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Laboratory Determination of Signature Criteria for Locating and Monitoring Abandoned Mine Fires, 1991.

PB92177351

Publication Date	1991
Personal Author	Kim, A. G.
Page Count	26
Abstract	The U.S. Bureau of Mines mine fire diagnostic methodology to locate and monitor fires in abandoned mines and waste banks is based on the controlled sampling of the mine atmosphere to determine changes in the concentration of hydrocarbons desorbed from heated coal. To provide background data for the methodology, a laboratory study was conducted in which samples of coal and coal waste were heated under controlled conditions. Gas samples from the combustion furnace were analyzed for standard gases CO2 and CO and for the C1 to C5 hydrocarbons. In all tests, the concentration of desorbed hydrocarbons increased during heating and decreased during cooling. A dimensionless hydrocarbon ratio, R1, was developed as the signature for heated coal. For bituminous coals, the value of R1 increases during heating of coal samples and decreases during cooling of the same samples. Generally, R1 values of 100 or more indicate coal sample temperatures of at least 100 C. The emission of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from anthracite samples was very low, resulting in relatively low R1 values at all temperatures. Data from field projects confirmed these results.
Keywords	Abandoned sites Mine fires Environmental monitoring Mine wastes Gas analysis Hydrocarbons Site surveys Concentration(Composition) Coal mining Desorption Chemical composition Laboratory equipment Experimental design Temperature dependent Toxic substances Methane
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines Office of Surface Mining
NTIS Subject Category	48A - Mineral Industries 81A - Combustion & Ignition 99F - Physical & Theoretical Chemistry 68A - Air Pollution & Control 68C - Solid Wastes Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh Research Center.
Supplemental Notes	See also PB91-127910. Library of Congress catalog card no. 89-600300.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Rept. of investigations/1991.
NTIS Issue Number	199214

Laboratory Determination of Signature Criteria for Locating and Monitoring Abandoned Mine Fires, 1991.

Laboratory Determination of Signature Criteria for Locating and Monitoring Abandoned Mine Fires, 1991.
PB92177351

Publication Date	1991
Personal Author	Kim, A. G.
Page Count	26
Abstract	The U.S. Bureau of Mines mine fire diagnostic methodology to locate and monitor fires in abandoned mines and waste banks is based on the controlled sampling of the mine atmosphere to determine changes in the concentration of hydrocarbons desorbed from heated coal. To provide background data for the methodology, a laboratory study was conducted in which samples of coal and coal waste were heated under controlled conditions. Gas samples from the combustion furnace were analyzed for standard gases CO2 and CO and for the C1 to C5 hydrocarbons. In all tests, the concentration of desorbed hydrocarbons increased during heating and decreased during cooling. A dimensionless hydrocarbon ratio, R1, was developed as the signature for heated coal. For bituminous coals, the value of R1 increases during heating of coal samples and decreases during cooling of the same samples. Generally, R1 values of 100 or more indicate coal sample temperatures of at least 100 C. The emission of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from anthracite samples was very low, resulting in relatively low R1 values at all temperatures. Data from field projects confirmed these results.
Keywords	Abandoned sites Mine fires Environmental monitoring Mine wastes Gas analysis Hydrocarbons Site surveys Concentration(Composition) Coal mining Desorption Chemical composition Laboratory equipment Experimental design Temperature dependent Toxic substances Methane
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines Office of Surface Mining
NTIS Subject Category	48A - Mineral Industries 81A - Combustion & Ignition 99F - Physical & Theoretical Chemistry 68A - Air Pollution & Control 68C - Solid Wastes Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh Research Center.
Supplemental Notes	See also PB91-127910. Library of Congress catalog card no. 89-600300.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Rept. of investigations/1991.
NTIS Issue Number	199214