Mining Machinery

Prof. Khanindra Pathak

Department of Mining Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Module - 02
Lecture - 03
Prime Movers

Welcome back to our discussions on Mining Machinery. Today we are going to discuss one
of the important aspects of machines is Prime Mover.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:37)

Now, you know that all these machinery mining machinery, they are basically; they have got a
working member. As you can see in any machine, the working members are having some
motions; that is it may be having a rotary motion or it may be having some translatory
motion.

Now, to give that working member maybe a bucket, may be a cutting tool, maybe a hammer
whatever it is that member will have to be powered and that energy it is coming from the
prime mover. So, this prime mover it is defined as a machine or a component that converts
energy from energy source into motive power. That is if this motion it can be, in some cases if
it is in automobile or in cars and all; we are having the prime mover to drive this wheels, so
that the our car can advance.

So, that basically the prime mover imparts power or motion to another device. So, for
example, in a turbine that turns a generator or an engine or motor that powers a drive train.
So, this is what exactly a prime mover. So, this explains that your in machinery or while
working in the mines your that, if the prime mover is not properly selected, either you will be
having a high of that energy bill or you will be finding difficulty in providing the necessary
energy for the working components.

So, a tractor unit or any articulated dump truck or trailer, they have got a heavy duty towing
engines that provides motive power for hauling a towed or trailered road. So, sometimes even
in that on the road, you may see there are very multi axial trucks. So, those are they are
hauling a huge loads on it; but there the basic thing, the prime mover is the first front portions
where there is the whole energy for moving it, it is provided.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:52).

So, today’s lesson our main objective is to define prime mover, which we have just already
told. Then you should be able to classify different types of prime movers and then some of the
things you may basic knowledge you are having. You might have seen diesel engine and
petrol engine.

But do you know exactly what is there or if you after this class you will be able to answer, if
someone ask you that what will happen if in my car, in if it is a petrol car, if I put in diesel
here what will happen or in my diesel driven car if I put some petrol what will happen, this
type of simple questions that we will be trying to discuss today.

And then after knowing these things, you will be able to do your own self studies; you will be
able to investigate from the internet or other literary, literature of engineering, technical
literature from there you will investigate,, what are the different type of troubles that a prime
mover can give for the running of the machines.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:03)

So, let us let us see here. So, what should be there at; to become a prime mover, it must have
a source of energy, from where it is coming exactly there also a certain conversion taking
place and some devices is there and from there the prime mover is going to the working
member. So, how we can say define; it is a device which is uses the energy from the natural
sources and convert it into a mechanical energy.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:35)

So, here we are considering it is a just energy conversion. But thing is that ,what could be
those sources of energy? You know that all whatever we are doing by our engineering, it is
basically we are using the energy which are naturally available; from there by our ingenuity,
we have engineered it to do our work.

As you see that basically all sources of energy are natural; if you say it is a fuel, it is a river
water, it can be atom in nuclear or in a wind energy your wind, air, atmosphere or the solar.
The thing is anthropogenic or human developed, it is all are natural.

Now, in the fuel you know that, this is a fossil fuel, maybe coal, may be your natural gas, it
can be petrol; these have got certain calorific value and which is exactly when it is burnt, it
gives heat energy. So, once we get the heat energy that, you can convert to mechanical energy
and which can be sent by the prime mover to the working member.

Similarly, you have got the river water, they have got basically a potential energy; where there
is a river water, it can be used by two ways. One is because if the water is river is having a
current; because of there is a current in river is basically a difference of the potential energy,
water from high potential energy it will be flowing to the lower.

So, whenever there is a elevation level, it will flow and if you can make the water to flow; it
will be having its kinetic energy, from the potential energy, it is getting that kinetic energy
and that kinetic energy you will be driving the turbine, which will becoming a prime mover
for driving a shaft for doing any operations.

Earlier there were many riverside that is say for irrigations and other things, they were
running this water wheel for raising water and all that there are the main prime mover they
used to use this water energy. Or you take the water from the river and that one you convert it
to steam to run drive the steam turbine; that is also another way of using those water.

Other thing you know in a nuclear energy, it is basically the energy is there in the atom which
is naturally available, which will be exactly the human ingenuity has come brought out the
fusion and fusion reactions to be taken place over there. And that ultimately it generates heat
and from there as any other of the heat energy conversion processes, it heat can be given to
mechanical work.

