Feasibility of Automatic Sprinkler Systems for Fire Control Along Longwall Faces

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ryan, Mark W. ; Smith, Alex C.
• Description:
  The U. S. Bureau of Mines conducted a feasibility study on the use of automatic sprinkler protection for fire control along a longwall face of an underground coal mine. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of ventilation on sprinkler discharge patterns and activation characteristics. The results showed delays in activation and shifts in total water coverage areas and water density distribution patterns as ventilation increased. Other test results indicated that as the airflow increased, the size of fire needed to activate an automatic sprinkler system also increased and that sprinklers located directly above the fire did not activate. The use of directional sprinklers at airflows of 300 fpm and greater were able to compensate for the effect of ventilation on the water spray pattern and the sprinkler activating downstream to extinguish the fire. An assessment of whether automatic sprinklers can withstand the high static water pressure in deep underground coal mines showed that although commercial sprinklers may be able to withstand high static pressures, they may not provide the same reliability and safety factor as when used aboveground at or below their rated pressure. Other parameters that were considered in the feasibility study were sprinkler durability, water supply, and water delivery on the longwall face. The typical water supply to a longwall face should be adequate for an automatic sprinkler system. Utilization of a 2 in diameter flexible high pressure hose should meet space, mobility, and safety constraints. After all these factors are considered, it appears feasible that automatic sprinkler systems can be effectively used for fire control along longwall faces if warranted by the incidence of fires. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Fire Extinguishing Systems Fires Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal Mines Coal Mining Fire Extinguishing Systems Fire Fighting Equipment Fire Suppression Longwall Mining Mining Industry Underground Mines Underground Mining
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• Publisher:
  Maclean Hunter Presentations, Inc.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PRC - Pittsburgh Research Center
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  221-231
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:10004286
• Citation:
  Longwall USA International Exhibition and Conference, June 8-10, 1993, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Aurora, CO: Maclean Hunter Presentations, Inc., 1993 Jun; :221-231
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1993
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Longwall USA International Exhibition and Conference, June 8-10, 1993, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3b68b0b9cbd55505fba59f134c2017a242966fdab09977662f0861b63958c8edbafffbd9f39197ac9db9d2e2c7b6421d607ae9797a752ea457c37ac6a7075311
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219556/cdc_219556_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 239.13 KB ]