A review of the health effects and exposure-responsible relationship of diesel particulate matter for underground mines

The increasing use of diesel-powered equipment in confined spaces(underground mines) has the potential to over expose underground miners under the threat of diesel particulate matter(DPM). Miners in underground mines can be exposed to DPM concentrations far more than works in other industries. A great number of animal and epidemiological studies have shown that both short-term and long-term DPM exposure have adverse health effect. Based on reviews of related studies, especially some recent evidence, this paper investigated the long and short-term health effects based on animal studies and epidemiological studies. The exposure-response relationship studies were also explored and compared to the current DPM regulation or standards in some countries. This paper found that the DPM health effect studies specifically for miners are not sufficient to draw solid conclusions, and a recommendation limit of DPM concentration can be put in place for better protection of miners from DPM health risk. Current animal studies lack the use of species that have similar lung functions as human for understanding the cancer mode of action in human. And finally, the DPM health hazard will continue to be a challenging topic before the mode of action and reliable exposure-response relationship are established.     

云南省矿井抽水蓄能电站潜力评估与建设关键技术

针对云南省矿井地下空间利用率低、蓄电储能需求日益增长的问题,综合考虑岩石力学、矿山规划、环境、经济等多方面影响因素,对云南省利用废弃矿井建设抽水蓄能电站的开发潜力进行了定量评估;同时,以常规抽水蓄能电站为基础,结合云南省地质条件、矿产资源分布、矿山地下空间分布特点等,对矿井抽水蓄能电站建设时站址的选择、地下空间的稳定、...     

Analysis of underground fires in Polish hard coal mines

In the period of the first twenty years after World War II the number of fires in Polish hard coal mines reached annually the value of several thousands of cases. About 80% of fires constituted spontaneous fires. Investigations into the development of new methods of fire hazard prediction and implementation of new methods and means of fire prevention as well as the introduction of prohibition concerning the use of products manufactured of combustible organic materials in underground mine workings re-duced considerably the hazard of underground fire rise. The worked out at the Central Mining Institute (GIG) new method of un-derground fire prediction allows the correct selection of fire prevention means. The introduction into common use of fire-resistant conveyor belts, the main factor giving rise to spontaneous fires, and methods of assessment of their fire resistance eliminated prac-tically the fire hazard. These activities contributed in an efficient way to the reduction of the number of underground fires to a sa-tisfactory level.     

煤矿井下无火花截割机的研制

煤矿井下地质复杂 ,条件恶劣 ,常有事故和故障发生 .当紧急排除故障时 ,需要对被堵地段进行疏通和清理 ,为此 ,研制了一种无火花截割机进行快速疏通 ,该机的主机部分为经过优化设计的曲柄摇块机构 .经井下试验表明 :该机设计合理、简单实用 ,是煤矿井下尽快排除故障或打开一条救生通道时可选用的一种先进设备     

Quantitative hazard assessment for Zonguldak Coal Basin underground mines

Underground coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations throughout the world. The reasons behind an underground occupational accident are too complex to analyze mainly due to many uncertainties which may arise from geological, operational conditions of the mine or individual characteristics of employees. This study proposes implementing a quantitative methodology for the analysis and assessment of hazards associated with occupational accidents. The application of the proposed approach is performed on the mines of Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises(TTK). The accidents in TTK between the years 2000 and 2014 are firstly statistically analyzed with respect to the number, type and location of accidents, age,experience, education level and main duty of the casualties and also injuries resulting from such accidents. The hazards are classified as individual, operational and locational hazards and quantified using contingency tables, conditional and total probability theorems. Lower and upper boundaries of hazards are determined and event trees for each hazard class are prepared. Total hazard evaluation results show that Armutcuk, Karadon and Uzulmez mines have relatively high hazard levels while Amasra and Kozlu mines have relatively lower hazard values.     

