based applica- on demand preference analysis. tions and decision-making control. From the perspective of real-time demand, coal mine data can be divided into two categories. One is real-time feed- 3.3 Intelligent coal mine combination modeling back control data, which usually require direct feedback to and distributed cooperative control the controller; the other is trend query data, which usually have low real-time requirements and are mostly used for The intelligent operation of coal mines is determined by data mining and situation analysis. The application of the various basic conditions, such as dynamic geological condi- first type of data and system is contained within existing tions, development deployment, and production equipment. Fig. 3 Data update and active push architecture 1 3 24 Page 8 of 17 G. Wang et al. proposed. The method of combinatorial modeling comes from the “hierarchical” view of system theory and the modu- lar structure of complex systems (Liu et al 2007). The main idea is to divide the system into a number of subsystems (independent agents) according to their functions, establish models of each subsystem separately without considering the associations between the systems, and then establish an association model between them. Finally, the models of each subsystem are integrated to form the overall system model. The subsystem model and correlation model are generally established by mechanism analysis, system identification, or a combination of the two. From a simulation perspec- Fig. 4 Overall function model of intelligent coal mine tive, combination modeling can be described as (Zeigler et al 2000): Operations are oriented to the goals of production planning, N = T , XN, YN, D M d ∈ D I d ∈ D ∪(N) Z d ∈ D ∪(N) d d d quality management, and safety assurance. In accordance (4) with the constraints of policies and regulations, personnel organization, and operation monitoring, the operation is sys- M = T , X , Y ,Ω, Q,Δ,Λ (5) d d N N tematically optimized to export coal according to demand by where, N is the global model; T is the system internal rela- setting process parameters suitable for the basic conditions. tional model collection; X is the system external input The overall function model of the intelligent coal mine is quantity; Y is the system output quantity; D is the collection shown in Fig. 4. of all internal subsystem models, d ∈ D ; M is the input and Intelligent coal mines are complex systems that cannot output system of the subsystems, d ∈ D ∪ N ; T is the inter- be expressed, analyzed, and researched by a single model. nal relation model of subsystem d ; I is the set of influential On the basis of a multi-source heterogeneous data informa- subsystems of d ; Z is the interface mapping of subsystem tion model and data interaction strategy for intelligent coal d ; Ω is the allowable input partition; Q is the state set; Δ is mines, a method based on a multi-agent system (MAS) is Fig. 5 MAS agent combination model of intelligent coal mine 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 9 of 17 24 the system output function; and Λ is the subsystem global mining control strategy for working faces in high-gas mines state transfer function. is established. According to the combination modeling method, the The MAS combination model is an adaptive and flexible overall model of the intelligent coal mine can be decom- dynamic system composed of multiple agents. It is suitable posed into the combined model of the MAS, as shown in for the modeling, optimization, and control of coal mines Fig. 5. that are greatly affected by external dynamic geological The intelligent coal mine combination model includes conditions, the coexistence of black box/gray box models, seven intelligent combination models: geological survey high dependence on knowledge and experience, and rela- and design, material management, equipment management, tive lack of data accumulation and analysis. Based on this financial management, human resources, quality manage- model, centralized, distributed, and hybrid control methods ment, and production scheduling, which comprehensively can be implemented, with distributed collaborative control support the process links of resource exploration, planning overcoming the nonlinear problems between agents that can- and development, production preparation, tunneling, min- not be described or solved by mathematical equations. The ing, washing, and transportation. These agents correspond primary method of control between coal mine production to relatively independent subsystems, which interact with the equipment must be able to consider the various characteris- outside world autonomously, possess certain knowledge and tics and random interference of the system. reasoning capabilities, and complete corresponding tasks Taking the production system of a fully mechanized independently. The unified agent-based model is shown in mining face as an example, equipment groups with strong Fig. 6. motion correlation (e.g., coal mining machine, hydraulic Each agent needs to perceive environmental information support, and scraper conveyor) work in coordination with and process it into a data structure applicable to the sys- auxiliary, weakly related equipment groups (e.g., transpor- tem. With the support of a professional knowledge base and tation and ventilation equipment). The main feature of this adaptive technology, the agents can realize decision-making system is the chain-locked relationship between