Shaft Wall Damage to High-Depth Inclined Ore Passes under Impact Wear Behavior

In order to study shaft wall damage resulting from ore drawing in ore passes, a theoretical model for predicting the shaft wall damage to high-depth inclined ore passes is constructed based on field surveys of 25 ore passes in a deep mine in Yunnan, China. The mathematical expression of the total shaft wall damage volume is derived using the contact mechanics theory. Considering the structural characteristics of ore passes, and taking No. 1, 2, 3, and 9 ore passes as examples, combined with numerical simulation and an engineering case, the rationality of the proposed theoretical model is verified with respect to the initial collision position and the damage conditions of the shaft wall. The influence of, and sensitivity to, the ore block size P and the structural parameters of high-depth inclined ore passes on the total shaft wall damage volume Qtol are quantitatively analyzed. The results show that the calculation results of the theoretical model and numerical simulation are in good agreement with the actual engineering situations. Moreover, the ore-pass dip angle theta and the inclined angle of the chute alpha have a significant impact on the damage to the shaft wall, while the effects of the ore-pass depth H and the shaft diameter D are comparatively minor. With an increase in theta or alpha, Qtol generally first increases and then decreases. Qtol increases exponentially with P and increases steadily with D. H affects Qtol by influencing the collision frequency between the ore and the shaft wall. Therefore, in the mining design of deep mines, theta and alpha should be minimized as much as possible or adjusted to approach 90 degrees, thereby reducing damage to the shaft wall. Secondly, ore block size should be strictly controlled to prevent collapses in the shaft wall caused by large ore blocks. This work provides technical support for the long-term safe operation of high-depth inclined ore passes.