Objective
To complete work already in progress aimed at providing ventilation systems for effective dust control and ventilation of the cutting zone, on machines producing large makes of dust and methane, particularly where output is high.
To reduce the water consumption of spray systems fitted to cutting heads for control of dust and frictional ignitions.
To develop a computer 'expert system' to give advice to collieries on dust control in drivages and on faces
With coalface outputs still increasing, and drivage rates rising to meet the needs of the larger proportion of longwall coalfaces worked on retreat, the effectiveness of environmental control systems must be improved to ensure that the gains made in safety and health are not jeopardised in the future. The objectives of the present project were to improve and develop control systems for sites where outputs were high. For coalfaces the main areas of work were:-
a) Enhancement of extraction drum efficiency.
b) Reduction of water flows to shearers.
c) Improvement of extraction drum reliability.
In drivages, British Coal is increasingly using roof-bolts for primary roof support in high speed, flat-topped drivages cut by American-type continuous miners. Development of effective dust and methane control systems for such sites is of paramount importance to the future of Bitish Coal's drive for increased productivity. Consequently a considerable proportion of the project was spent on testing and development of control systems for these machines.
In arch section drivages, introduction of water powered cutting zone ventilators for ignition prevention on all drivage machines led to reduced advance rates at some sites due to problems with excess water on the floor. Reduction of water requirements for ventilation on boom-type machines was therefore another objective of the project.
In addition, because of the expected reduction in speciaist environmetnal staff at mines in the future, development of a computer expert system for dust control was started, although little progress was made due to the higher priority of work on the continuous miners.
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NG16 3EB Eastwood
United Kingdom