Pressure Balancing Techniques to

Control Spontaneous Combustion

F. Calizaya, M.G. Nelson,

C. Bateman, and A. Jha

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

2016

1
 Pressure Balancing Techniques to
Control Spontaneous Combustion

 Introduction
 University of Utah Ventilation Model
 Automatic Pressure Balancing
 Laboratory Experiments
 Conclusions and Discussions
 Introduction

Spontaneous combustion (Sponcom) is a safety

hazard in underground coal mines.

It accounts for approximately 17% of the total

number of fires recorded in the U.S. since 1990

In US coal mines, worked out areas are either

ventilated or isolated by explosion proof seals.
 Introduction

Seals are not airtight structures. they “breathe in and

breathe out” with changes in barometric pressure.

These changes maybe sufficient to start a Sponcom

fire.

The risk of Sponcom can be reduced or eliminated

by using a pressure balancing system.
 Pressure Balancing Techniques

Pressure balancing is a proactive ventilation

technique used to neutralize pressure differentials
around and across caved areas of a coal mine.

If these pressure differentials are reduced to zero,

then there will be no leakage through the seals,
thus there will be no oxygen to start Sponcom.
 Pressure Balancing Techniques
There are two types of pressure balancing: passive
and active.

Passive pressure balancing is achieved by

changing airway and regulator resistances, and
flow quantities near the gob.

Used to neutralize moderate pressure differentials.

Schematic of a Passive Pressure Balancing System
 Pressure Balancing Techniques
Active pressure balancing is achieved by using
an external pressure source usually in the form of
inert gas (nitrogen).

It requires the construction of pressure chambers,

and the installation and operation of pressure
transducers, and an inert gas injection system.

Used to neutralize large pressure differentials.

Schematic of an Active Pressure Balancing System
 University of Utah Ventilation Model

This model simulated a longwall mine ventilation system

It includes two simulated working areas: one continuous miner

(CM), and one longwall panel.

It also includes a pressure balancing chamber, a bleeder section,

two fans, and a PC-based monitoring and control system.

The monitoring system is operated by a program called VENTLAB

 Bleeder fan LW Face Chamber
CM face Pressure chamber
LW face

Gob area
Main fan Regulators
 24

U of Utah Atmospheric Monitoring System

12
 Automatic Pressure Balancing

The system is equipped with a pressure chamber, a set of

pressure transducers, an external pressure source (CO 2 cylinder),
and a software-operated, CO2 gas injection system.

A sub-routine, APBCON was written to operate the system.

The program reads pressure differentials, evaluates them against

two pressure levels (range), switches on/off a CO2g flow control
valve so the pressure across the isolation stopping is neutralized.
 F1

Pressure Chamber
 Laboratory Experiments
Pressure balancing experiments were carried out at the University
of Utah for three different ventilation conditions.

Case 1. Passive Pressure Balancing

Case 2. Manually Controlled Active Pressure Balancing

Case 3. Automatic Pressure Balancing.

Case 1. Passive Pressure Balancing

Bleeder K I
Return - J
Fan
Duct H

B E G

Face
A Face 1 F
D C1
Gob

2
Main Fan C

CM
LW
Blower Fan ON

a) Punch-out System
a) Punch-out System
P re s s u re (P a )
Gob area
21
1
2000
1500 11
1000
500
0 30
-5000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Distance (m)
(a)
P re s s u re ( P a )

Chamber
2000
1500
1000
500
0
-5000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Distance (m)

(b)

Figure 5 Static pressure profiles with chamber in place; (a) when valves C1
was closed, and (b) after valve C1 was open.
Case 2. Manually Controlled Active Pressure Balancing
Bleeder fan Blocked
I
K
Return Duct J Chamber

Face 1
H G
B

Face 2
A C E F
V1 D
V2 Gob

Regulator CO2 Injection System

Main Blower Fan

CM

LW
Blower Fan ON

b) Wrap-around System
b) Wrap-around System
2500
Gob Area
2000
Pressure, Pa

1500

1000

500

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Distance, m

2500
(a)
2000
Pressure, Pa

1500

1000 Chamber

500
(b)
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Distance, m

Static pressure profiles with chamber in place; (a) when CO2 valve was
closed, and (b) when the valve was open
b) Wrap-around System
P re s s u re , P a

2000

1600

1200
PS 26
800
PS 23
400

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Time, s

Figure 6. Pressure build-up and decay in the chamber with changes in gas injection rate.
 Case 3. Automatic Pressure Balancing.

For this case, the lab model was set up to simulate a flow-through bleeder
ventilation system and the CO2 injection system automated..

When adverse conditions were detected, the CO2 gas injection system was
operated automatically.

Blower Fan ON

c) Flow -through bleeder system

 Pressure, Pa
5000

4000

3000

2000

1000 Chamber pressure

Gob pressure
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Time, s

Figure 7. Pressure profiles generated by the automatic CO 2 injection system

 Conclusions and Discussions
Pressure balancing is a proactive ventilation technique used to
prevent the onset of spontaneous combustion in coal mines.

It requires: (a) construction of pressure chambers, (b) monitoring

of pressure differentials, and (3) injection of a pressurized fluid
into the chambers when adverse conditions are detected.

It has been used in many coal mining countries including

Australia, the U.K., Poland and India, but not so much in the U.S.
coal mines
 Pressure Balancing Technique
 Establish a chamber SEAL
CHAMBER

 Monitor pressure across the

Gob-chamber interface
 Pressurize the chamber (N2)
 Encourage ingress of N2
into the Gob
 Eliminate the ingress of Q2 to
the gob (remove heat)
SPONTANEOUS
 Eliminate risk of Sponcom COMBUSTION OR
EXPLOSION
 Control fire and work safely.
 Acknowledgement
This study was sponsored by the Alpha Foundation for the
Improvement of Mine Safety and Health, Inc. (ALPHA
FOUNDATION).

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed herein are

solely those of the authors and do not imply any endorsement by
the ALPHA FOUNDATION, its Directors and staff.
Thank You!