Underground » Detection and Prevention of Fires and Explosions
An attempt has been made to use the results of two large scale spontaneous combustion testing methods to validate the parameters used in the spontaneous combustion models developed by the author. It was originally intended to use the results of the large-scale tests and derived oxidation parameters based upon laboratory testing to check the outcome of numerical modelling. This proved not to be possible. It was found that large-scale test results were subject to operational limitations that significantly affected the self-heating characteristics observed. This greatly limited the usefulness of data obtained from these test methods. Despite this there were a number of positive results, the numerical modelling techniques did provide a good indication of spontaneous combustion behaviour of coals based upon laboratory test methods.
Recommendations on the development of an improved test facility that would obviate the problems associated with the electronic control of the UQ 2m Column and the heat losses of the Simtars Spontaneous Combustion Rig are made.
An additional aspect of this project was the inclusion of moisture transfer into the author's numerical models to take into account the heat transfer processes associated with drying and wetting of coal in the spontaneous combustion process.