Radar mining guidance control system

A continuous mining machine system, comprising:

• a continuous mining machine (CCM) with a boom arm that can raise and lower a rotating cutting drum;
• a flushing mounted pocket mounted in a surface of the rotating cutting drum;
• a radar pack including isolation devices to control mechanical vibrations, and disposed in the pocket;
• an antenna radome to enclose the pocket and cover said radar pack;
• a pack suspension disposed in the pocket and providing support of the radar pack and absorption of any shock loads;
• an angle transducer connected to the radar pack and providing for angular measurements of the rotational positions of the rotating cutting drum,
• a radar receiving antenna included in said radar pack placed proximate to an air interface with a first layer of material, and having impedance characteristics that depend on a surrounding natural medium adjacent to the antenna and an operating frequency;
• a software-defined radio transceiver with program software that implement a radar transmitter and radar receiver, wherein a software programming enables a switch in operational modes between a near-field and a far-field signal detection modes according to measurements provided by the angle transducer;
• wherein, said radar transmitter provides for launching pairs of separated and coherent continuous waves in a double-sideband suppressed-carrier modulation into a coalbed;
• wherein, said radar receiver provides for coherent demodulation to suppress a first reflection of radio signals emitted by the radar transmitter from an air interface with a first layer of material and received by the radar receiving antenna;
• a receiver processor included in said radar pack for determining electrical parameters corresponding to a natural medium adjacent to the antenna from a priori data and impedance measurements of the radar receiving antenna stored within;
• a radar processor included in said radar pack for calculating the depth of an interface between said first layer of material and a second deeper layer of material, by measuring a signal delay of a second reflection of radio signals emitted by the radar transmitter from said first and second material interface which was received by the radar receiving antenna;
• wherein, said earth-penetrating radar provides for guidance control of the CCM according to said calculations of the depth of an interface between said first layer of material and a second deeper layer of material.