the con- and intelligent control, allowing the execution module to trolled objects, with relatively little loop control. To form perform and operate accordingly. Related status information a global optimal control strategy for equipment groups in and knowledge are exchanged among the agents through the accordance with the fully mechanized mining conditions, communication module. Each of the above links requires a three-level control architecture for single-group clusters different modeling and control methods to realize functions and a distributed control architecture are established. The such as data signal processing, state prediction, intelligent optimal operation trajectory planning and the cooperative decision-making, and collaborative linkage. For example, control method, under the influence of multiple time-varying the geological survey and design agent uses various infor- factors, are adopted to solve the optimal cooperative control mation about drilling and geophysical exploration to form a problem of a complex mining system. three-dimensional information model of the stope with the In the specific control process, a variety of state per - support of professional interpretation. This model supports ception methods and models for the surrounding rock and the subsequent deployment and mining process. The pro- equipment are established to form the state description duction scheduling agent is affected by gas emissions, thus model, prediction model, and correlation model of the min- a gas emission prediction model based on the Petri model ing environment–production system. This process uses data should be established (Kong 2011). This is associated with fusion (Gu et al 2015), proportional-integral-derivative con- the production system of the working face, whereby the trol (Xue et al 2019), a mathematical machine following Fig. 6 Unified agent model 1 3 24 Page 10 of 17 G. Wang et al. model (Shi et al 2016), and fuzzy control. Data pertaining coal mining (Wang et al 2020d). Based on the communica- to the hydraulic support posture and load are fused, and a tion environment and characteristics of underground mines, collaborative group hydraulic support method is established. effective “digital highways” can be constructed by integrat- The shearer’s self-adapting coal cutting control logic is ing 5G+F5G+WiFi6. developed based on the cutting parameters and stope envi- The use of 5G technology alongside the integration of ronment. At the same time, by considering the asynchronous new-generation information technologies such as big data, and variable time-delay characteristics of the sensor data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, edge computing, cloud multi-scale information interaction analysis can be used to computing, and the IoT characterizes a 5G+ intelligent predict the operation status of the mining equipment with coal mine. This combination of technologies empowers and respect to environmental changes in the fully mechanized reshapes coal mine development design, geological surveys, working face. In this way, distributed cooperative control can mining, transportation, washing, security, ecological protec- be employed to formulate an appropriate response. tion, operation, and management. As a result, the coal mine has the basic capabilities of self-perception, self-learning, self-decision-making, and self-execution, thus realizing 4 System architecture of 5G+ intelligent the intelligent operation of the intelligent system (Fan et al coal mines 2020). In summary, 5G+ intelligent coal mine technology has the following characteristics: Coal mine systems include a wide variety of subsystems (1) Deep interconnection. The 5G network has the abil- with numerous, complex connections. There is a lack of ity to integrate multiple types of existing or future wireless interconnection among the processes of coal mine produc- access transmission technologies and functional networks, tion and operation management, such as coal mine devel- and can be controlled through a unified core network to pro- opment, mining, transportation, washing, operation, and vide ultra-high data rates and ultra-low delays with consist- management. An important task of building an intelligent ent and seamless service in multiple scenarios. coal mine is to study the logical connections among each (2) Comprehensive and thorough perception. The envi- link system, construct the control logic, and finally realize ronment and equipment status can be perceived accurately, an intelligent system. Communication technology is vital enabling improved command and control of mining and for intercommunication within the coal mine system and production. between related subsystems, and the widespread applica- (3) Data-driven business. On the basis of deep intercon- tion of advanced technologies such as big data, artificial nection and thorough perception, data mining and knowl- intelligence, and virtual reality is necessary in an intelligent edge discovery are carried out through the use of data. mining system. By building a high-speed digital communi- cation network, the channels for the efficient exchange of 4.2 Top‑level architecture of intelligent coal mines information between different application scenarios in coal mining and management are opened up, allowing traditional The intelligent construction of coal mines needs to be industries to be empowered and reshaped towards a digital planned in a unified manner from the strategic perspectives