Fiber-Optic System for Monitoring Pressure Changes on Mine Support Elements

The paper presents the developed fiber-optic sensors for monitoring pressure measurement on the elements of mine supports. The sudden destruction of the support leads to the collapse of the mine workings and poses a serious threat to the life and safety of underground workers. A fiber-optic system for monitoring changes in pressures on the elements of mine supports will increase the share of mining automation and reduce the share of manual labor, as well as eliminate measurement errors associated with the human factor. Systematic monitoring of the state of the working elements of the support will allow timely tracking of their deformations caused by an increase in rock pressure on them. Implementation of the system at mining enterprises will expand the use of digital technologies in mining. Timely warning of a mine collapse threat will significantly increase the level of safe mining operations, as well as reduce the cost of supporting mine workings, since elimination of the consequences of destruction is associated with significant material costs. This work presents a developed laboratory testbench that simulates a mine working and elements of an arch support on which are installed the fiber-optic sensors connected to an automated measuring system. The developed hardware and software complex provides the processing of a light spot falling on the surface of a television matrix that is installed at the exit from the optical fiber. The results of visual processing are converted into numerical values, which are used to make a decision about the state of the considered object. In addition to automatic monitoring of the structural integrity condition of the considered object, the system is equipped with a function of a visual display for monitoring results, which makes it possible to track sharp fluctuations and bursts of pressure parameters, based on which the prediction of pre-emergency and emergency situations is performed.