Recent trends in rock dust modifications for improved dispersion and coal dust explosion mitigation

Underground coal mine explosions is perhaps the most hazardous danger in the coal mining industries. Efforts have been made to abate the coal dust explosion by applying rock dust either dry or wet. Dry dust has the best lift characteristic which efficiently quenches the flame propagation of a potential explosion. As a trade-off, undesired respirable dust particles are thereby generated imposing a severe health hazard on coal miners. Wet dusting is an alternative to dry dusting which significantly reduces the exposure to respirable dust particles. However, wet dust is subject to adverse caking issues which lead to a drastic reduction in the dispersibility of the particles. The present work summarizes the studies conducted to date regarding the surface modification of rock dust particles for the purpose of eliminating or alleviating the problems accompanying coal mine dusting applications, meanwhile improving the dispersive properties of dust particles and the ability to suppress the coal dust explosion.     

FACTORS INVOLVED IN EVALUATING GROUND WATER IMPACTS OF DEEP COAL MINE DRAINAGE1

ABSTRACT: The determination of probable ground water impacts of proposed deep coal mining is required as part of permit applications. Impact prediction generally involves well production test analysis and modeling of ground water systems associated with coal seams. Well production tests are often complicated due to the relatively low permeabilities of sandstones and shales of ground water systems. The effects of the release of water stored within finite diameter production wells must be considered. Well storage capacity appreciably affects early well production test time drawdown or time recovery data. Low pumping rates, limited cones of depression, and length of required pumping periods ate important well production test design factors. Coal seam ground water system models are usually multilayered and leaky artesian. Mine drafts partially penetrate the ground water system. Simulation of coal mine drainage often involves the horizontal permeability and storage coefficient of the coal seam zone, vertical permeabilities of sandstones and shales (aquitard) above and below the coal seam zone, and the hydrologic properties of the source bed above the aqultard overlying the coal seam zone. Ground water level declines in both the coal seam zone and source bed near land surface are necessary factors in impact analysis. An example of evaluation studies in southwest Indiana will illustrate factors involved in deep coal mine drainage modeling efforts.     

THE COMPLETE DRAINAGE PROGRAM - MORE THAN AN ORDINANCE1

ABSTRACT. An ever increasing number of communities throughout the nation are being forced by Federal legislation and local pressures to adopt land use and control measures related to drainage and flood protection. In many instances communities are hastily adopting ordinances and regulations which later prove difficult to administer and enforce. In addition, many of these ordinances and regulations are not producing the results originally anticipated. This paper discusses the basic elements of a drainage ordinance and evaluates the role of the ordinance in a comprehensive drainage program. This evaluation is based on the results of a two year study of drainage programs in five urban areas which produced a model urban drainage ordinance and recommendations on the administration of the ordinance. Personal interviews and local documents are used as the data base in formulating conclusions and recommendations.     

THE EFFECTS OF MINE ACID ON THE POND RIVER WATERSHED IN WESTERN KENTUCKY1

ABSTRACT: H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) is formed by a chemical process that occurs in unreclaimed coal mines. The highly toxic acid then flows into the lower swamp areas where it causes considerable damage to the ecosystem. The major effect of the acid is the mass destruction of thousands of trees and various other phreatophytic plants. The contamination is so serious that most of the wildlife has migrated out of the affected area of the swamp in order to survive. Certain geological features such as coal bearing monadanocks make the area somewhat sensitive to mining activities and related geologic hazards. New methods of mine acid abatement make the concept of mass reclamation more realistic than at any time in the past. The constant annihilation of swamp life and processes emphasizes the urgent need for reclamation of the swamp.     

SURFACE WATER RESOURCES OF ST. JOHNS RIVER,FLORIDA1

ABSTRACT: The St. Johns River basin is the largest watershed entirely within the State of Florida, and is one of the few northward flowing rivers in the United States. The river basin contains 11,431 square miles, of which 9,430 square miles are drained by the river and its tributaries. The remainder drains into the Atlantic Ocean or the Intracoastal Waterway. Its largest sub-basin is the Oklawaha River basin, which has a drainage area of 2,870 square miles. Ground elevations range from sea level to 200 feet above mean sea level in the main river basin and as high as 300 feet above mean sea level in the Oklawaha River basin. This study was designed to investigate the surface water resources of the St. Johns River and the existing consumptive uses. The analysis revealed that the river is an extremely large and valuable resource which has been under-utilized and could play a much stronger role in serving the needs of the people in the basin.     

