Energy consumption optimization of scraper conveyors adopting rolling friction: A technological revolution in China’s coal mining equipment

As the core equipment of fully mechanized mining, the scraper conveyor performs the important task of coal transportation. However, the scraper conveyor often consumes excessive energy during its operation due to local friction, resulting in energy waste. To address this problem, an energy consumption model was constructed herein based on the operating characteristics of the scraper conveyor. Using the model, it was found that the operating energy consumption could be significantly reduced by lowering friction, providing a theoretical basis for the energy consumption optimization of scraper conveyors. To reduce friction, a new type of scraper conveyor using rolling design was developed, and corresponding friction resistance tests were conducted. Furthermore, to verify the effect of the new design on energy consumption, an in-depth analysis was performed on the scraper conveyor operating at the Shanneng Shuangxin Coal Mine. The results showed that: (1) By changing the contact mode between the scraper and the middle trough from sliding to rolling, the friction between them was significantly reduced by approximately 90%. (2) By replacing the frictional interaction between the scraper and the middle trough with rolling friction, the scraper conveyor energy consumption was effectively reduced. (3) Operational evaluation revealed a 9.6% reduction in the total average daily current consumed by the scraper conveyor. In this study, the parameters and local structure of the scraper conveyor were optimized. By replacing the sliding operation with the rolling operation, the goals of reducing the failure rate of the scrapers and extending their service life were achieved. This not only directly improves the economic efficiency, profitability and market competitiveness of coal mines, but also provides important guidance for the optimization and improvement of scraper conveyors. These advancements may bring a technological revolution to China's coal mining equipment.