Location
Rolla, Missouri
Session Dates
11 Jun 1999 - 17 Jun 1999
Keywords and Phrases
Coal; Thin-seam; Ventilation; Panel Layout
Abstract
The extraction of coal from thin-seams is an important component of the future of coal mining in the commonwealth of Virginia. For thin-seam mining systems to be successful they must be able to provide production comparable to the current production methods in thicker seams. This necessitates the extensive use of remote mining technology. Regardless of The level of automation of the remote systems, efficient ventilation remains of paramount importance. This paper investigates several thin-seam mine panel schemes and possible variations in the ventilation systems. The primary approach made, however, is one of a pair of parallel panels mined simultaneously. A pair of face belts feed coal onto a common district belt. Ventilation is affected by means of a flow-through system. A cut of air is made to ventilate the mining machine and face. The face air being returned to the exhaust stream from the district. Problems associated with face ventilation in an extended remote cut are addressed and possible solutions presented. At the district level, ventilation considerations are addressed concerning the use of bleeder and bleederless schemes. Some special mention is made related to the potential application of backfilling the thin-seam entries following mining.
Department(s)
Mining Engineering
Meeting Name
8th U.S. Mine Ventilation Symposium
Publisher
University of Missouri--Rolla
Document Version
Final Version
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
File Type
text
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Holman, Darren; Loomis, Ian; and McPherson, Malcolm, "Ventilation System Design for a Thin-Seam Mining Panel" (1999). U.S. Mine Ventilation Symposium. 2.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/usmvs/8usmvs/8usmvs-theme1/2
Ventilation System Design for a Thin-Seam Mining Panel
Rolla, Missouri
The extraction of coal from thin-seams is an important component of the future of coal mining in the commonwealth of Virginia. For thin-seam mining systems to be successful they must be able to provide production comparable to the current production methods in thicker seams. This necessitates the extensive use of remote mining technology. Regardless of The level of automation of the remote systems, efficient ventilation remains of paramount importance. This paper investigates several thin-seam mine panel schemes and possible variations in the ventilation systems. The primary approach made, however, is one of a pair of parallel panels mined simultaneously. A pair of face belts feed coal onto a common district belt. Ventilation is affected by means of a flow-through system. A cut of air is made to ventilate the mining machine and face. The face air being returned to the exhaust stream from the district. Problems associated with face ventilation in an extended remote cut are addressed and possible solutions presented. At the district level, ventilation considerations are addressed concerning the use of bleeder and bleederless schemes. Some special mention is made related to the potential application of backfilling the thin-seam entries following mining.
