Observations of microscopic characteristics of post-explosion coal dust samples

To reveal the microscopic characteristics of the post-explosion coal dust samples, coal dust explosion tests were performed in a 20 L spherical vessel. The explosion characteristic parameters, such as the maximum pressure (P_max), the maximum rate of pressure rise ((dP/dt)_max), ignition time (t) and the deflagration index (K_St) were recorded. Meanwhile, the post-explosion dust samples were collected and analyzed. The research efforts include particle size distribution analysis, SEM analysis and FTIR analysis of dust samples before and after the explosion. The particle size range of post-explosion dust samples became wider according to the mass percent analysis. The microscopic appearance of samples in same particle size range showed some similarity. The porous structure of dust samples was observed by improving the SEM magnification. The chemical structure of dust samples before and after explosion was analyzed by FTIR.     

Status and future tasks of coal mining safety in China

In general, contexts of coal mining safety involve technology, administration and socioeconomic environment as well. This paper presents statistical analysis of China coal mine accidents in recent years and analyzes the reasons causing coal mining high risk from technical and socioeconomic viewpoints. Social and economic reform has been unleashing social, economical factors that are driving a fundamental transformation of new workplace safety problems and making China coal mining safety take on Chinese features. Compared with major state-owned and local state-owned coalmines, township and village coalmines are most dangerous coal mines with highest occupational risks. The incidence and death toll of ceiling accidents are higher than those of accidents such as gas, machinery, electricity, transportation, flood, and fire. New organizational risks appeared with rapid development of state-owned coal mines’ reorganization. Low skilled labors restrict both technical renovation and safety management. The Government has adopted a systematic arrangement to improve coal mining safety such as closing the township and village coalmines that cannot meet the standard of safety, reinforcing the supervision over coal mining safety, strengthening technological renovation and enhancing work safety input.     

Real-time numerical simulations and experimental research for the propagation characteristics of shock waves and gas flow during coal and gas outburst

When coal and gas outburst occurs, high-speed gas flow and air shock wave with high kinetic energy could be created. In this paper, the formation process of outburst shock waves and gas flow has been analyzed firstly. Afterwards, the numerical simulation models of the roadways with right-angled intersection have been established, by which real-time simulation of the propagation of outburst gas flow and the process of gas transport has been conducted. Gas pressure, gas velocity and gas concentration can be simulated and shown. From analyzing the simulation results, qualitative and quantitative conclusions that the characteristics and patterns of the propagation and attenuation of outburst shock waves and gas flow can be arrived at. Finally, experimental models have been carried out to investigate the outburst shock waves and gas flow at the roadways with the similar shapes as the simulated ones. The results indicate that when shock wave and gas flow passes the intersection, most of the shock wave and gas flow will flow into the roadway of section opposite the intersection, and a little of it would flow into the roadway below the intersection. And turbulence will appear, shock wave reflects and diffracts at branches with more influence on the roadway below the intersection.     

Origin of hydrogen sulfide in coal seams in China

In recent years, coal mines in China have seen accidents caused by sudden release of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), with higher severity. Based on recent local and overseas research on the origin of hydrogen sulfide and the comparative analysis of isotopes, the paper presents three formation models of hydrogen sulfide: bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR), thermo-chemical sulfate reduction (TSR) and igneous activity, as well as the characteristics for identification. This paper analyzes and categorizes the formation models of some hydrogen sulfide in coal seams in China. Some suggestions were put forward for future research of H₂S in coal mines in China.     

Relationship between EMR and dissipated energy of coal rock mass during cyclic loading process

Dynamic collapses of deeply mined coal rocks are severe threats to miners. In order to predict the collapses more accurately using electromagnetic radiation (EMR), this paper researched the energy conversion mechanism in the damage process of coal rock mass, analysed its EMR and dissipated energy, and a relationship between which was established using the voltage amplitude of EMR signal and hysteresis loop generated in the loading and unloading cycles as a bridge; then a series of cyclic loading experiments using coal samples of Junde and Xinlu coal mines from Heilongjiang province were carried out, and EMR signal released during these cycles were collected. Results show that during a whole damage process of a sample, the cumulative values of EMR energy and corresponding dissipated energy (hysteresis loop area) well subject to the form of y=aln(x)+b, whose correlation coefficients are above 0.90, and EMR signals received by different frequency antenna seldom impacted on this relationship; the total EMR energy released from the whole failure process of the samples obtained from adjacent sampling point in same mining area are different to some extent, so are the dissipated energy; compared with cyclic loading for coal rock mass orderly with the peak loads of 5 kN and 10 kN previously, the dissipated energy of direct using that of 15 kN increase 17.8%, and EMR signal is more abundant; EMR energy received in each cycle increase steadily with the improvement of load level, and in a single loading and unloading cycle, sometimes it is very rich in the unloading phase, even more than the loading one.     

