Fatigue life of compacted wire ropes for applications in deep mining

Recent months have highlighted the progressing energy crisis across Europe in connection with the severe sanctions imposed on the import of hydrocarbons and coal from Russia. This is particularly visible in Poland, where over 40% of electricity is generated from coal, while in individual households it is the primary source of heat. This situation puts the already enigmatic plans of shutting down coal mining in Poland into question. Therefore, work aimed at increasing the extraction capacity of existing shafts while maintaining the highest level of operational safety is still valid. This article concerns the issues of the fatigue life of compacted ropes used as hoist ropes in mine shafts. The discussion regarding the use of these ropes among shaft hoist users has been going on for several years. This paper presents the unique results of compacted rope fatigue tests carried out at the Central Mining Institute in Katowice. In the authors’ view, these results and their interpretation should serve to clarify several important aspects that arouse the interest of users.