Effect of rock dust on explosibility of coal dust. Report of investigations

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:7344034

Richmond, J K; Liebman, I; Miller, L F

Early research on coal dust explosions by the Bureau of Mines, and in other countries, is reviewed, primarily to examine the effect of a single inhibitor, rock dust, on the explosion limits of coal dust. The parameters studied in this research included coal dust fineness, volatile content, and type of initiation. This research resulted in appropriate safety regulations in the respective countries. Also reported are the results of recent research in the Experimental Mine of the Bureau of Mines to investigate in detail the limits of coal dust explosions, using three types of coal, with rock dust added as the independent variable. New experimental techniques and new criteria for defining propagation/nonpropagation were applied to the experiments. Also, a limit explosion propagation model is proposed, based on the assumption of rapid devolatization of the coal particles, with the subsequent combustion of the evolved volatile products contributing primarily to the propagation of the explosions. The model assumes also that the resultant char acts mainly as an inert diluent. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA). Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7344034
• Report Number(s): PB-247223; BM-RI-8077
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
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& Peat-- Mining
016000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL MINES
DUSTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPLOSIONS
FLAME PROPAGATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINES
SAFETY