Performance Evaluation of Button Bits in Coal Measure Rocks by Using Multiple Regression Analyses

Electro-hydraulic and jumbo drills are commonly used for underground coal mines and tunnel drives for the purpose of blasthole drilling and rock bolt installations. Not only machine parameters but also environmental conditions have significant effects on drilling. This study characterizes the performance of button bits during blasthole drilling in coal measure rocks by using multiple regression analyses. The penetration rate of jumbo and electro-hydraulic drills was measured in the field by employing bits in different diameters and the specific energy of the drilling was calculated at various locations, including highway tunnels and underground roadways of coal mines. Large block samples were collected from each location at which in situ drilling measurements were performed. Then, the effects of rock properties and machine parameters on the drilling performance were examined. Multiple regression models were developed for the prediction of the specific energy of the drilling and the penetration rate. The results revealed that hole area, impact (blow) energy, blows per minute of the piston within the drill, and some rock properties, such as the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and the drilling rate index (DRI), influence the drill performance.