ABSTRACT
In present paper authors analyze the coal cutting force under the effect of the main geomechanical parameters: unit weight, compressive strength, cohesion and angle of internal friction. Analysis was conducted for the case study of Kovin coal mine, near Belgrade (Serbia), where underwater exploitation of lignite takes place. Performed research consisted of two parts: experimental and numerical. Experimental part included extensive laboratory geomechanical analysis of 48 samples taken from the field in order to determine values of the main geomechanical factors and areal cutting force by method of Orenstein and Koppel. Numerical part involved thorough statistical analysis of the obtained laboratory results, including ANOVA test and multiple polynomial analysis. Results obtained indicate strong effect of shear strength on coal cutting force, while unit weight and compressive strength are rated as statistically insignificant. A separate model for estimation of areal cutting forces is developed, as a nonlinear function of the examined geomechanical factors, which represents the novelty in coal geomechanics.
