Analysis of the Current Status of Key Technologies in Belt Conveyors

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Due to its advantages such as large transport capacity, long distance coverage, high efficiency, the ability to operate continuously, safety in operation, and low noise level, the belt conveyor has become one of the main transportation devices for transporting raw coal in underground coal mines in China. The application of belt conveyors in coal mines in China has evolved from general use to specialized use, from small-scale to large-scale systems, and from individual units to complete sets. Since the 21st century, with the improvement of industrial manufacturing capabilities and the development of electronic information technology, the technological advancement of belt conveyors has seen trends such as higher capacity, faster belt speeds, greater power output, longer transportation distances, and a wider range of models. Their applications extend to the transportation of bulk materials in small, medium, and large-scale underground mines as well as open-pit mines. Currently, the world is experiencing a new wave of technological innovation driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, intelligent manufacturing, and simulation techniques. Through the application of information network technologies, product function design, manufacturing, operation, and management are evolving toward more informational and intelligent approaches, which has promoted the intelligent development of belt conveyors in coal mines. In February 2020, the **Guiding Opinions of Eight Ministries and Commissions on Accelerating the Intelligent Development of Coal Mines** outlined the development goals, key tasks, as well as safeguard measures. By 2035, all types of coal mines should be largely automated, with intelligent systems for coal mining that integrate multiple industrial chains and systems, thereby creating an intelligent framework for sensing, decision-making, and automatic execution in coal mining operations. To meet the production requirements of \"smart mines\" and in line with the new trends and demands for safe, efficient, green, low-carbon, and intelligent mining in coal mines, technological innovation in the field of coal mine belt conveyors focuses on key technologies such as high-reliability design, efficient soft-starting and power balance techniques, dynamic analysis methods, intelligent sensing technologies, unmanned inspection systems, and intelligent operation and maintenance management. These efforts aim to overcome the technical challenges that arise during the design, manufacturing, and operation of such equipment, to strengthen research in fundamental and core technologies, and to promote energy-efficient and intelligent development of the main transportation systems in both underground and surface coal mines. 1) In terms of efficient soft-starting and power balance techniques, permanent magnet variable-frequency synchronous direct-drive systems have been widely used in coal mine belt conveyors in recent years. 2) Certain progress has been made in the study of the dynamic behavior of conveyor belts in China. Research institutions such as Northeastern University and Shanghai Coal Science Research Institute have developed software for the dynamic analysis of belt conveyors, which has achieved good results in application on some long-distance, high-capacity belt conveyors. 3) The stability and reliability of the belt conveyor transportation system depend not only on the stability and reliability of each individual belt conveyor, but also on whether the design of the transfer points is reasonable. 4) With the advancement of video analysis technology and artificial intelligence, the intelligent sensing technology for belt conveyors has also developed rapidly. Through video image analysis technology, Ningxia Guangtiandiya Electronics Company and Shanghai Coal Research Institute have developed devices for real-time coal volume detection and foreign object identification on belt conveyors. These devices can serve as a basis for intelligent speed control of belt conveyors, and by identifying foreign objects on the conveyor belts in a timely manner, they help to prevent losses of life and property. 5) Intelligent control technology for belt conveyors can enable their energy-efficient, efficient, and reliable operation. Through start-stop adaptive control, adaptive speed regulation based on coal volume, multi-stage coordinated control, and coal flow balancing techniques, the transportation efficiency of belt conveyors is improved. The output of each drive motor is balanced, thereby achieving energy savings and emission reduction, lowering losses, and extending the service life of the equipment. This also reduces the need for frequent speed adjustments, as well as problems such as coal spillage and overloading, while meeting the requirements of modern coal mining industries. 6) The unmanned inspection technology utilizes inspection robots to effectively detect various incidents along the belt conveyor, such as damaged idlers, broken belts, longitudinal tears, misalignment, slipping, coal accumulation, and fires. 7) The intelligent operation and maintenance management platform designed to support the intelligent operation of belt conveyors is a weakness of the existing products on the market. Traditional automated control systems collect operational and fault information from devices and provide control and monitoring functions; they lack device management capabilities, and data sharing, deep integration, and utilization are not achieved.