Purpose of the System
The system is intended for use as a complete product for a specific automation object — the Main Ventilation Fan (MVF).
- Stabilization of specified technological process modes by controlling parameters, providing visual representation, and applying control actions to actuators in automatic mode and under operator supervision.
- Detection of emergency situations at technological units by polling sensors, analyzing measured values, and switching units to a safe state automatically or at the operator's initiative.
The key quality criterion for the ACS is the stability of the specified characteristics of the technological process, taking into account emergency protection for all equipment.
System Operating Modes
The ACS ensures the operation of the MVF without the constant presence of maintenance personnel, with registration and archiving of monitored parameters.
MVF Operating Modes:
- Direct: Air is extracted from the mine.
- Reverse: Air is supplied into the mine.
Fan startup is only possible after all devices ensuring normal startup and operation of the unit in the selected mode are brought to a working condition.
In case of malfunctions that do not require emergency shutdown of the fan (e.g., maximum fan performance or depression, automatic activation of low-voltage backup, etc.), light and sound warning signals are provided without stopping the unit.
Control of the installation is delegated to the mine dispatcher for switching the MVF to reverse mode when the Mine Emergency Response Plan (MERP) is activated. In other modes, MVF control is performed from the operator’s station.
The mnemonic diagram at the operator’s station, the mine dispatcher’s office, and the technological server is identical to the MVF mnemonic diagram and is implemented in a separate window. Information about MVF operation is transmitted via the mine’s general information network to the mine’s central technological server.
ACS MVF Operating Modes
- Local Unlocked (Maintenance):
- Automated Remote from the MVF Operator Room:
- Automated Remote from the Central Mine Dispatcher Room:
In local mode, unit control is performed using local controls. This mode is intended for repair, adjustment, and equipment maintenance work.
In automated remote mode from the MVF operator room, the operator controls the MVF from the operator’s workstation (AWS), with control actions from the central dispatcher room prohibited.
In automated remote mode from the central dispatcher room, control is performed from the mine dispatcher’s AWS, with control actions from the MVF operator room prohibited.
Switching between control modes is performed without stopping the fan unit.
Control of all ventilation system components is carried out in automatic or manual mode from the central dispatcher room, operator room, or locally at the control system installation site.
Control from the operator room is performed from the operator’s workstation (computer) or, in case of computer failure, from a graphical touch panel on the automation cabinet.
Fan control is carried out from the fan operator’s workstation (computer) and/or from the central mine dispatcher room via the dispatcher’s computer, both equipped with a human-machine interface system.
This system allows monitoring of all parameters and provides full control of the ventilation mechanisms from the operator room, while the dispatcher continuously monitors the operation of all ventilation systems, the operator’s actions, and, if necessary, intervenes in the automation system’s operation.