Longwall Top Coal Caving Method

Anil Kilaniaanil.kilania.min10@iitbhu.ac.in

Contents

• What is an LTCC method?• Problems with thick seam mining.• Mechanism .• Advantages.• Case study.• Conclusion.

LTCC

• Longwall Top coal Caving (LTCC) is a method of extraction for underground mining of thick seams.• It uses a longwall set-up and natural

forces to aid in the winning of coal.

Problems Associated With Thick Seam Extraction

• Underground Coal loss.• Heavy cost of supporting working places in

productive faces.• Spontaneous combustion.• Difficult strata control.

Geotechnical issues for LTCC

• Coal seam cavability / fragmentation• Effect of massive strata units • Effect of high horizontal stress ratios.

LTCC Face Assembly

Stress distribution

LTCC with slicing

LTCC with vibrator

The vibrator destroys the arch structure formed during the top coal caving process, which results in the smooth top coal caving process, and in this way the top coal recovery ratio is increased.

LTCC with vibrator

Support Yield beam Vibration device

Advantages of LTCC

• High resource recovery . • Operating cost reduction.• High productivity. • Mine financial performance.• Safety.

Conclusion

• If the site conditions are feasible for LTCC….. …..You will always have more production.