Similarly, we have got the wind energy; from the they have got the wind has got this kinetic
energy; you know that natural wind energy is again coming; it is basically from the solar.

And that say from the heat energy, we are getting a motion in the wind and that wind velocity
is converted to a mechanical work by some devices and then we are going to get the prime
mover. Other thing is the solar energy, which can be used in the form of heat or sometimes it
is just to get certain chemical reactions from that we get a; so from there we can get by
chemically converting to different form of energy.

So, I hope now you understand that, there are different natural sources of energy; from those
sources of energy, we will have to make this prime mover. And there depending on this
source of energy, there could be different type of prime mover. As an engineer your job is to
design, your job is to design a prime mover depending on the type of work you want to do.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:41)

Now, in, so you can now tell, what is a prime mover? You can think you can note it down;
prime mover is a group of machines that transform energy from thermal electrical or pressure
into mechanical form for use in different sources for some mechanical work.
So, that is a prime mover. So, basically it refers to a machine or a device which is used only
for energy conversion.

So, then it could be a typically we see in mechanically, it can be an engine or turbine or in

some cases, we will be finding, we will in a different class we will talk about the other prime
mover is your electric motors. Once you from the different source of energy, you get electrical
energy; from there you can make electric motor, which will be also a prime mover. Today we
will not be discussing about the electrical part of it.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:45)

Now, that what, how will you classify this different type of our prime mover? So, basically
what we see, we have seen already; then from the sources of energy, our we have the thermal
prime movers and they are basically from the heat engine. And here you have already studied
in your earlier classes regarding your thermodynamics and the IC engines; you studied about
this petrol, diesel and gas engines. And a here the basically it is a combustion engines.

So, as we said earlier, it is a fuel; you will be that burning either diesel, gas or petrol and they
will be exactly generating this heat. Now, whether this combustion is taking place internally
or externally depending on that. That earlier when the steam engines were developed in the 17
century, 18 century; there we were having external combustion engine.

There where you may see some of the old photographs over here that when; even this shovel
for that a side by side a big steam engine you are running and from there for excavating this
say coal, how a steam engine powered shovels were working at the end of the nineteenth
century.

So, there are reciprocating steam engines were very common; this is one of the oldest or a that
is say we must appreciate the engineering design that made about a centuries ago. And then
there were steam turbine and then gas turbine, they were used; later on with the when that
electricity were generated by using this turbines, that led to a whole developments..

And those of you who are nowadays studying the history of industrial revolutions; because
everybody is talking about industry 4.0. And by telling industry 4.0, many of you might have
studied the history of what is industry 1.0 revolution, what is industrial revolution 2, what is
industrial revolution 3. In the industrial revolution 1, the steam engines were there as an
external combustion engine.

Now, after that we got this internal combustion engines, they brought a different type of
revolutions in the nineteenth century. When exactly with the Ford company and all which
came and brought on this your car and then the with the car and other industrial activities
started doing it. So, here we have got this reciprocating IC engine, open cycle gas turbine
engine, different type of engines are there; out of this, there are other type of thermal this
prime movers which are converting from the nuclear energy.
We are not going to detail of it, this is for your general knowledge and information’s, you
should have that; that means this energy for doing work, it can come from the geothermal.

In the geothermal sector as a mining engineer, you may be little bit interested; because the
geology it plays a big role and the geothermal energy, there exactly to exploit the geothermal
energy, the mining engineers may do lot of geological knowledge to drill hole to go into the
deeper things, to make the water to move and all that is there.

But the other form of energy biogas energy, solar energy those are also converted to get.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:26)

But thing is that this conversion to as to become a prime mover, it basically requires this
turbines.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:38)

The turbines you know exactly what a turbine is, the turbine will be basically sorry; that your
turbines they will be having the, there will be number of things over there. Exactly in a
turbine, we are having this non thermal prime movers that could be hydraulic turbine that
wind power and tidal power.

In case of this stored potential energy of water that generate turbine; that means you might
have heard that your tidal power stations, what they do exactly, high pressure water they are
move into the turbine. In a turbine, basically we are having there is a your as an impeller
form; that means when on a wheel, on the blades if the high pressure of fluid is flowing, at
that time it will be rotating and with that when a shaft is connected, that will be taking out the
things and we can make it move.
So, similarly in the wind power also, we have got in the windmill that blades which are
exactly; because of the wind, they are getting a rotations, from that rotations exactly they are
going to generate this electrical energy.

