Fundamentals of forecasting explosive gas accumulation formation in working areas of coal mines

Abstract

This article presents a methodological approach to solving the problem of predicting local methane accumulations in order to prevent occupational injuries resulting from explosions of methane-air mixtures. On the basis of the analysis of accidents that occurred in coal mines and industrial injuries of miners (mine workers) it is established that the leading role belongs to explosions of methane-air mixtures. The method/methodology considered in the article is based on a comprehensive analysis, first of all, of both mining and geological and other influencing factors and conditions of operating mines of the Pechersk coal basin, as well as aerogas-dynamic processes of mass transfer of air flows in mine workings. The assumption about influence of mining equipment on the process of formation of methane accumulation sites is made. The algorithm of consecutive actions of managerial engineering and technical personnel to reduce industrial injuries is proposed. The developed algorithm implies the use of applied software for modelling aerogas-dynamic processes in the mining excavation operating region. FlowVision and ANSYS Fluent application software packages were selected to determine the methane accumulation locations based on the analysis of existing application programmes.