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Discriminatory mine fire source detection.

Authors
Edwards JC; Franks RA; Friel GF; Lazzara CP; Opferman JJ
Source
Proceedings of the Seventh International Mine Ventilation Congress, June 17-22, 2001, Crakow, Poland. S Wasilewski, ed., Crakow, Poland: Research & Development Center for Electrical Engineering and Automation in Mining (EMAG), 2001 Jun; :649-655
Link
NIOSHTIC No.
20021298
Abstract
Product-of combustion sensors were used to discriminate mine fire sources of coal, diesel fuel, electrical cable insulation, conveyor belt, and nuisance emissions from acetylene torch cutting operations in experiments conducted in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) Safety Research Coal Mine (SRCM). The sensors consisted of CO, ionization and optical smoke, and metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors. Metal oxide semiconductor and smoke sensors demonstrated an earlier fire detection capability than a CO sensor. This capability was of particular significance for a smoldering conveyor-belt fire in which the optical visibility was reduced to 1.52 m with an increase in CO of less than 2 ppm at a distance of 148 m from the fire. An application of a neural-network program to the sensor responses from each type of fire source resulted in correct classifications of coal, diesel-fuel, cable insulation, belt, and metal-cutting combustion with a mean of 96% of the in-mine test data correctly classified. In a battery charging building, a fire sensor configuration consisting of an ionization type smoke sensor and a MOS, NOx - sensitive sensor was demonstrated to be capable of discriminating a coal fire from diesel equipment when Hz from a battery charging operation saturated the CO chemical sensor cell.
Keywords
Mine disasters; Mine fires; Mining industry; Coal mining; Fuels; Electrical insulation; Diesel emissions
Publication Date
20010617
Document Type
Conference/Symposia Proceedings; Book or book chapter
Editors
Wasilewski S
Fiscal Year
2001
ISBN No.
8391310914
NIOSH Division
PRL
Source Name
Proceedings of the Seventh International Mine Ventilation Congress, June 17-22, 2001, Crakow, Poland
State
PA
Page last reviewed: July 9, 2021
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Information Division