Air-lift hydrohoist: An innovative underground-to-surface coal handling system
The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) initiated research to improve the safety and efficiency of transporting coal from underground coal mines using a balanced air-lift hydrohoist (AHL). The ALH includes a U-tube pipeline that can be installed in a mine using an existing shaft or two surface-drilled holes connecting the mine level to the surface. Bench- and pilot-scale models were constructed and tested to evaluate the feasibility of hydraulically hoisting a coal-water slurry in a riser pipe by injecting compressed air microbubbles. A prototype injector was developed and tested that continuously compacts 5-cm minus, run-of-mine coal in a screw feeder and injects a thick coal slurry into the ALH. Initial production rates of 40 metric tph through a 20-cm-diam riser pipeline were achieved with a 50-m- high pilot-scale model, with potential to increase the model productivity to 100 tph through modification of the coal injector. Results indicate the ALH is a safe, feasible, and cost-effective alternative to conventional coal haulage methods, with many applications in the mining and construction industries for hoisting materials other than coal. The USBM is currently seeking mines or underground construction projects that are interested in a commercial-scale test of this alternative material hoisting system.
- OSTI ID:
- 107742
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9506230-; TRN: 95:006374-0010
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute conference on coal mining and education, Crested Butte, CO (United States), 25-27 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 92st regular meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute; Finnie, D.G. [ed.]; PB: 148 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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