The Effects of Seasonal Heat and Humidity on Mine Strata Temperatures in Underground Coal Mines

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bissert PT ; Srednicki JR ; Yan L ; Yantek, David S. ; Yonkey JA
• Description:
  Refuge alternatives (RAs) are required in underground coal mines to support life post-disaster. RAs are mandated by MSHA to maintain an apparent temperature (AT) at or below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) while providing a safe and livable shelter for a minimum of 96 hours. Because strata composition and mine temperatures will affect the final AT within an occupied RA, NIOSH researchers have collaborated with five underground coal mines across the US to characterize the effects of geographic location and seasonal temperature fluctuations on mine air temperature, relative humidity, and mine strata temperatures. The data collected indicates that some mines will experience greater temperature fluctuations than others, based on geographic location. The mine which demonstrated the greatest temperature differential over the course of the year resulted in a mine air temperature that ranged from 53.4 degrees F (11.9 degrees C) to 84.2 degrees F (29.0 degrees C) and a rib surface temperature that ranged from 55.4 degrees F (13.0 degrees C) to 82.8 degrees F (28.2 degrees C). This data suggests that the location and seasonal peak temperature can significantly affect the mine strata temperature, which could lead to a fully occupied RA exceeding the 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) AT limit over the course of 96 hours. The data reported in this paper could be used to examine the heat buildup inside an RA for actual mine conditions. Thermal simulations could be implemented to evaluate maximum occupancy ratings based on actual mine temperatures and strata compositions. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Emergencies Geographic Information Systems Hot Temperature Humidity Mining Occupational Health Safety Temperature
• Keywords:
  Air Temperature Climatic Conditions Climatic Factors Coal Miners Emergency Equipment Emergency Shelters Equipment Testing Geographic Information Systems Geologic Characterization Geologic Strata Heat Humans Miners Mining-industry Refuge Chambers Regulations Relative Humidity Seasonal Factors Temperature Control Temperature Effects Temperature Measurement Temperature Regulation Thermal Properties Underground Mines

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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:
  1-5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049576
• Citation:
  2017 SME Annual Meeting, February 19-22, 2017, Denver, Colorado, preprint 17-118. Englewood, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., 2017 Feb; :1-5
• Contact Point Address:
  P. T. Bissert, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
• 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 17-118
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:db84f8bc209f2198b6534097e2ab04764457823f0b0cc42ae95d871f15c739d22e41bf4848d3124c0c52e983b20ec8df6452bd48cb6f5302cf83381633a47e20
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228409/cdc_228409_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1005.67 KB ]