Dynamic numerical simulation of coal mine fire for escape capsule installation

Fire in mine laneway leads to disordered ventilation system airflow, and smoke will result in staff poisoning. In such situation, it necessitates to install a rescue capsule in the common staff area. In this paper, the software Fluent was used to simulate the airflow conditions dynamically in No. 5 belt roadway of Kongzhuang Coal Mine when fire broke out. The migration law of CO front was determined. By underground escape experiments, personnel escape velocity model in pathway was established. Based on the numerical simulation and results of field experiments, the escape capsule installation location in the passageway of No. 5 belt roadway was ascertained.     

The application of kinetics based simulation method in thermal risk prediction of coal

Coal spontaneous combustion is one of the major natural disasters faced in coal mines. The accurate prediction of the thermal risk of coal is of great importance. However, there isn't a widely accepted approach to get the oxidation process of coal that under adiabatic condition or in a specific environment under mine at present. To demonstrate whether the advanced kinetics simulation method could be employed to obtain the accurate oxidation process of coal for determining the coal's thermal risk in the mine design phase and mining phase, DSC experiments were conducted by C80 micro-calorimeter to get the heat behavior of coal, based on which the kinetic parameters can be solved and the oxidation process of coal can be predicted.The results showed that the kinetics based simulation method was successfully used to predict the adiabatic temperature rise process of coal for risk prediction. The deviation between the predicted curve and tested curve that obtained by adiabatic test is small enough to be accepted. Kinetics based simulation method is a promising candidate, instead of adiabatic test, to assess the propensity of coal to spontaneous combustion, which can play an important role in the design phase of the mine and mining area. Moreover, through establishing the heat balance equation of residual coal and with the aid of kinetics based simulation method, the oxidation process of coal that in the suffocation zone of the gob was also accurately predicted. According to the index t₇₀ (the time required for coal to reach 70 °C) and v_min (the lower limit of the advancing speed of the working face) obtained from the predicted curve, the thermal risk of coal was predicted to guide the further adjustment of the advancing speed of the working face, the amount of the injected mud and the determination that whether to add other fire prevention measures. Kinetics based simulation method, be of great practical importance in risk prediction of coal that in the gob, can be also used as a convenient tool to guide the safe production in the actual mining process.     

Co-utilization of two coal mine residues: Non-catalytic deoxygenation of coal mine methane over coal gangue

The deoxygenation of coal mine methane (CMM) is a necessary process for concentrating methane by pressure-swing adsorption technology. Removal of oxygen in CMM by the reaction between oxygen and carbon in coal gangue is a novel solution for simultaneously utilizing two kinds of byproducts of coal mine, CMM and coal gangue. Process conditions for the deoxygenation of CMM were investigated systematically by using a fixed-bed reactor. The results show that higher temperature and lower gas flow rate not only decreased the residual oxygen concentration in the outlet gas but also increased the methane loss, and that the particle size of gangue did not influence deoxygenation within the experimental conditions used. Under optimal conditions (650 °C and 250 mL/min), there was no residual oxygen in the outlet gas and the methane concentration decreased by less than 0.5 mol%. XRD results show that coal gangue was activated during deoxygenation, and that activated gangue was suitable for utilization as a main component in cementitious materials.     

Experimental study on advantages of foam–sol in coal dust control

In China, more than 2.65 million coal mine workers are exposed to coal dust. Every year, new pneumoconiosis cases amount to 25,000, among which 6000 cases die of this disease. The figure is twice the death toll in production safety accidents. Occupational diseases seriously endanger life and health of coal mine workers, and restrict the healthy growth of the coal industry.The paper presented a study of foam–sol-based coal dust control. This was an experimental study of characteristics of foam–sol-based coal dust control, which features dust capture, suppression, and isolation. Comparative wettability experiments were carried out to determine contact angles of water, aqueous foam, and foam–sol solution. A new foam–sol generating system with a conical diffuser outlet was proposed.The experiment results clearly showed that the foam–sol features dust capture, suppression, and isolation. The wettability of the aqueous foam solution was better than the foam–sol solution, but the foam–sol technology had the better ability to capture the airborne dust, suppress the static dust and enclose the dust source, due to the excellent surface viscosity, strong cohesiveness and less volatile property. The paper concluded that the foam–sol could greatly improve the dust control efficiency and did not have main deficiencies that the aqueous foam technology had.     

煤矿噪声对人的注意力影响实验研究

为了研究煤矿噪声对作业人员注意力的影响,采用舒尔特方格法对20名被试者进行5 d的测试,以反应时间和错误次数为评价标准,测试了5种不同分贝煤矿噪声下的注意力水平。运用SPSS,Excel等软件对实验所得的反应时间、出错次数和超时次数进行分析。结果表明:不同噪声等级刺激对矿工的注意力水平存在差异。噪声等级在35~85 db时,注意力水平变化不显著,当噪声等级超过85 db后,对注意力水平的影响趋于显著。煤矿安全规程规定井下作业场所的噪声不应超过85 db,如果超过此临界值,噪声会对矿工的注意力产生较大的负面影响,导致不安全行为的发生;不同噪声等级分别与矿工出错次数、超时次数成正相关关系。当噪声等级在35~85 db时,随噪声刺激的增大,矿工出错次数的增长率先增大后减小,而超时次数的增长率刚好相反。噪声等级超过85 db后,矿工出错次数、超时次数的增长率一致。