Examination of a newly developed mobile dry scrubber (DS) for coal mine dust control applications. [proceedings]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kendall B ; Noll J ; Organiscak, John A. ; Yantek D
• Description:
  A self-tramming remotely controlled mobile Dry Scrubber (DS) was developed by J. H. Fletcher and Co. under a contract with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (NIOSH OMSHR) to reduce exposure of miners to airborne dust. NIOSH OMSHR laboratory testing showed that the DS averaged greater than 95% dust removal efficiency with the disposable filters and averaged 88% and 90%, respectively, for the optional washable filters in their pre-washed and post-washed test conditions. Although the washable filters could be reused, washing them generated personal and downstream respirable dust concentrations of 1.2 and 8.3 mg/m3, respectively, for a 10-minute washing period. The DS's velocity pressure regulated variable frequency drive (VFD) fan maintained a relatively consistent airflow near the targeted 1.43 and 4.25 m3/s (3000 and 9000 ft3/min) airflow rates during most of the laboratory dust testing until reaching its maximum 60 Hz fan motor frequency or horsepower rating at 2610 Pa (10.5 in. w.g.) of filter differential pressure and 3.97 m3/s (8420 ft3/min) of scrubber airflow quantity. Laboratory sound level measurements of the DS also showed that the outlet side of the scrubber was noisier and the loaded filters increased sound levels as compared to clean filters at the same airflow quantities. With loaded filters the scrubber reached a 90 dB(A) sound level at 2.83 m3/s (6000 ft3/min) of scrubber airflow, indicating that miners should not be overexposed in relation to MSHA's permissible exposure level (PEL) of 90 dB(A) at or below this airflow quantity. The DS's washable filters were not used during field testing because of their lower respirable dust removal efficiency and the airborne dust generated from filter washing. Field testing the DS with the disposable filters at two underground coal mine sections showed that it can clean a portion of the section return air and provide about a 50% dust reduction at the face area downstream of the continuous miner (CM) operation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Air Pollutants, Occupational Coal Coal Mining Dust Electrical Equipment And Supplies Filtration Laboratories Mining Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety

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• Keywords:
  Mining-industry; Coal mining; Dust control; Dust control equipment; Scrubbers; Electronic equipment; Dust exposure; Airborne dusts; Laboratory testing; Equipment testing; Equipment reliability; Air filters; Filters; Filtration; Respirable dust; Air flow; Noise levels; Sound; Noise measurement; Permissible Exposure Limits; PELs; Underground mining; Continuous mining
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9781510825659
• Publisher:
  Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; Colorado ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Pennsylvania ; West Virginia
• 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:
  46-52
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048803
• Citation:
  2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo: The Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World, February 21-24, 2016, Phoenix, Arizona. Englewood, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., 2016 Jul; :46-52
• Contact Point Address:
  J. A. Organiscak, Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, Pittsburgh, PA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo: The Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World, February 21-24, 2016, Phoenix, Arizona, preprint 16.010
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/247054/cdc_247054_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]