The future of underground spatial planning and the resulting potential risks from the point of view of mining subsidence engineering

The topic of ground movements in Germany has been studied extensively in the past, especially in the field of active mines. The active hard coal mines in Germany were finally shut down in 2018 and lignite mining is expected to take place only until 2038. The so-called long-term liabilities of the mine operators in Germany include, among other things, the long-term guarantee of stability and thus the monitoring of ground motion. So far, the economic use of underground mining in Germany was mainly the supply of raw materials. In the future, the underground storage of compressed air, methane or hydrogen will play an important role in renewable energy supply and climate change. Therefore, the underground storage space will become more important and the spatial planning is essential to ensure availability of safe underground openings for the various options of environmentally friendly energy storage. However, this renewed usage of underground openings may also bring new and sometimes unknown challenges of geomechanical influence. The aftermath of hard coal and lignite mining will be an increasing challenge in mining subsidence engineering. On the other hand, new possibilities due to underground spatial planning may lead to subsidence and/or heaving of the upper surface.     

Remediation and monitoring of abandoned mines

paper describes a recent study on using fly ash for backfilling abandoned room and pillar mines.Detailed investigations on fly ash properties such as the strength and stiffness of settled fly ash, flowability of fly ash grout, as well as chemistry and environmental aspects of fly ash backfill have been undertaken in the laboratory. Numerical modelling was also conducted to quantify the effects of fly ash backfill on the stability of underground pillars. The laboratory tests showed that with a solid concentration of approximate 50%, fly ash grout has an excellent flowability and very low viscosity. It is capable of penetrating and filling almost any voids underground if designed properly and settling as a reasonably stiff solid to provide support to the pillars. Several different types of strength tests proved that a consolidated fly ash should exhibit a friction angle above 42°. 3D numerical modelling on interaction between fly ash backfill and underground pillars has shown that fly ash backfill to 90% roadway height can raise the factor of safety(Fo S) of a marginally stable area to above 1.6, which is the number often used in rock engineering design for long term stability. Chemistry and leachate analysis of representative fly ash samples from a local power station showed that the elemental concentrations in the fly ash solid sample are lower than the allowed contaminant threshold and specific contaminant concentration levels. Geotechnical monitoring in the high risk areas of an abandoned mine has been carried out as part of the risk management and control for potential subsidence. The monitoring has been very helpful in understanding the ground behaviour around the abandoned mine which can provide timely information to the parties concerned in order to make correct decisions to control the subsidence risk.     

Diesel engine exhaust exposures in two underground mines

Exposure to diesel engine exhaust(DE) is a major concern in underground mines. It has been linked to cardiopulmonary diseases and is classified as a human carcinogen. The goal of this study is to assess DE exposures in workers at two underground gold mines, to compare exposure levels within and between the mines, and to compare different methods of measuring DE exposures, namely respirable combustible dust(RCD), elemental carbon(EC) and total carbon(TC). Ambient and personal breathing zone(PBZ) measurements were taken. Side-by-side monitoring of RCD and of the respirable fraction of EC and TC(EC_Rand TC_R) was carried out in the workers' breathing zone during full-shift work.Regarding ambient measurements, in addition to EC_R, TC_Rand RCD, a submicron aerosol fraction(less than 1 mm) of EC and TC was also sampled(EC_1and TC_1). Average ambient results of 240 mg/m~3 in RCD, 150 mg/m~3 in EC_Rand 210 mg/m~3 in TC_Rare obtained. Average PBZ results of 190 mg/m~3 in RCD,84 mg/m~3 in EC3Rand 150 mg/min TC_Rare obtained. Very good correlation is found between EC_Rand EC_1 with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.99(p 0.01) calculated between the two logtransformed concentrations. No differences are reported between EC_Rand EC_1, nor between TC_Rand TC_1, since ratios are equal to 1.04, close to 1, in both cases. Highest exposures are reported for loadhaul-dump(LHD) and jumbo drill operators and conventional miners. Significant exposure differences are reported between mines for truck and LHD operators(p 0.01). The average TC_R/EC_Rratio is 1.6 for PBZ results, and 1.3 for ambient results. The variability observed in the TC_R/EC_Rratio shows that interferences from non-diesel related organic carbon can skew the interpretation of results when relying only on TC data.     

