Forty years’ development and future prospect on mechanized short-wall mining technology with continuous miner in China

The mechanized short-wall mining technology with continuous miner plays an important role in improving the recovery rate of coal and promoting the high-quality development of coal industry.Since China’s reform and opening up to the outside world,the mechanized short wall mining technology has achieved a historical achievement from “nothing to existence” to “from weak to strong”.Relying on the relevant technology and equipment technological innovation of continuous miner,the resources recovery rate is supported.First of all,from the coal pillar and irregular block mining,the coal mining under buildings,railways and water-bodies,exposed side coal recovery,small and medium sized coal mining mechanization upgrading and extension of mine service life,etc.,the demand of short wall mining in China’s coal industry is comprehensively and systematically explained,and the development progress on short wall mining technology,theory and equipment is reviewed.In terms of technology,the short wall mining has developed from room and pillar mining to Wongawilli mining,and then to modern room and pillar mining method represented by block mining.Eventually,the mechanized short wall mining technology system with Chinese characteristics is formed.The characteristics of the three technologies from the aspects of mining mode,ventilation mode and roof management are summarized respectively,and it is concluded that the block mining is the advanced stage of short wall mining.In the aspect of theory,the research progress of short wall mining theory is summarized from coal pillar stability,surface subsidence control and roof control.In terms of equipment,the complete sets of short wall mining equipment are developed,such as continuous miner,bolter,shuttle car,continuous conveyor system,feeding crusher,mobile roof support with crawler frame,forklift,flexible continuous conveyor system,etc.,which promotes the nationalization process and technical progress of short wall equipment in coal mine as well as forms an short wall mining equipment system with some independent intellectual property rights that adapt different geological and mining conditions of various coal seams in China,Finally,the paper analyzes the problems in the development of short wall mining technology,and puts forward the development direction and suggestions of short wall mining technology around the theme of intelligent construction of coal mine.