Parametric design of a coal mine refuge chamber

Abstract

In 2006 several coal mine tragedies led to safety legislation to provide post accident protection to coal miners. One of the key aspects of this legislation was providing refuge areas where miners could await rescue if they could not escape the mine. These refuge areas were to be designed to sustain life for four days, providing the miners with adequate oxygen, carbon dioxide scrubbing, food, water, and reasonable temperature control. A parametric study has been performed to provide further definition of the requirements in order to design an optimal portable refuge chamber with little or no electricity to enhance the comfort level of the trapped miners. The specific areas of interest concentrate on the amount and method of supplying oxygen and carbon dioxide scrubbing per miner along with the method of cooling necessary for sustaining the miners. Temperature inside the chamber becomes a vital concern when the outside ambient temperature rises in conjunction with internally generated heat from carbon dioxide scrubbing and metabolic body heat, causing internal temperatures to become elevated above safe levels. The maximum ambient temperature to sustain miners without air conditioning and the maximum ambient temperature with air conditioning was investigated to provide the best protection for the miners after an accident. The following work describes the complete calculations and design of the parameters using fundamentals from Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning.

Adsorption Properties of Modified Soda Lime for Carbon Dioxide Removal within the Closed Environment of a Coal Mine Refuge Chamber

“…The refuge chamber, a temporary shelter for miners waiting to be rescued, could provide a safe confined space for trapped miners. , However, CO 2 will accumulate in this space with miners’ breathing, thus this would endanger the miners’ health, or even their lives, while the storage of energy and CO 2 adsorbent is limited in the refuge chamber. Thus, improving CO 2 adsorption properties and reducing energy consumption seem to twin goals in the field of refuge chambers. − …”

Temperature Rise Within a Mobile Refuge Alternative—Experimental Investigation and Model Validation

“…An assumption made by prior research efforts was that a mine does not change its temperature when subjected to heat by an occupied RA [8,10]; hence, the mine strata would behave as an infinite heat sink. To check this assumption, the floor strata temperature beneath the center of the tent was measured at depths of 30.5, 61.0, 91.4, and 121.9 cm (12, 24, 36, and 48 in.)…”

Analysis of Heat Stress and the Indoor Climate Control Requirements for Movable Refuge Chambers

“…Due to the novelty of movable refuge chambers, they have attracted much attention in recent years. Fasouletos [ 8 ] performed a parametric study on the requirements for designing an optimal refuge chamber. Mitchell [ 9 ] examined the capability of refuge chambers to withstand overpressure and the requirements for the internal air and thermal environment of refuge chambers.…”