Electromagnetic environments in roadways of underground coal mines and a novel testing method

The electromagnetic environment of laneways in underground coal mines is an important area for the design of new electronic products,as well as a fundamental space for mine monitoring,surveillance,communications and control systems.An investigation of electromagnetic interference in coal mines is essential for the enhancement of performances of these systems.In this study,a new field method is provided in which radiated emission tests in coal mine laneways have been carried out.We conclude that:1) the wiring motor vehicles can radiate interference with a bandwidth up to 1 GHz and with an amplitude 10 dBμV/m higher than the background noise;2) the PHS (Personal Handy phone System) mobile communication system can cause interference 40 dBμV/m higher than the background noise;3) an interference 25 dBμV/m higher than the background noise can be generated during the communication at a working bandwidth of 48.8 MHz;and 4) power cables,battery vehicles as well as mechanical and electrical dong rooms have little effect on the electromagnetic radiation environment in coal mine tunnels.     

Fire behavior of mining vehicles in underground hard rock mines

The results from a number of investigations and fire experiments are presented and analyzed in order to characterize the fire behavior of mining vehicles in underground hard rock mines. The analysis also includes fire safety and fire protection measures with respect to the mining vehicle fire behavior.Earlier studies on fires in underground hard rock mines have shown that vehicles or mobile equipment are the dominant sources of fire. A better knowledge about the fire behavior of vehicles in underground hard rock mines is therefore needed. During the analysis the direction and flow rate of the ventilation in a drift was found to have a significant impact on the fire behavior, causing for example flame tilt with rapid fire spread. The shielded sections of a vehicle will be less affected by the ventilation flow resulting in for example a decreased flame spread. It was also found that spray fires may result in considerable heat release rate but are generally of shorter duration and will not make any significant contributions to the overall heat release rate of the fully developed vehicle fire. The fire duration of a loader tire from a full-scale fire experiment was found to be at least 200 min and will largely determine the total fire duration of the vehicle. A different scenario with different conditions with for example a slower flame spread resulted in an even longer fire duration. The radiative and convective fraction will be a key factor when determining the heat transfer mechanisms involved in a fire and will vary from material to material.Calculations show that the radiative fraction of the tire fires on two mining vehicles is significantly lower than found in earlier experiments. The design and construction of the mining vehicle will have an important impact on the fire behavior and could possibly mitigate the consequences of a fire and allow fire personnel to extinguish a fire that otherwise would have had a too high heat release rate.     

Physiological responses of people in working faces of deep underground mines

The research studied the influences of high temperature, high pressure, high humidity, noise and other harmful factors in mining conditions on the people health and safety, and investigated the impacts of confined environmental on human physiology factors, including temperature, humidity, noise, pressure, toxic and harmful gases in terms of environmental characteristics in underground mines and an artificial intelligence system for simulation of the environment in a confined space of deep mines. Our results show that the systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, mean pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, typing test speed and memory level percentage are negatively correlated with temperature value, and positively correlated with humidity value; the human temperature and weight are positively correlated with temperature value, and negatively correlated with humidity value. This research lays the foundation for the study of interaction between the deep confined space environment and safety behavior.     

中小型磷矿井下安全避险系统建设方案

为了在中小型磷矿完成安全避险“六大系统”建设任务,本文对相关建设规范进行了研究,通过对中小型磷矿开采条件的分析及危险因素的识别,针对不同的矿山条件,分别形成了相应的“六大系统”建设方案.紧急避险系统由个体防护、避灾设施、避灾路线、应急预案等组成.有些矿山经论证可缓建或不建避灾设施,防透水型避灾硐室采用井巷内钢管供风供水、地表局扇抽出式排气方案.压风自救和供水施救系统从地表空压机或高位水池安装钢管至井下形成枝状管网.监测监控系统中选用较成熟的矿井井下环境监测系统,视频监控系统将地面及井下重要安全生产岗位的图像实时传送到矿井调度室.采空区地压监测采用包括岩体声发射、顶板变形、矿柱应力监测的综合监测方案.根据并下工作人员数量新建并下人员定位系统,或设置考勤系统.根据规范要求,对原有矿山有线通信系统进行升级改造.以上“六大系统”建设方案均已通过了省安监局组织的专家验收评审,并在矿山实施,目前已相继投入运行,使矿山安全保障能力得到显著提升.     

