Stand Tests of Energy Consumption While Rock Mining with the Use of Experimental Cutterhead Tilt Angle

Analysis of the rock mining process using an experimental cutterhead employing milling and chipping processes is the subject of this article. Based on a bibliographic review of the energy consumption of rock mining and wear and tear of various mining tools, a stand test programme for the rock mining process using the experimental cutterhead was developed. Based on the following measured parameters—hydraulic motor supply pressure and displacement, hydraulic motor shaft speed, cutterhead web depth, cutterhead tilt angle relative to the mining direction, feed pressure in the advance cylinder, duration of each mining stages, cutterhead travel distance, angle of the cutterhead chipping part, and known physical and strength parameters of the mined rock—the following parameters were determined: cutterhead advance speed, cutterhead advancing force, cutterhead driving motor power, advancing cylinder power, and the parameters of energy consumption in the mining process, including specific energy of mining, specific energy of feed, and specific energy of cutting. The effects of cutterhead advance speed and tilt angle on the specific mining energy and the grain size distribution of the mined rock were determined. Analysis of test results enabled the development of the procedure for selecting the most favourable parameters of rock mining technology when using an experimental cutterhead.