In today’s society, with continuous and rapid economic growth, the energy demand is increasing. As an essential cornerstone to support national development, its mining efficiency and safety have become the focus of industry attention. In coal mining, the performance of the coal mining shearer picks, as a critical component directly acting on coal rock, directly affects the mining efficiency, cost, and service life of the equipment. Although the traditional cutting pick design can meet basic production needs, it gradually reveals its performance limitations in the face of complex and changing mining environments and increasing mining requirements. Therefore, optimizing the design of the structure of the coal mining shearer picks has become an essential way to improve coal mining efficiency and reduce mining costs. This article will explore the importance of optimizing the structure of the coal mining shearer picks, bringing new development opportunities to the coal mining industry.
Challenges of traditional cutting pick structure
Although the traditional structure of the coal mining shearer picks can effectively complete the cutting task of coal rock, it still faces many challenges in practical applications. First, the geological conditions, such as the hardness, joints, and cracks of coal rock, are complex and changeable, which puts higher requirements on the wear resistance and impact resistance of the cutting pick. Secondly, environmental factors such as dust and moisture on the working face of the coal mine will also aggravate the wear and corrosion of the cutting pick. In addition, the traditional cutting pick structure generates high friction resistance and lateral force during the cutting process, which not only increases the wear of the cutting pick but also affects the overall performance of the coal mining machine.
Introduction of bionics
Faced with the challenges of traditional cutting-pick structures, researchers have turned their attention to organisms in nature. They found that many organisms have developed unique structures to adapt to complex environments during long-term evolution. For example, the black thick-tailed scorpion has been active in the soil for a long time, and its back has a convex structure. This non-smooth structure can effectively reduce drag and viscosity and improve wear resistance. Therefore, they applied these biological characteristics to the structural design of coal mining shearer picks and created a new bionic convex pick structure.
Optimization design of convex cutting pick structure
Based on the concept of bionics, researchers have optimized the structure of coal mining shearer picks. They referred to the convex structure of the thick-tailed scorpion’s back and designed convex hulls of the same size and uniform distribution on the surface of the cutting pick. These convex hulls can not only effectively reduce the friction resistance between the cutting pick and the coal rock but also generate a definite spin torque during the cutting process, improving the wear resistance and stability of the cutting pick. At the same time, considering the convenience of processing and installation, researchers designed the convex hull into a spherical structure and determined the appropriate size and distribution density.
Advantages of convex enveloping cutting pick structure
- Reduce working resistance: when the bionic convex enveloping cutting pick structure is cutting coal and rock, due to the existence of the convex hull, the direct contact area with the coal and rock is reduced, thereby reducing frictional resistance. Experimental data shows that the forces in three directions (traction resistance, lateral force, and cutting resistance) of convex enveloping cutting picks are significantly lower than that of the traditional cutting pick. In particular, the lateral force has the highest reduction, effectively avoiding the problem of the cutting pick breaking due to excessive lateral force.
- Improved wear resistance: the design of the convex hull structure enhances the wear resistance of the cutting pick surface and extends the service life of the cutting pick. It means that under the same working conditions, companies can significantly reduce the frequency of cutting pick replacements and reduce maintenance costs.
- Increase the spin torque: during the rotation process, the convex enveloping cutting pick can generate a larger spin torque due to the pushing effect of the convex hull. It helps squeeze out the dust particles between the cutting pick and the tooth sleeve, restores the spin ability of the pick, and ensures that the pick works efficiently.
- Improve mining efficiency: due to the reduced working resistance and energy consumption, as well as improved wear resistance, convex hull picks can significantly enhance coal mining efficiency. It can boost the company’s output and improve overall economic benefits.
Conclusion
The continuous optimization and innovation of convex enveloping cutting pick structures is a manifestation of scientific and technological progress and the only way for efficient, safe, and sustainable development. By introducing the concept of bionics design, researchers successfully created a convex enveloping cutting pick structure and achieved remarkable results in practice. This innovation improves the efficiency and quality of coal mining and brings considerable economic benefits to the company. In the future, we look forward to the emergence of more innovative optimized design solutions in the field of coal mining machinery, continuously pushing the coal mining industry to new heights and jointly opening a new chapter of efficient mining.
