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A REVIEW OF ATMOSPHERIC MONITORING SYSTEMS IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPLOSION PREVENTION Kray Luxbach

A REVIEW OF ATMOSPHERIC MONITORING SYSTEMS IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPLOSION PREVENTION Kray Luxbacher. Kenny Griffin, Edmund Jong, Erik Westman. Wednesday, March 2 nd , 2011. Outline. Introduction and Motivation Select international regulation China and Australia

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A REVIEW OF ATMOSPHERIC MONITORING SYSTEMS IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPLOSION PREVENTION Kray Luxbach

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  1. A REVIEW OF ATMOSPHERIC MONITORING SYSTEMS IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPLOSION PREVENTIONKrayLuxbacher Kenny Griffin, Edmund Jong, Erik Westman Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

  2. Outline • Introduction and Motivation • Select international regulation • Chinaand Australia • US Regulation • Regulatory Atmosphere in the U.S. • AMS Technology • Continuous Monitoring • Tube Bundle Systems • Developing Technology and Recommendations

  3. Introduction April 5th, 2010 The Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion occurred in Montcoal, WV resulting in 29 fatalities. November 19th, 2010 The Pike River Mine Explosion occurred in New Zealand resulting in 27 fatalities. Numerous other explosions occurred in developing countries.

  4. Motivation “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” • AMS Systems • Real-time • Comprehensive • Continuous

  5. Current US Regulation 30 CFR §75.156 AMS Operators 30 CFR §75.350 Installations in Belt Air 30 CFR §75.351 Monitoring of Returns 30 CFR §75.362 Monitoring of Returns maintained under 1.5% 30 CFR §75.323 Allows intrinsically safe AMS to be energized 30 CFR §75.352 Actions taken

  6. Select International Regulations Australia • Continuous AMS Systems (typically major return nodes and other areas.) China • Gassy underground mines must monitor immediate returns in addition to working face.

  7. Regulatory Atmosphere in the US December 3, 2010: House Miller (D-CA) proposes The Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2010(HR 6495, 1 co-sponsor) July 20, 2010: House Capito (D-WV) proposes a mine safety and health act (HR 5788, 0 co-sponsors) January 25, 2011: Senate Rockefeller (D-WV) introduces the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2011 (S 153, 3 co-sponsors) May 6, 2010: Senate Byrd (D-WV) and Rockefeller (D-WV) propose new disclosure regulations. July 29, 2010: Senate Rockefeller (D-WV) introduces the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2010 (S 3671, 3 co-sponsors) April 5, 2010 An explosion occurs at the Massey Energy Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, WV. 29 Miners die. December 8, 2010: House The Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2010fails under a suspended vote (yeas-214, nays-193) July 1, 2010: House Miller (D-CA) proposes Robert C. Byrd Safety and Health Act of 2010 (HR 5663, 55 co-sponsors)

  8. Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2011Atmospheric MonitoringSection 503 • 6 months after enactment of the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2011, NIOSH will issue recommendations- • Ensuring best utilization of AMS for health and safety • “the implementation of redundant systems, such as the bundle tubing system, that can continuously monitor the mine atmosphere following incidents such as fires, explosions, entrapments, and inundations.” • 270 days after recommendations are received regulation will be promulgated requiring AMS: • protect miners where the miners normally work and travel; • provide real-time information regarding methane and carbon monoxide levels, and airflow direction, as appropriate, with sensing, annunciating, and recording capabilities; and • can, to the maximum extent practicable, withstand explosions and fires.

  9. AMS Technology • Continuous Monitoring • Barometric Pressure • Gas and velocity sensing • Tube Bundle Systems • Developing Technology • Fiber optics • Wireless monitoring

  10. Barometric Pressure

  11. Velocity Sensing • Ultrasonic Sensing • Thermal Mass Flow • Vortex Shedding • Differential Pressure Measurement

  12. Gas Sensing Primary Interest Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Oxygen Also: Fire Gases (Acetylene, Ethane, Ethylene, Hydrogen) Nitrogen and Argon Others such as Hydrogen Sulfide

  13. Tube Bundle Systems

  14. Tube Bundle Systems

  15. Best Practice • Multiple levels of detection • Personal detection • Fixed detection • Continuous real time monitoring • Remote monitoring (tube bundle systems) • Bag sampling and analysis by GC

  16. Weaknesses of Current Technology • Interference from dust and other gases • Measurement is often only 0 to LEL (or small range) • Frequent calibration required • Maintenance intensive

  17. Developing Technology Optical Fiber Sensing • Self-calibrating • Excellent sensitivity and resolution over a full range • No interference from other gases • Safe

  18. Fiber Optic Sensing Courtesy of the Center for Photonic Technology. Anbo Wang and Evan Lally, 2010.

  19. Explosion Prevention • Must bring multiple system/sensors together and display data in real time in a useful format. • An attractive investment • Systems must be intelligent • Able to assess multiple parameters and give timely warning of the development of dangerous atmospheres

  20. Recommendations • Thorough review of recent explosions • What would have been necessary to sense the development of an explosive atmosphere? • How far in advance can that development be forecast? • Could a system withstand or partially withstand the incident? • Development of novel sensing technology. • Full scale field trials.

  21. Acknowledgements • Morgan Massey Numerous operators, engineers, vendors, professors

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