Similarly, we have got the tidal power. In the tidal power, energy of the tides from the ocean
is converted to power by use of turbine. So, this basically you have now learned that the
prime mover can be generated from different; that is it will be generated or it will be making
to use this different form of energy to do a useful work.

Now, let us see that you as I told that, steam engine it is a in the 17th century it started and
then in 18th century it exactly started growing and that this Thomas Newcomen, he developed
a lot of things from the earlier crude mechanism. But the credit goes to the 18th century
engineering work of James Watt, who made the steam engine. And this whole steam engine
as a their uses initially it started in the coal mines; later on you know about that how the
steam powered locomotives are working.

Now, basically in a steam engine, it is a reciprocating engine; if your steam is allowed to enter
through a chamber, then it will be pushing it, then we have got this crankshaft by which this
crank mechanism that translatory motion is converted to a rotary motion and that wheel
rotates. So, this was exactly and then when in the next stroke that steam used one will be
going out.

So, like that this your with a crank mechanism and reciprocating motion of the piston that
steam engine used to work, and this type of engines were they are most feasible in our Indian
railway still 20 years ago all, most all the long distance trains were having this coal power;
but nowadays this has been taken by the diesel engines.

But here this steam engines were basically done during the early 20th century, almost
everywhere this was the main prime mover. But the main thing is there that, steam is
generated from burning of coal and then heating of water. The Basic importance over here
that is what is that volume of that steam will be coming; now by burning the say coal you are
generating the heat, but the main uses is being done by the vaporizing that is your water vapor
which is generated from water.

So, water is becoming steam and in that, exactly the volume is increasing; that because of that
volume, you will have it will be able to, when your high volume is brought into a less volume
less volume of space, it will be generating that pressure by which it will get the necessary
energy to push this piston move.

So, that is why, then there is a exactly how much volume will be increased; when you convert
water to steam exactly from one kg of water, how much volume of steam you will be getting,
that will be depending on under how much pressures and that at what temperature you are
following.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:24)

So, the basic principle, there exactly you will be using the universal gas law. So, if your that
for a normally what happens; in a normal what at 100 degree 100 degree centigrade and at
one atmospheric pressure that, if your water vapor is density is 1600 time less. So, that is
why, as because the density is less, the volume will be more.

So, that is a very simple principle and that principle when you use it the universal gas law is
applicable there and if the universal value R value is known that is 8314 Mega Pascal per
centimeter cube per mol Kelvin.

So, and if we want to find out say, at a particular at 500 degree and at say 0.5 Mega Pascal;
what will be the volume of this your water? You can calculate it out, you can use this
formula, use these values; then you can calculate it out. So, like that if you know; that means,
if now you know that much of steam if you are putting into a small chamber, that exactly how
much pressure it will give on to the piston and with which it will be moving?

So, there those mechanical engineering part comes over here, which becomes the main
calculations in determining how it will become a prime mover.
(Refer Slide Time: 19:48)

But the next thing is, you need to know that, there is a how we get this diesel engine and that
your the petrol engine they work? Exactly there also we are not making, just like you had in
the water and expanding into steam; here also with the burning of that your burning of fuel
and that exactly that fuel is atomized and then a huge amount of a thrust, that is exactly this is
a the sudden expansion in that your as a form of gas which is produced by burning of this fuel
that gives the pressure.

So, in your any IC engine, internal combustion engines you have already studied; that is your
wind is atomized fuel and that air, they are going into a closed chamber. As soon as they
burnt, then they create that volume expands and because of that, they give a pressure and the
pistons they start reciprocating motion. And from that reciprocating motions exactly by the
crankshaft, your it starts giving a rotary motions.
So, you can see there are it will be, you will have to go to different operating very good
videos are there in YouTube; you please go over there and you can see that.

(Refer Slide Time: 21:16)

(Refer Slide Time: 21:26)

Then you will find, see this is if a how it works. If you go to see a in a diesel engine, exactly
that when your fuel is burnt over here; that is we are going to get this piston is moving and
that crankshaft is rotating.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:39)
(Refer Slide Time: 21:42)

So, this here we are having a force cylinder that in that above this wind is our fuel is being
sent and then there is at a particular sequence, which is called your firing sequence, there they
burn. Say first one this one, then three, then two, then four; so like that they are being burnt
and that with that fuel, it will be that your engine is getting this motion and that becomes the
prime mover.
(Refer Slide Time: 22:04)

