Evaluate fundamental approaches to longwall dust control

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6745180· OSTI ID:6745180

Kelley, J; Ruggieri, S; Babbitt, C; Wirch, S; Rajan, S

Mine operators have long known that by changing certain mining practices they can reduce personnel dust exposures. The objective of this subprogram was to identify mining practices which inherently reduce personnel exposures. This was achieved through several tasks: (a) Modeling mining cycles to quantify reductions through altered practices; one key result showed the benefits of homotropal ventilation to reduce intake contamination. (b) An underground evaluation of homotropal ventilation, which revealed that intake contamination from the stageloader and crusher can be reduced by 60 to 70 percent. (c) A feasibility study of asymmetrical drums, showing that over 60 percent less cutting can be performed upstream of shearer operators during tail to head cutting. (d) Laboratory studies of the headgate cutout, showing that exposures during the cutout can be reduced by over 90 percent using special water spray and ventilation curtain techniques. (e) Underground studies of downwind dust from cutting and shield movement, showing how to best position personnel to reduce exposures from these sources. The subprogram effort culminated in extensive technology transfer through two expert system computer programs, DUSTPRO and DRUMPRO. 18 figs., 26 tabs.

• Research Organization: Foster-Miller, Inc., Waltham, MA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/FE
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-81FE00016
• OSTI ID: 6745180
• Report Number(s): DOE/FE/00016-T171; ON: DE90015503; CNN: J0318097
• 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
COAL MINERS
COAL MINES
COAL MINING
CONTROL
CUTTING MACHINES
DOCUMENT TYPES
DUSTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERT SYSTEMS
LONGWALL MINING
MINERS
MINES
MINING
MINING EQUIPMENT
PERSONNEL
PROGRESS REPORT
SAMPLING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
UNDERGROUND MINING
VENTILATION
WORKING CONDITIONS