NIOSH Mining Major Equipment

Mobile Diesel Powered Propeller Fan

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Portable diesel powered propeller fan
Portable diesel powered propeller fan
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The mobile diesel powered propeller fan is a 54-inch, three bladed propeller fan that is rated at 60,000 cfm. The fan is powered by a 25 hp diesel engine. The unit is mounted on a single axial trailer for highway use, and includes all safety items required by the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) for use in metal/non-metal underground mines. The fan is very useful for performing ventilation research in large-opening mines because it can be transported easily to any mine site location and driven directly to the underground test sites. The transportability of the fan unit greatly decreases our response time to address specific ventilation problems encountered by our stakeholders. Electricity is not always readily available at the required locations of the ventilation tests, and considerable time and effort is often required by the cooperator to provide power to the test sites. The mobile diesel powered propeller fan eliminates logistics problems associated with the use of conventional electric fans, further enhancing the research capability of the unit. The fan has been used to conduct various research tasks in large opening mines related to face ventilation, mine-wide ventilation, and silica dust near an underground stone crusher.

Site:  Lake Lynn Laboratory

Facility:  Lake Lynn Experimental Mine

Page last updated: 9/17/2008
Page last reviewed: 4/30/2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Division