Podzemni Radovi (Jan 2017)
Assessing the effectiveness of inertization of brown coal dust with limestone rock dust
Abstract
An assessment of the effectiveness of inertization of coal dust with inert dust is an important step in prevention of coal dust explosions. According to the tests on their explosive properties, coal dusts from all the mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina present an explosion hazard. The measure applied in order to prevent the transmission of deposited coal dust explosion, in both methaneous and nonmethaneouspits, is wetting. The prescribed content of solid non-combustible particles in coal dust which makes the dust non-explosive, as defined by BH regulations, is actually based on the figures taken from Polish regulations. In order to get the content of inert component in coal dust which will prevent the transmission of explosion, relevant for BH coals, a research was conducted on brown coal dusts from the three largest producing coal mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this case, limestone rock dust was used to inert coal dust. Tests were conducted in accordance with the methods defined by BAS EN 14034-1 and EN 14034-2. The most important indicator of coal dust explosion is its explosive characteristics (Ek), which describes the interaction between the maximum rate of pressure rise (dp/dt)max, maximum explosion pressure pmax and duration of the explosion t1. The tests conducted indicate that the content of inert component in BH coal dusts differs from the amounts defined by the adopted Polish regulations and, consequently, that BAS (Bosnian and Herzegovina) standards need to be changed accordingly.