So, that is the main thing in that component is your this piston, which is having that your
correcting dot and that is your crankshaft. So, this motions which is exactly the slider crank
mechanism, this translatory motion is converted to this rotary motions and then it becomes
the prime mover, which is connected to your any shaft for doing work.
(Refer Slide Time: 22:30)
(Refer Slide Time: 22:35)
(Refer Slide Time: 22:47)

So, that all these things are brought into a engine block and then this is your how your; after
burning your this say, there is a exhaust port. So, through that your exhaust will be going; so
that means in case of your a engine internal combustion engine, your fuel and air is put over
there.
(Refer Slide Time: 23:03)
(Refer Slide Time: 23:11)
(Refer Slide Time: 23:29)

And within that chamber it get compressed and at that time it in the compression stroke, then
there will be your; it will be it will be ignited there by. And under that high pressure and high
temperatures this will when it will be expanding, it will be it is now getting fired.

And after getting fired, this will be pushing the piston down and this reciprocation motion
which that piston is getting at that time, there will be; that is exactly then your the
temperature reducing.
(Refer Slide Time: 23:39)
(Refer Slide Time: 23:59)

And then because of the crank rotations, this exhaust that is whatever the burnt out gases and
all, it will be in the next stroke. When it is giving this your power stroke after that, it will be
pushed up in the next compression thing this is; this is going out, your exhaust gases are
going out and by opening up the this valve.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:07)

And next one is again it will be going down, your this inlet that valve is opening and then the
fuel and air is coming. And this is the system how in this four stroke, a four stroke IC engines
will be keeping on working.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:24)

So, this you can find out such type of this videos are there in your YouTube, number of them
are there please see. Now, the here a question come that is your, you have seen diesel engine,
also you have seen your petrol engines.

Now, by they are all four stroke engines; if you see that they have got also this your 4 stages,
four strokes, but the system is different. One thing is that is your, you might have observed
that the costly new petrol cars and all they give the engine is very less noisy.

But here the main reason is they say, petrol has got low flash point and that is why they can
be very easily ignited and then this say diesel engine has got a very high flash point and there,
they you will have to give this atomized diesel and air will have to mix and that will have to
be burnt.
So, that is why in a petrol engine only a spark plug is there by which it get ignited; but in case
of diesel engine, you will have to get a fuel injector to atomize it and that is why there the fuel
will be burned as a continuous burning flow.

But in case of this uninstantaneously it will do. Now, as because in a there will be a more
thrust in case of your diesel engine, so it will have to be more robust; that is why you will find
that the light vehicle weights are all having a petrol engine, but diesel engine equipments are
normally heavier.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:07)

Now, that is say you can see the efficiency; that is depending on your this compression ratio
and the efficiency are related.
In case of your petrol engine; their efficiency is less, but because their compression ratio is
less. But in case of your the diesel engine, the efficiency is better; because compression ratio
is higher. You can see that in case of diesel engine, there will be fuel injector and here it is a
spark plug.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:38)

So, these are the some of the things. So, you cannot put a diesel engine into, diesel into a
petrol engine or a petrol into a diesel engine; because diesel is less volatile and will not mix
properly with air.

So, if you put in a petrol engine diesel, it will not get burned and you will not be able to drive;
your energy that your it will stop, car will be knocking, giving heavy vibrations, you will be
damaging the whole engine over there. So, never do this mixing.
(Refer Slide Time: 27:05)

And that exactly the total this say, in a 4 cylinder engine, all the 4 strokes occur at a time. So,
all the time this force are as you have seen in that, the animated video; that your that all the
things are going together.

So, you are getting a total force which is in a uniform manner. So, this is a, you can see that
their firing sequences were also the first cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, two cylinder,
second cylinder.

Then in that firing sequence, it takes and then we get a uniform energy source.
(Refer Slide Time: 27:41)

So, this is exactly how a flywheel is a important part in an engine; because this flywheel is
there, this will exactly smoothen. If you because at first, third, fourth and second; we are
having this firing sequences, so that is a power available is that blue line.

But because of the flywheel, when there is a in between the firing date, it gives and it exactly
smoothens the power outputs, the smoothening takes place.
(Refer Slide Time: 28:10)

So, that is your the, it everything, there is also a counter weight given. So, the, they are
provided on the crank side to balance the dynamic force of the connecting rods; this
connecting rod will be giving a dynamic force because of that.