transformation. of safety, intensity, efficiency, and sustainable development. Therefore, the overall reform and innovation of top-level 4.1 T echnical characteristics of 5G+ intelligent coal design aspects should be conducted, focusing on the intel- mines ligent coal mine safety management and control mode, infor- mation system architecture, intelligent decision-making, and The development of intelligent coal mines is inseparable situation analysis mode. The aim is to create a smart, con- from the efficient interconnection of data and information. venient, efficient, and secure coal mine ecosystem covering The characteristics of large bandwidth, low latency, and all aspects of production and associated services. comprehensive connection, as well as micro-base stations, The main purpose of the intelligent coal mine is to uti- slicing technology, and end-to-end 5G connections, provide lize an intelligent application system with an ubiquitous the core technological support for overcoming the bottleneck network and big data cloud platform for the core intelligent of data transmission and processing for intelligent mining. management and control functions. Through the coordina- The fifth-generation mobile communication system is tion of basic resources, including intelligent management characterized by an ultra-high data rate, ultra-low delay, and and control platforms, 5G converged networks, cloud data ultra-large-scale access. Compared with 4G technology, 5G centers, and GIS spatial information services, it is possible offers great improvements in traffic density, connection den- to realize the perception, analysis, decision-making, and sity, delay, and peak rate, enabling the core technical support control of the entire process of coal mine development, for enhancing data transmission and processing in intelligent production, and operation (Wang et al 2020e). Specifically, 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 11 of 17 24 Fig. 7 Top-level architecture of 5G+ intelligent coal mine the construction of intelligent coal mines enhances the coal mine management system, (2) safe and efficient coal perception, execution, and management systems, and cre- mine information network, (3) precise underground loca- ates a solid and reliable industrial operation system based tion service, (4) geological support and 4D-GIS dynamic on advanced, intelligent, and highly reliable production information system, (5) rapid roadway tunneling system, equipment. Additionally, intelligent coal mines rely on (6) mining face collaborative control system, (7) coal flow cutting-edge technology to achieve industrial empower- and auxiliary transportation and storage system, (8) coal ment and upgrading. Based on the control mode of “global mine environment perception and safety management/ optimization, regional classification, multi-point coordi- control system, (9) coal washing system, (10) fixed-place nation,” the construction process includes eleven major unattended management system, and (11) coal field area intelligent systems (as shown in Fig.  7): (1) integrated and ecological system. 1 3 24 Page 12 of 17 G. Wang et al. 4.3 Application system 5 Research progress on key technologies of coal mine intelligence Based on the main activities of coal mines, intelligent appli- cation systems are constructed using basic networks, data The ultimate goal of coal mine intelligence is to realize centers, and GIS spatial information services, including self-perception, self-learning, self-decision-making, and autonomous intelligent mining, human–machine collabo- automatic operation of major systems such as coal mine ration and rapid tunneling, unmanned auxiliary transporta- development design, geological surveys, mining, transpor- tion, safety closed-loop control, unmanned fixed places, lean tation, washing, safety assurance, and production manage- collaborative operation, and smart ecology (Fan et al 2016; ment. Through continuous scientific research and innovative Wang et al 2019; Pang et al 2019; Wu et al 2020). practices, breakthroughs have been made in related technical The autonomous intelligent mining system is based on the equipment. coordinated mechanism of the shearer, hydraulic support, and scraper conveyor to realize the two-way communication 5.1 Intelligent mining technology based of fully mechanized mining equipment, solve the problem of on dynamically revised geological model differentiated and refined control requirements of the com- plete set of working face equipment, and achieve the goal of For intelligent mining, knowledge of the geological con- intelligent mining. ditions is a prerequisite, for which the information system The human–machine collaborative rapid tunneling sys- is the foundation and intelligent control and reliability of tem improves the tunneling efficiency through equipment equipment are key factors. Only by accurately detecting and integration, digital monitoring, and control automation, and predicting the static and dynamic geological conditions in achieves remote centralized monitoring of tunneling work- the mining process, and building a dynamic 3D geological ing faces and high-efficiency intelligent tunneling with model of the working face, can reliable technical support fewer workers. Thus, efficient production is realized through be provided for intelligent mining (Mao et al. 2020, 2018). man–machine cooperation. To realize precise identification of the geological condi- The driverless auxiliary transportation