ACARP ACARP ACARP ACARP
Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Optimisation of a Thermal Flow Reversal Reactor for Ventilation Air Methane Mitigation

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation » Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Published: August 21Project Number: C27054

Get ReportAuthor: Jon Yin, Shi Su, Johnny Qin | CSIRO

Ventilation air methane (VAM) generally accounts for 50-85% of the total fugitive emissions from an underground coal mine depending on mine site conditions. VAM presents a challenge to mitigation or use as an energy source because VAM represents the largest proportion of methane emissions from coal mines, its air volume flow rate is large and the methane resource is dilute and variable in concentration, and it contains dust, and is almost 100% moisture saturated.  Thermal flow reversal reactors (TFRRs) have achieved commercial scale with a number of demonstration units in the world. However, existing TFRRs are usually equipped with a packed bed structure, which generally exhibits two operational problems:

  • dust clogging inside the bed resulting in frequent unit shut down and higher maintenance costs.
  • high pressure drop through the bed resulting in high power consumption in unit operation.

This project aimed to optimise the VAMMIT thermal oxidiser to achieve less pressure drop and higher methane oxidation efficiency, while also investigating the safety associated with VAMMIT unit operation. This project also investigated the feasibility of a catalytic VAM mitigator to operate at much lower temperatures (~450-700 oC) to completely avoid stone dust decomposition and enable operation at lower methane concentrations. The project focussed on:

  • Optimisation of the honeycomb bed structure of VAMMIT;
  • Optimisation of operating parameters of VAMMIT;
  • Feasibility study of a new catalytic version VAMMIT;
  • Investigation of safety management associated with VAMMIT.

This project has been successfully completed with all the research tasks accomplished. The improvements of novel pilot-scale VAMMIT prototype unit has been studied by optimising its bed structure and operating parameters. Also, new safety measures are investigated to couple with the prototype VAMMIT unit for better safety management. A catalytic version VAMMIT unit has been designed and evaluated under various conditions based on a commercial Pt-based honeycomb monolith catalyst.

Underground

Health and safety, productivity and environment initiatives.

Recently Completed Projects

C34019Longwall Bretby Cable Handling Monitoring With Fibre Optics

This project examined the potential of using fibre optic sensing tec...

C27049Mine Machine Radar Sensor Integration

The aim of this project was to develop an integrated radar sensor an...

C29007Innovative Coal Burst System To Investigate The Influence Of Confinement Loss And Pre-Conditioning On Coal Burst Mechanism

The challenges associated with designing and operating a safe and pr...

Underground

Open Cut

Safety, productivity and the right to operate are priorities for open cut mine research.

Recently Completed Projects

C28035Topsoil Deficits In Site Rehabilitation Accelerated Transformation Of Spoils To Functional Soils

The incorporation of commercial biological amendments (compost, worm...

C34036Tyre Handler Testing Rig Stage 2: Lifting Trials

Tyre handling is a major source of risk in surface mining operations...

C29052Autonomous Water Pressure Sensors For Spoil Dumps And Dams

The geotechnical integrity and stability of a mine spoil dump or tai...

Open Cut

Coal Preparation

Maximising throughput and yield while minimising costs and emissions.

Coal Preparation

Technical Market Support

Market acceptance and emphasising the advantages of Australian coals.

Recently Completed Projects

C34060In-Situ Investigation Of Coke Structure Formation Under Stamp Charged Coking Conditions

Stamp charged cokemaking has emerged as an effective technique to im...

C34062Improving The Classification Of Microstructure Distribution In Coke CT Images Using Deep Learning And Lineal Path Calculations

This project builds on a number of earlier projects that have helped...

C29071Source Of Variability Of Reactivity Of Coke In The CSR Test

The Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) test is used worldwide to det...

Technical Market Support

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the production of coal.

Recently Completed Projects

C28076Selective Absorption Of Methane By Ionic Liquids (SAMIL)

This third and final stage of this project was the culmination of a ...

C29069Low-Cost Catalyst Materials For Effective VAM Catalytic Oxidation

Application of ventilation air methane (VAM) thermal oxidiser requir...

C23052Novel Stone Dust Looping Process For Ventilation Air Methane Abatement

This multi‐phase project is concerned with the mitigation of m...

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Low Emission Coal Use

Step-change technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently Completed Projects

C17060BGasification Of Australian Coals

Four Australian coals were trialled in the Siemens 5 MWth pilot scale ga...

C17060AOxyfuel Technology For Carbon Capture And Storage Critical Clean Coal Technology - Interim Support

The status of oxy-fuel technology for first-generation plant is indicate...

C18007Review Of Underground Coal Gasification

This report consists of a broad review of underground coal gasification,...

Low Emission Coal Use

Mining And The Community

The relationship between mines and the local community.

Recently Completed Projects

C16027Assessing Housing And Labour Market Impacts Of Mining Developments In Bowen Basin Communities

The focus of this ACARP-funded project has been to identify a number...

C22029Understanding And Managing Cumulative Impacts Of Coal Mining And Other Land Uses In Regions With Diversified Economies

The coal industry operates in the context of competing land-uses that sh...

C23016Approval And Planning Assessment Of Black Coal Mines In NSW And Qld: A Review Of Economic Assessment Techniques

This reports on issues surrounding economic assessment and analysis ...

Mining And The Community

NERDDC

National Energy Research,Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC) reports - pre 1992.

Recently Completed Projects

1609-C1609Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

1301-C1301Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development...

Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development and Extraction Operations

0033-C1356Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals...

Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals - An Industry Handbook

NERDDC