Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation on the Longwall Gob Breathing

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bogin GE Jr. ; Brune, Jürgen F. ; Grubb JW ; Juganda A ; Lolon SA ; Saki SA
• Description:
  In longwall mines, atmospheric pressure fluctuations can disturb the pressure balance between the gob and the ventilated working area, resulting in a phenomenon known as "gob breathing". Gob breathing triggers gas flows across the gob and the working areas and may result in a condition where an oxygen deficient mixture or a methane accumulation in the gob flows into the face area. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) modeling was carried out to analyze this phenomenon and its impact on the development of an explosive mixture in a bleeder-ventilated panel scheme. Simulation results indicate that the outgassing and ingassing across the gob and the formation of Explosive Gas Zones (EGZs) are directly affected by atmospheric pressure changes. In the location where methane zones interface with mine air, EGZ fringes may form along the face and in the bleeder entries. These findings help assess the methane ignition and explosion risks associated with fluctuating atmospheric pressures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Explosions Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Atmospheric Pressure Author Keywords: CFDs Explosive Gases Explosive Gas Zone Gas Flow Gob Breathing Barometric Pressure Longwall Mine Longwall Mining Methane Explosion
• ISSN:
  2095-2686
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  185-189
• Volume:
  27
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069076
• Citation:
  Int J Min Sci Technol 2017 Mar; 27(2):185-189
• Contact Point Address:
  Samuel A. Lolon, Department of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, CO 80401, USA
• Email:
  slolon@mines.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Performing Organization:
  Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20140901
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Mining Science and Technology
• End Date:
  20190831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:526c70c51351b63cc640e3778fbcd1c70f2c17d18c316832564c4659749ba74b26d4b8ec9f129673399d1b715bdce014f3d2f30efd6b3f9a1ce983acaae8a9aa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207622/cdc_207622_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.69 MB ]