system is based on tions of the working face, advanced technical methods such a 5G positioning and navigation system and Ultra-Wideband as high-density 3D seismic ground exploration and 3D seis- (UWB) digitalization of underground roadways, using pre- mic data interpretation are used to identify the geological cise positioning and navigation modules combined with GIS conditions of the coal mining area. This helps to prevent technology to achieve unmanned, precise positioning and unfavorable factors such as faults, collapse columns, and intelligent dispatch of underground vehicles. thinning coal seams being encountered in the design stage The safety closed-loop management and control system of the working face. Second, geological data are obtained uses IoT data collection, video pattern recognition, and through channel wave seismic surveys, bedding-oriented intelligent analysis to create a systematic and collaborative directional drilling, borehole geophysical exploration, or system of mine safety situation awareness and information gas drainage holes in the working face. These data describe sharing, effectively forming a 360° intelligent monitoring hidden geological structures (such as small folds, small platform. faults), changes in coal thickness, and other geological The fixed places unattended system monitors the health of anomalies (such as collapsed columns and magmatic rocks) equipment and facilities in the mine and forms a collabora- in the working face. In the process of mining the working tive intelligence and management platform for underground face, directional drilling and mining detection dynamically robot groups. Robots are used to replace manual operations modify the working face geological model. On the basis of and inspections, thus achieving unmanned fixed positions in an accurate 3D geological model, an absolute digital model underground mines. of the working face is constructed to implement autonomous The lean collaborative management system has an intel- intelligent coal cutting. This technology has been success- ligent resource supply configuration, which can realize intel- fully applied in Yujialiang coal mine and Huangling No. 1 ligent management and control of material procurement, coal mine. equipment deployment, warehousing distribution, collabo- rative coal blending, and intelligent marketing. The result is 5.2 Underground 5G network and positioning an improvement in the efficiency of enterprise production technology resources. The smart ecosystem is based on cloud computing, big Accurate location services in the underground space are data, IoT, and other technologies. A comprehensive digital essential for intelligent coal mines. The mine geology and ecosystem is constructed with full system connectivity and mining conditions are complex, the production systems are data integration. 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 13 of 17 24 huge, and the mining environment is changeable. Thus, it is The straightness of the scraper conveyor is controlled by necessary to apply IoT technology for real-time monitoring the inertial navigation of the shearer, which involves meas- to obtain more information. In this way, the interconnection uring the curvature of the scraper conveyor and then coop- of all underground personnel, equipment, and environment erating with the difference algorithm and self-displacement data can be realized, and a comprehensive perception net- feedback to complete the quantitative “push-shift” hydraulic work can be constructed. Initially, location information must support arrangement, thus correcting the deviation of the be obtained. scraper conveyor. To reduce the positioning error of the iner- Zhangjiamao Coal Mine has established a 5G network tial navigation system, a fully automatic measuring robot is transmission system for underground roadways and key introduced to dynamically correct the absolute coordinates safety monitoring sites. The underground 5G transmission of the inertial navigation, enabling the automatic relay trans- performance, attenuation characteristics, and actual power mission of the geodetic coordinates and accurate pose meas- consumption of 5G micro- and pico-base stations were tested urement of the fully mechanized mining face equipment. in a pioneering exploration for the underground application Heze Coal and Electricity Co. Ltd. integrated the above of 5G networks. Xinyuan coal mine further studied the use technologies in their Guoton coal mine, and realized a high of a 5G network for underground high-definition video trans- level of integration of intelligent mining technology in the mission and remote control issues, and proposed that the working face under the support of the latest communication, uplink and downlink time slot ratio used in underground coal control, information, big data, and industrial IoT. mines should be 3:1. The actual delay of 5G in underground remote control was found to be less than 50 ms, providing 5.4 New development of intelligent mining a valuable reference for scenario-based applications based equipment on 5G technology. At present, underground coal mine positioning systems Intelligent mining equipment and coal mine robots are the are mostly based on traditional wireless transmission tech- core support of intelligent coal mines. At the beginning of nologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and ultra-wideband. 