This is certainly one of the greatest investments recently in the Polish coal mining. It required great precision of operation and was quite technically complex. The aim of the investment was to increase the storage capacity of excavated material, which until now was stored in the existing reservoir, which is located next to the new one.
- Now the inspections of the technical condition and possible repairs of the first tank can be carried out easily. Moreover, none of the skip stop or failure in the processing plant does not halt the coal production - says Krzysztof Zabój, director of the Pniówek coal mine.
The reservoir with the feeding cone and under-tank chamber was put into operation at the turn of March and April. The device for the revision of the tank has also been prepared to work. It moves behind the tractor on a track forming a circle. It can be dropped down to a depth of 25 m, up to the feeding cone. Four swinging outlet valves placed on the barred dock are used for the revision. The final of the investment was construction of additional tape conveyors with the dump device of excavated material from the tank with automatic control. The excavated material will be directed into the pocket of the skip shaft and further transported to the surface.
The new belt conveyor has also been installed above the tanks. It will pour the excavated material into the new tank (No. II). Noteworthy is the innovative solution for the way of driving of the discharge station of the tape conveyor above the No. I tank, thanks to which the output can be directed to one or the other tank. While the output is directed to an existing reservoir (No. I) the belt conveyor built above the No. II tank is off. If you need a referral of excavated material to the tank No. II the belt conveyor built above the tank is actuated and then automatically the discharge station moves from the tank No. I to the tank No. II.
This output control method allows you to divert stream of excavated material into the tank No. II without turning off other conveyors of the main haulage. Launching a new conveyor and the second tank in the underground part of the mine will improve and increase the use of longwall and face machinery and equipment through better use of its operating time.
Buildings passable discharge station and directing the output and launching of the new conveyor above the reservoir No. II decisively improve the ability to perform repairs and maintenance of lifting equipment as well as machinery and equipment in facilities of the processing plant.