So, that nothing happens; that is why this you can see any crankshaft, there is this counter
weights are provided. And then in an engine you will find from the main shaft, a chain drive
or belt drive; belt drive is normally given and then for the injection of the fuel and there is a
camshaft is there. So, this camshaft is driven in such a way that, that it is when it is coming,
which valve will be opening and closing it will be done by taking power from here.
(Refer Slide Time: 28:56)

So, these are the things there and that a engine cooling system is there; you will have to study
how that engine heat is taken up, that for that exactly we have got a radiator, from that
radiator that water is allowed to, that is there are fins through which this water will be moving
also sometime this in coolant cooling oil is given, by which the heat is taken up and then the
engine heat is controlled.
(Refer Slide Time: 29:23)

Then also there are air can be taken into that, how will be putting out air there are three ways;
naturally aspirated engine, turbo charged engine and super charged engine. That in a if there
is a no forced pushing of air; then it is a naturally aspirated engine. In a turbo charged engine,
exactly with your exhaust gas, there will be a blower will be run and then atmospheric air at a
compressed rate it will be sent.

And there will be one intercooler in between by which exactly more oxygen is given to, so
that the more amount of fuel can be burned. So, that is why in a heavy machines or in a
machines which are working at higher altitudes, you will have to, engine will have to be turbo
charged engine, where the air intake is taken out by means of a blower, which is run by the
exhaust that is the turbocharged.
If that blower is driven by the engine power, that means from the engine shaft, just like we
have the that your valve operation, cam follower and that cam operation is done; similarly if
you take power from there and run the blower to give some extra additional air into the
engine, that is called your supercharged.

(Refer Slide Time: 30:39)

So, you will have to study about that and then the other prime mover as I said you can see a
turbine here, the blades are there; when a fluid comes, they will start rotating and one from
one rotations, the other can be done.

So, this is a turbines type of engines are there, there is a lot of things; you will be finding,
how the turbo drills and drilling machines that your even down the down the hole hammer
drill, there when they are working, there is a turbo machines are there. In the mining
machinery, lot of machines; then you can see also that your a turbine type of your impellers
are there in case of your some of the pump and all, you can see that how it is exactly driving.

Though we are having a different type of prime mover, the operational member is driven by
turbine, this also you will be finding.

(Refer Slide Time: 31:28)

Then in a prime mover, in a mining equipment, there will be IC engines and AC and DC
motors. So, you will nowadays many of the mining machinery, they are old versions, they
used to use the DC motors.
(Refer Slide Time: 31:55)

Now, because of the electronic control and all, AC motors are being used. And we have got a
high power diesel engines are there; engines up to 16 cylinder engines are used. A different
type of the engines used in mining machinery can be classified based on this aspiration air, air
intake, cooling, fuel system, cylindrical orientations and lubrication system.

We have got that in line engine and V line engines, where your some of the dozers and
dumpers you will finding the V line engines; because there are eight cylinder engine, twelve
cylinder engines, to accommodate in that we can have a V line engines over there. So, there
the fuel injections can be direct injections or the pressure timing fuel systems are there;
similarly lubrications can be a forced lubrication and splash lubrications.

You will have to learn little bit about this by studying yourself and preparing new notes.
(Refer Slide Time: 32:41)

So, that as a subsystems of your this prime mover, you will have to study fuel injection
system, cooling system, exhaust system, lubrication system, battery system and starting
mechanism. As an assignment, you please make a rough sketch of this system, and describe
what are the components used in this particular systems.
(Refer Slide Time: 33:05)

So, their control is done by, nowadays the modern electronic control modules are there in all
modern machinery; either electronic control and electronic control module and control unit,
this they are exactly taking the signals and accordingly this could be done. And this area lot of
advances are taking place; when we will be discussing the individual machines, there we will
be discussing this in detail.
(Refer Slide Time: 33:33)

So, as a review assignments, please explain with sketch the different subsystems of IC
engines and prepare a table of typical engine troubles and their remedies and explain the
relative advantages and disadvantages of AC and DC motors of prime movers for mining
machines. This is your self-study, investigative study you will have to make it.
(Refer Slide Time: 33:54)
(Refer Slide Time: 33:54)

So, here today we have just introduced what are different type of prime movers.

So, that when will be starting the mining machinery; the main machines one by one about
this, you will be having the little background information’s. Please prepare your own
portfolio and keep the informations there.

I have given some of the very useful link and references of videos; please watch that and
make your own notes for learning it. So, the learning process will begin with this and we will
be discussing the different mining machinery one by one in our subsequent classes.