2019, the National Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau The dynamic positioning accuracy is not high, and the released the “R&D Catalog for Key Products of Coal Mine related infrastructure must be deployed separately. Real- Robots”, which included intelligent mining equipment. time performance cannot be guaranteed. The development of millimeter-wave technology and low-delay characteristics 5.4.1 Intelligent heavy‑duty coal mining robot group based on 5G, as well as underground integrated positioning for 1.1‑m hard coal seams and application services based on 5G networks, will enable underground vehicle management, improved mining preci- Limitations in the installed power, machine height, and auto- sion, and solve the real-time control and management prob- mation technology make it difficult to mine hard and thin lems associated with mobile equipment. coal seams. The installed power of existing thin seam shear- ers is less than 730 kW, the supporting machine face height 5.3 Intelligent control technology for mining height is greater than 845 mm, and the mining height is greater than and straightness of working face 1.3 m. The small working face production capacity and the low degree of automation do not meet the safety and intelli- The basic requirements for safe production in longwall coal gent mining requirements of hard, thin coal seam of less than mining are a straight and flat working face. The straightness 1.1 m. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the support for generally refers to that of the hydraulic support, the cut coal thin coal seam mining equipment, improve the cutting and wall, and the scraper conveyor of the fully mechanized min- propulsion capabilities, enhance the perception and control ing face. The flatness refers to the flat top (bottom) plate of capabilities, and build a group of coal mining robots that the fully mechanized mining face. Control of the mining height is related to changes in the thickness of the coal seam in the direction and the inclining direction of the working face. On the basis of “memory cutting” by the shearer to adjust the height of the drum, several core technologies are adopted to realize adaptive coal cutting following changes in the coal seam. These technologies include a precise posi- tioning and measurement robot system, the construction and dynamic correction of the 3D geological model, construction of a transparent working face, and an intelligent visualiza- tion management and control platform. Fig. 8 Coal and rock boundary of 1.1-m thin coal seam working face 1 3 24 Page 14 of 17 G. Wang et al. Fig. 9 Complete sets of equipment for thin coal seams can cut independently and advance cooperatively, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Technology with a high performance–volume ratio Fig. 10 Coupling of super-large mining height hydraulic support and (PVR = 402) that allows for space-time cooperation and surrounding rock flexibility, with a large drop between the laneway and the face end of the coal mining face, has been proposed. This technology can support safe and efficient mining of 1.1-m 5.4.2 Complete set of intelligent fully mechanized mining hard thin coal seams. equipment for 6–10 m super‑large mining heights A robot cluster for 1.1-m hard thin coal seams has been developed, including a semi-suspended body, full- Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia are large coal bases suspended cutting low body shearer, coal shearer with with mainly high-quality hard coal, and account for 70% an installed power of 1050 kW, and a high-rigidity anti- of the total coal output of China. Fully mechanized min- dynamic load hydraulic support with a working resistance ing with super-large mining heights faces problems such as of 9000 kN. Additionally, 34/86 × 126 ultra-flat chain trans- rib spalling, roof collapse, roof impact, super-high-power portation equipment with a large capacity, low body, and equipment structures, control reliability, and stable opera- overlapping side unloading has been adopted for the first tion. To solve these problems, intelligent fully mechanized time. mining equipment for super-large mining heights has been An intelligent control device for thin coal seams has developed in Hongliulin, Jinjitan, Shangwan, and other coal been developed. An intelligent monitoring system with mines. wired and wireless dual-network communication and The theory and technology of fully mechanized mining multi-data fusion has been adopted, including automatic with super-large mining heights have been proposed, as straightening by high accuracy inertial navigation, coal shown in Fig. 10. This is the first time that a full-thickness, flow balancing, an automatic towing trolley, and a high- fully mechanized coal mining method has been developed definition intrinsically safe camera. Together, these items for multiple-stress-field coupling and intelligent control of form the “perception, control, and execution” system of the surrounding rock in coal seams of more than 6-m thick. the coal mining robot cluster, enabling remote fault diag- The coupling principle of the support and the surrounding nosis, whole lifecycle management, the application of a rock strength, stiffness, and stability, and the collaborative new underground intelligent control system and centralized technology of support, mining, and transportation are pro- control center for thin coal seams, and unmanned operation posed. This solves the problems of super-high mining tech- along the thin coal seam face. nology and surrounding rock control. The