Analysis of the fire propagation in a sublevel coal mine

Abstract

A fire has been analyzed in a real underground coal mine, using a sublevel method, during an entire year. The study was focused on the collapsed area, reproducing a real mixture formed by coal, waste, and air gap. The analysis was done by means of an experimental analysis, a computational fuid dynamic model (CFD), and simulations using a mine ventilation software. Three scenarios were determined and studied regarding their influence on the evolution of the fire: (a) development of the fire without taking any action, (b) sealing off the affected areas, and (c) sealing and reducing the ventilation in the affected area and surrounding drifts. The study revealed the behavior of the fire in a real mine and the effectiveness of the main fire-fighting measures over time, verifying that none of the measures taken could eliminate the fire-induced in the collapsed area.