Tracer Gas Study to Determine Face Ventilation Air and Gob Gas Movement Patterns on a Bleederless Longwall Panel

Details

• Personal Author:
  Addis JD ; Chasko, Linda L. ; Gangrade V ; Hollerich CA ; Schatzel, Steven J.
• Description:
  A ventilation study using tracer gas was conducted at a western US coal mine. The objective of the study was to evaluate the movement of longwall face air exchanges between the face and worked-out area and to document the presence or absence of face airflow pathways between these locations. The mine operator uses a bleederless longwall ventilation system with a back return and a blowing mine ventilation system. The study was conducted on an active panel and included both underground and surface monitoring sites. The study used sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) released as a slug on the longwall face and in the front of the gob inby the face. The velocity of the tracer gas movement in the gob was 0.019 m/s (3.7 fpm). The rate of movement for the overall tracer gas slug averaged about 0.0091 m/s (1.8 fpm). A separate tracer gas test initiated with the release of SF6 into the legs of the first shield showed the existence of more than one pathway of face air in the general direction from the headgate towards the tailgate corner. Maintaining adequate ventilation air on longwall faces is important for worker safety and for the dilution of methane emitted from the face and caved gob. A more detailed characterization of longwall system air and gas movement allows a mine to better assess its ventilation design for controlling gas on the face and in the gob. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Environmental Monitoring Mining Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Air Analysis Air Flow Air Monitoring Coal Mines Gas Indicators Longwall Mining Mine Gases Mining-industry Particle Aerodynamics Sulfur Hexafluoride Surface Mining Underground Mining Ventilation Systems

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• Publisher:
  Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049563
• Citation:
  2017 SME Annual Meeting, February 19-22, 2017, Denver, Colorado, preprint 17-137. Englewood, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., 2017 Feb; :1-7
• Contact Point Address:
  S. J. Schatzel, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
• CAS Registry Number:
  Sulfur hexafluoride (CAS RN 2551-62-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  2017 SME Annual Meeting, February 19-22, 2017, Denver, Colorado, preprint 17-137
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3ea111939485984b5c00034f1839bd0d9db557ab10cd7cc5832a78002fc8e1ed96c89a1670ac4266c704668a03e16a2c4c54cc6711f89c7171bf01cea9588a40
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228398/cdc_228398_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 302.24 KB ]