mining efficiency The intelligent heavy-duty coal mining robot group devel- can be increased by up to 70%, and the resource recovery oped for hard thin coal seams has been applied in the Huisen rate has increased by more than 25%. Liangshuijing coal mine in Yulin. The equipment and sys- The super-high mining height hydraulic support, self- tem are stable and reliable, reaching an annual output of 1 adaptive support of the surrounding rock, and cooperative million t/a. Collectively, this promotes the collaboration of control technology have been proposed. The 3D dynamic the mining equipment cluster and plays an important role in optimization design of the hydraulic support, capacity- demonstrating the advancement of China’s thin coal seam increasing buffer anti-impact column, three-stage coopera- mining technology. tive support device, automatic compensation of the initial 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 15 of 17 24 using high-strength materials, distributed liquid supplies, and super-high-power shearer and scraper conveyors, and will lead to the development of fully mechanized mining technology and equipment. 5.4.3 Coal mine tunneling robot system In recent years, intelligent rapid tunneling has received increasing attention. A variety of supporting models have been explored for different geological conditions in China, and rapid tunneling equipment has been developed. The Fig. 11 Complete set of fully mechanized mining equipment for level of footage and the degree of automation have been super-large mining heights significantly improved. A gantry shield-type intelligent tun- neling robot system, developed by Xi’an University of Sci- support force and rapid moving frame system, and adaptive ence and Technology and Xi’an Coal Mining Machinery cooperative control technology for the hydraulic support Co., Ltd. (Fig. 12), includes tunneling robots, anchor drilling group were developed, which solved the problems of the robots, temporary support robots, drill supplement robots, original rigid support structure not adapting to the dynamic anchor net transportation robots, a ventilation system, a sec- load impact conditions and the difficulty of realizing real- ond transport system, and a self-moving tail. The anchor time cooperative control. As a result, fully mechanized min- drill robot, temporary support robot, and drill supplement ing support has been established with a new super-large min- robot are all frame structures, arranged one after the other to ing height concept and technical realization path. provide a safe working space for the tunneling robot. They The key technologies and mechanized equipment for complete the tasks of anchor mesh support and drilling and super-high mining height high-power autonomous cutting anchoring. The tunneling robot and the second transport and continuous transportation of over-heavy loads have been system are arranged in sequence, located inside the frame proposed. A low-carbon micro-alloyed cast steel material structure formed by the anchor drilling robot, temporary was developed for the cutting part of the shearer, and its support robot, and drill supplement robot, and realize coal manufacturing process and automatic cutting control system mining and transportation alongside the parallel operation were established. Additionally, a scraper conveyor with a of tunneling and support. pre-crushing function for large pieces of coal, a variable-fre- The tunneling robot system integrates the functions of quency drive speed control method, and a super-large chain digging, supporting, anchoring, transportation, ventilation, drive system were developed. This equipment constitutes a and dust removal. It has functions for positioning and navi- complete system for super-large mining heights, as shown gation, automatic cutting, remote control, intelligent network in Fig. 11. deployment, multi-robot cooperative control and parallel The complete set of equipment has been used in 39 super- operation, and remote intelligent monitoring. The result is large coal mines, including Hongliulin and Jinjitan. The out- virtual intelligent measurement and control, with one-key put of the working face has been increased from less than start and stop of the whole system on and under the ground 30,000 tons per day to more than 60,000 tons per day. At (Fig. 13). The application was implemented in the working present, ultra-large mining height technology and equipment for working heights above 10 m are being developed and implemented in the Caojiatan coal mine of Yubei, Shaanxi Coal. This continues the development of core technologies Fig. 12 Shield-type intelligent tunneling robot system Fig. 13 Underground monitoring center 1 3 24 Page 16 of 17 G. Wang et al. face of a smooth channel in the No. 1 Coal Mine of Xia- 6.2 Development goals for the next 5 years obaodang Company. At present, the single-row operation time is controlled at 20 min, the footage per day exceeds The intelligent construction of coal mines adheres to the 45 m, the per capita work efficiency has been improved to principles of classified construction and the implementa - 3 m per worker, and the monthly footage has reached 816 m. tion of policies according to the differences among mines; the promotion of comprehensive and graded compliance, safety and efficiency, and the quality-first principle are also 6 Future prospects important. The key development goals for the next 5 years are the The development of intelligent coal