Enhancing manual P-phase arrival detection and automatic onset time picking in a noisy microseismic data in underground mines

Accurate detection and picking of the P-phase onset time in noisy microseismic data from underground mines remains a big challenge. Reliable P-phase onset time picking is necessary for accurate source location needed for planning and rescue operations in the event of failures. In this paper, a new technique based on the discrete stationary wavelet transform(DSWT) and higher order statistics is proposed for processing noisy data from underground mines. The objectives of this method are to(i) improve manual detection and picking of P-phase onset; and(ii) provide an automatic means of detecting and picking P-phase onset time accurately. The DSWT is first used to filter the signal over several scales. The manual P-phase onset detection and picking are then obtained by computing the signal energy across selected scales with frequency bands that capture the signal of interest. The automatic P-phase onset, on the other hand, is achieved by using skewness-and kurtosis-based criterion applied to selected scales in a time-frequency domain. The method was tested using synthetic and field data from an underground limestone mine. Results were compared with results obtained by using the short-term to long-term average(STA/LTA) ratio and that by Reference Ge et al.(2009). The results show that the method provides a more reliable estimate of the P-phase onset arrival than the STA/LTA method when the signal to noise ratio is very low. Also, the results obtained from the field data matched accurately with the results from Reference Ge et al.(2009).     

Fundamentals of modern ground control management in Australian underground coal mines

Underground coal mining is inherently hazardous, with uncontrolled ground failure regarded as one of only several critical risks for multiple fatality events. Development, implementation and management of overarching systems and procedures for maintaining strata control is an important step to mitigating the impact of ground failure hazards at a mine site operational level. This paper summarised the typical pro-active ground control management system(PGCMS) implemented in various Australian underground coal mines. Australia produces approximately 100 million tonnes a year of metallurgical and thermal coal from approximately 30 of the world's safest longwall mines operating in New South Wales and Queensland. The increased longwall productivity required to achieve both high levels of safety and profitability, places significant emphasis on the reliability of pro-active ground control management for longwall mining operations. Increased depths, adverse geological conditions, elevated variable stress regimes and weaker ground conditions, coupled with an industry wide need for increased development rates continue to make ground control management challenging. Ground control management is not only about ground support and pillar design though but also a structured process that requires a coordinated effort from all levels of the workforce to both minimise the occurrence of adverse geotechnical events and mitigate the potential risks when they do occur. The PGCMS presented in this paper is proven to provide both a safer and more productive mine environment through minimisation of unplanned delays. The critical elements of the method are presented in detail and demonstrate the utility and value of a ground control management system that has potential for implementation in underground coal mining globally.     

Review of coal and gas outburst in Australian underground coal mines

Outburst of coal and gas represents a significant risk to the health and safety of mine personnel working in development and longwall production face areas. There have been over 878 outburst events recorded in twenty-two Australian underground coal mines. Most outburst incidents have been associated with abnormal geological conditions.Details of Australian outburst incidents and mining experience in conditions where gas content was above current threshold levels are presented and discussed. Mining experience suggests that for gas content below 9.0 m³/t, mining in carbon dioxide (CO₂) rich seam gas conditions does not pose a greater risk of outburst than mining in CH₄ rich seam gas conditions. Mining experience also suggests that where no abnormal geological structures are present that mining in areas with gas content greater than the current accepted threshold levels can be undertaken with no discernible increase in outburst risk. The current approach to determining gas content threshold limits in Australian mines has been effective in preventing injury from outburst, however operational experience suggests the current method is overly conservative and in some cases the threshold limits are low to the point that they provide no significant reduction in outburst risk. Other factors that affect outburst risk, such as gas pressure, coal toughness and stress and geological structures are presently not incorporated into outburst threshold limits adopted in Australian mines. These factors and the development of an outburst risk index applicable to Australian underground coal mining conditions are the subject of ongoing research.     

Energy optimal routing for long chain-type wireless sensor networks in underground mines

Wireless sensor networks are useful complements to existing monitoring systems in underground mines.They play an important role of enhancing and improving coverage and flexibility of safety monitoring systems. Regions prone to danger and enyironments after disasters in underground mines require saving and balancing energy consumption of nodes to prolong the lifespan of networks. Based on the structure of a tunnel, we present a Long Chain-type Wireless Sensor Network (LC-WSN) to monitor the safety of underground mine tunnels. We define the optimal transmission distance and the range of the key region and present an Energy Optimal Routing (EOR) algorithm for LC-WSN to balance the energy consumption of nodes and maximize the lifespan of networks. EOR constructs routing paths based on an optimal transmission distance and uses an energy balancing strategy in the key region. Simulation results show that the EOR algorithm extends the lifespan of a network, balances the energy consumption of nodes in the key region and effectively limits the length of routing paths, compared with similar algorithms.     

