Optimizing Cutting Width and Capacity of Shearer Loaders in Longwall Mining of Gently Dipping Coal Seams

The problem connected with the optimization of cutting width of a shearer loader based on the maximum capacity criterion with regard to physical properties and fractional composition of coal is formulated and solved. Aimed at calculating shearer loader feed and capacity as function of cutting width, it is proposed to use shearing stress and contortion of seams instead of cuttability of rocks. It is found that in order to improve coal sizing and reduce methane release in longwall face, as well as for the uniform distribution of loads on picks, the picks should be arranged on the drum at unequal spacing in accord with the exponential law.