Impact of air velocity on the development and detection of small coal fires. Report of investigations/1993

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:5719977

Egan, M R

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted experiments in the intermediate-scale fire tunnel to assess the influence of air velocity on the gas production and smoke characteristics during smoldering and flaming combustion of Pittsburgh seam coal and its impact on the detection of the combustion products. On-line determinations of mass and number of smoke particles, light transmission, and various gas concentrations were made. From these experimental values, generation rates, heat-release rates, production constants, particle sizes, obscuration rates, and optical densities were calculated. Ventilation has a direct effect on fire detection and development. The results indicate that, in general, increased air velocity lengthened the onset of smoke and flaming ignition, increased the fire intensity, but decreased the gas and smoke concentrations. Increased air velocity also lengthened the response times of all the fire sensors tested. Rapid and reliable detector response at this most crucial state of fire development can increase the possibility that appropriate miner response (fire suppression tactics or evacuation) can be completed before toxic smoke spreads throughout the mine.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Pittsburgh Research Center
• OSTI ID: 5719977
• Report Number(s): PB-94-112364/XAB; BUMINES-RI--9480
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012033* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Underground Mining-- Mine Environment-- (1987-)
016000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
AEROSOLS
AIR INFILTRATION
COAL MINES
COLLOIDS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DETECTION
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY
EVACUATION
FIRE PREVENTION
FIRES
HEAT
IGNITION
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
MINES
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
PARTICLES
RELIABILITY
RESIDUES
SAFETY
SMOKES
SOLS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
VELOCITY
VENTILATION