Computer simulation of evacuation in underground coal mines

In order to study the evacuation behavior of miners during accidents,we analyzed the rational layout of a safe chamber,and improved evacuation efficiency.A visual model of evacuation was developed and used to simulate the evacuation process of mines,given their special underground environments.In our simulation,the working faces of a coal mine and nearby tunnels were divided into 0.5 m×0.5 m grids to reflect the location of occupants and obstacles.Based on a"flow potential of the occupant",we determined the direction of movement and routes of occupants.In the model,evacuation speed changed as a function of crowd density,with an average speed of 1.30 m/s.The model also takes into account detection time of the disaster and the personnel response time.Evacuation time,exit flow rate and evacuation path were obtained by simulation.The results indicate that using simulation technology can present a more visual evacuation process and show the behavior of occupants.Our establishment of a mine safety evacuation system has merit as reference value.     

Movement scope of strata based on fuzzy BP neural network in underground metal mines

A prediction method of strata movement in underground metal mines is put forward, in which fuzzy BP neural network is applied. The results show that there is a strong nonlinear relation between the selected factors and strata movement angle, the anticipant and the actual output results are very similar. It is proved that the numerical value of movement angle is correlated with the selected factors in theory. The scope of strata and surface movement due to mining can be predicted. This research provides a thought to study the movement scope of strata due to mining.     

Upward surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding of underground workings

After the mass closures of entire coal mine districts in Europe at the end of the last century, a new phenomenon of surface movement was observed—an upward movement.Although most surface movement(i.e., subsidence) occurs in the months and years after mining by the longwall method, surface movement still occurs many decades after mining is terminated.After the closure and flooding of underground excavations and surrounding rock, this movement was reversed.This paper focuses on quantifying the upward movement in two neighboring coal mines(Winterslag and Zwartberg, Belgium).The study is based on data from a remote sensing technique: interferometry with synthetic aperture radar(INSAR).The results of the study show that the rate of upward movement in the decade after closure is about 10 mm/year on average.The upward movements are not linked directly to the past exploitation directly underneath a location.The amounts of subsidence at specific locations are linked mainly to their positions relative to an inverse trough shape situated over the entire mined-out areas and their immediate surroundings.Local features, such as geological faults, can have a secondary effect on the local variation of the uplift.The processes of subsidence and uplift are based on completely different mechanisms.Subsidence is initiated by a caving process, while the process of uplift is clearly linked to flooding.     

Cooling pathways for deep Australian longwall coal mines of the future

Cooling of coal mines in the Bowen Basin, characterized by steep geothermal gradient, is presently achieved mostly through rental surface bulk air cooling in summer months. This paper argues that future mines will be required to focus their cooling resources more intensively to manage a challenging thermal environment where virgin coal temperatures over 50 °C at a depth of 500 m are expected. Currently, mine cooling systems are employed to maintain the wet bulb temperatures(WBT) to below 27 °C at which point the risks of heat stroke or other heat related issues are manageable. The capacities of these systems are in the range of 6–10 MW refrigeration power. The relationship between high working temperature environment and injury frequency rates is well established. Therefore, provision of appropriate cooling strategies and understanding their optimum performance and suitability are important to Australian coal mines of the future. This paper evaluates the underground temperature profiles of deep, gassy coal mines with propensity for spontaneous combustion and proposes the long term cooling pathways to effectively manage the thermal hazards. Thermodynamic modeling is performed on a longwall face and includes air leakage effects from goaf streams at various locations along the longwall face. The strategy summarizes the application of underground bulk air cooling, chilled water sprays on the shearer and the resulting temperature profiles. Considering the new mining projects planned for the Bowen Basin region, a review of implementable cooling strategies such as mid-gate mobile bulk air coolers(BACs), spot coolers, underground bulk air cooling and the use of chilled water to enhance the positional efficiency of cooling plants,are discussed in this paper. Finally, the comparison of ‘rental' versus ‘ownership' of cooling plants is analysed as part of long-term cooling strategies.