EXTRACTION AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE ACQUIRED PHYSIOGRAPHIC DATA FOR WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT1

ABSTRACT: ERTS-1 satellite imagery has been evaluated as a means of providing useful watershed physiography information. From these data physiographic parameters such as drainage basin area and shape, drainage density, stream length and sinuosity, and the percentage of a watershed occupied by major land use types were obtained in three study areas. The study areas were: (1) Southwestern Wisconsin; (2) Eastern Colorado; and (3) portions of the Middle Atlantic States Using ERTS-1 imagery at 1:250,000 and 1:100,000 scales it was found that drainage basin area and shape and stream sinuosity were comparable (within 10%) in all study areas to physiographic measurements derived from conventional topographic maps at the same scales Land use information can be usefully extracted for watersheds as small as 30 mi²(78 km²) in area. Improved drainage network and density information is obtained from ERTS-1 imagery in dissected areas such as Southwestern Wisconsin, but in heavily vegetated areas (Middle Atlantic States) or areas with little physical relief (Eastern Colorado) low order streams are difficult to detect and the derived drainage densities are significantly smaller than those obtained from standard maps. It is concluded that ERTS-1 imagery can be employed to advantage in mean annual runoff prediction techniques and in providing or maintaining land use information used in the calibration and operation of watershed models.     

Contributions of advective and diffusive oxygen transport through multilayer composite caps over mine waste

The relative contributions of four mechanisms of oxygen transport in multilayer composite (MLC) caps placed over oxygen-consuming mine waste were evaluated using numerical and analytical methods. MLC caps are defined here as caps consisting of earthen and geosynthetic (polymeric) components where a composite barrier layer consisting of a geomembrane (1-2 mm thick polymeric sheet) overlying a clay layer is the primary barrier to transport. The transport mechanisms that were considered are gas-phase advective transport, gas-phase diffusive transport, liquid-phase advective transport via infiltrating precipitation and liquid-phase diffusive transport. A numerical model was developed to simulate gas-phase advective-diffusive transport of oxygen through a multilayer cap containing seven layers. This model was also used to simulate oxygen diffusion in the liquid phase. An approximate analytical method was used to compute the advective flux of oxygen in the liquid phase. The numerical model was verified for limiting cases using an analytical solution. Comparisons were also made between model predictions and field data for earthen caps reported by others. Results of the analysis show that the dominant mechanism for oxygen transport through MLC caps is gas-phase diffusion. For the cases that were considered, the gas-phase diffusive flux typically comprises at least 99% of the total oxygen flux. Thus, designers of MLC caps should focus on design elements and features that will limit diffusion of gas-phase oxygen.     

煤矿事故中生命价值经济评价探讨

我国每年都有大量的煤矿事故发生 ,造成数千名矿工死亡 ,对死亡矿工的经济赔偿 ,往往是事故处理的一大难题 ,其主要原因是目前对死亡矿工的赔偿标准偏低。由于赔偿费用低 ,经济赔偿的代价不足 ,以引起威慑和警戒 ,部分煤矿企业仍然不重视安全生产、不珍惜矿工生命 ,从而煤矿伤亡事故不断发生。分析了目前国内外主要的生命价值评价方法和评价结果 ,对煤矿事故中的生命价值进行了研究 ,提出采用净产值推算矿工的生命价值 ,并给出了相应的计算公式和分析实例。分析结果表明 ,目前的赔偿标准不能体现矿工的生命价值 ,二者之间存在相当大的差距     

矿业固废淋溶物对地下环境的污染控制研究进展

初步探讨了矿业生产所产生的固体废物(煤矸石、矿渣和尾矿等)在水的淋溶和其他介质的作用下产生的有毒有害物质对地下环境(土壤和水)的污染机制,重点论述了有毒有害物质(重金属、有机污染物等)含量分配,尤其是有机污染物对地下水环境影响。针对其污染特点,提出了相应解决办法及今后需做的重点工作。     

浅埋型矿井涌水量预测预报的灰色模型

矿井涌水量预测 ,对矿井安全及正常生产都至关重要。矿井涌水量预测采用的常规方法对各含水层的水文地质参数依赖性较大 ,而对各因素之间的影响程度难以区分和把握 ,因此 ,在预测预报中的精度较差 ;而采用灰色理论则具有高度的概括性 ,可以把各种不确定因素 ,统统用一个简单的“灰数”来表示 ,并且预测精度高而简单实用。笔者在分析浅埋型矿井涌水量的构成要素的基础上应用灰色系统理论对其涌水量进行了预测 ,其方法与结果对推动矿井水文地质工作有一定的现实意义和指导作用。