Analysis of miners’ biomechanical characteristics during underground coal mining

Purpose. Analysis and establishing regularities of changes in miner's biomechanical characteristics during underground coal mining in order to reduce the number of accidents and injuries in coal mines. Methods. The complex research suggested using methods of mathematical analysis, mathematical statistics, probability theory, reliability theory, control theory, methods of biomechanics. Findings. The influence of miner's biomechanical characteristics on productivity of the system “driver ? cutter of the new technological level” is modeled and analyzed. We established regularities of safe operation of the system “driver ? cutter of the new technological level” in conditions of the highly loaded face considering the influence of miner's biomechanical parameters and determined limits of the face load for these parameters. Originality. For the first time the dependence of the total energy consumption on the value of cutter performance is established, which indicates that its movement along the face at a constant speed is more economical than moving at a variable speed, with the same average speed in both cases. The authors pioneered in assessing the degree of comfort of miners' working conditions through the indicator of driver energy consumption per ton of excavated rock. It was also proposed to introduce the index of driver's movement efficiency that is inversely proportional to the energy consumption per ton of rock mass and grows parabolically depending on the increase in the cutter speed and linearly in respect to increasing web width. Practical implications. The results are the basis for developing the method for calculating miner's biomechanical parameters in highly loaded face.