mines is a continuous comprehensive upgrade and transformation of Category I process, and enhancing the degree of intelligence is an itera- (good mining technical conditions) and II (medium min- tive task. At present, China’s coal mine intelligence is still ing technical conditions) coal mines, focusing on improving in the cultivation and development stage, and there are still the intelligence level of the coal mining face, reducing the some problems such as inconsistent understanding, unbal- number of people and improving the efficiency of the tun- anced development, a lack of relevant technical standards neling face, ensuring full coverage of intelligent security and specifications related to coal mine intelligence, and control, realizing unattended operations in all fixed posi- weak basic theories. Several key technical bottlenecks need tions, and forming an intelligent integrated management and to be overcome, and the research and development of tech- control system based on a comprehensive management and nology and equipment lags behind the development needs of control platform. For Category III (poor mining technical enterprises. Additionally, there is an imperfect research and conditions) coal mines, the focus should be on the basic development platform and the lack of resources in high-end information systems, mechanized and intelligent mining sys- coal mines restricts the development of intelligent systems. tems, monitoring and early warning of major safety hazards, The next 5 years is an important development period for the and improving safety monitoring systems to reduce risks to intelligence of coal mines. It is necessary to recognize the personnel, increase safety, and improve efficiency. For new objective laws of the development of intelligent coal mines coal mines, the design of an intelligent top-level architecture and the existing problems at this stage. According to the should be completed to enable advanced development and occurrence conditions and development status of different production technology, intelligent equipment, and intelligent coal seams, it is necessary to formulate and improve the basic systems, production systems, integrated management intelligent coal mine development plan according to the vari- and control platforms, comprehensive management. The ous regions of China and the existing technical basis of the overall objective should be an intelligent coal mine with a coal mines. It is important to plan the development modes coordinated and efficient operation and maintenance system. of intelligent coal mines at different levels and to clarify the The construction goals of intelligent open-pit coal mines technical systems, implementation paths, construction tasks, are as follows. Production should focus on improving the and construction goals of different development modes. In construction of mine networks, data centers, and perception addition, the resource allocation of coal mine enterprises systems, including the construction of remote control sys- should be optimized and an innovative ecological environ- tems, unmanned driving systems, and remote operation and ment should be created for the intelligent construction of maintenance systems. The goal is to realize the digitization coal mines. Finally, there is an urgent need to actively pro- of the mining environment, with intelligent mining equip- mote the transformation and upgrading of the traditional ment, remote control of the production process, an informa- coal industry to the status of a truly intelligent system. tion transmission network, and informatization of operation and management. New mines should build an information 6.1 Vision for intelligent development of coal mines infrastructure from a high starting point, enabling open-pit mine information transmission, processing, and storage plat- The vision for the intelligent development of the coal indus- forms as well as centralized management and control sys- try involves realizing the real-time perception of all-time and tems. Remote intelligent control of the mining process and multi-source information in coal mines alongside closed- unattended operations at fixed positions should be ensured, loop risk control and intrinsic safety. The efficient and col- alongside an open-pit mine intelligent integrated manage- laborative operation of human–machine–environment–man- ment and control platform and intelligent mining based on agement digital interconnection in the whole process is vital, big data analysis and cloud computing. as is the full automation of the production site. This will Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Nat- result in greater job satisfaction for coal mine employees ural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 51834006  and and more value creation for coal enterprises. 51874174). 1 3 Research and practice of intelligent coal mine technology systems in China Page 17 of 17 24 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri- Ren HW, Wang GF, Zhao GR et al (2019) Smart coal mine logic model bution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adapta- and decision control method of mining system. 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Journal

International Journal of Coal Science & Technology – Springer Journals

Published: Dec 1, 2022

Keywords: Intelligent coal mine; Digital logic model; 5G+ intelligent coal mine; Top-level architecture; Application system

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