An optimized control of ventilation in coal mines based on artificial neural network

According to the nonlinear and time dependent features of the ventilation systems for coal mines, a neural network method is applied to control the ventilator for coal mines in real time. The technical processes of coal mine ventilation system are introduced, and the principle of controlling a ventilation fan is also explained in detail. The artificial neutral network method is used to calculate the wind quantity needed by work spots in coal mine on the basis of the data collected by the system, including ventilation conditions, environmental temperatures, humidity, coal dust and the contents of all kinds of poisonous and harmful gases. Then the speed of ventilation fan is controlled according to the required wind which is determined by an overall integration of data. A neural network method is presented for overall optimized solution or the genetic algorithm of simulated annealing.

Effect of High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation on EVLW and Lung Capillary Permeability of Piglets with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Caused by Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Insults

The effect of high frequency oscillatory ventilation（HFOV） at early stage on hemodynamic parameters, extravascular lung water（EVLW）, lung capillary permeability, CC16 and s ICAM-1 in piglets with pulmonary or extrapulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome（ARDS） was explored. Central vein pressure（CVP） and pulse indicator continuous cardiac output（Pi CCO） were monitored in 12 anesthetized and intubated healthy piglets. Pulmonary ARDS（ARDSp） and extrapulmonary ARDS（ARDSexp） models were respectively established by lung lavage of saline solution and intravenous injection of oleic acid. Then the piglets received HFOV for 4 h. EVLW index（EVLWI）, EVLW/intratroracic blood volume（ITBV） and pulmonary vascular permeability index（PVPI） were measured before and after modeling（T0 and T1）, and T2（1 h）, T3（2 h）, T4（3 h） and T5（4 h） after HFOV. CC16 and s ICAM-1 were also detected at T1 and T5. Results showed at T1, T3, T4 and T5, EVLWI was increased more significantly in ARDSp group than in ARDSexp group（P〈0.05）. The EVLWI in ARDSp group was increased at T1（P=0.008）, and sustained continuously within 2 h（P=0.679, P=0.216）, but decreased at T4（P=0.007） and T5（P=0.037）. The EVLWI in ARDSexp group was also increased at T1（P=0.003）, but significantly decreased at T3（P=0.002） and T4（P=0.019）. PVPI was increased after modeling in both two groups（P=0.004, P=0.012）, but there was no significant change within 4 h（T5） under HFOV in ARDSp group, while PVPI showed the increasing trends at first, then decreased in ARDSexp group after HFOV. The changes of EVLW/ITBV were similar to those of PVPI. No significant differences were found in ΔEVLWI（P=0.13）, ΔPVPI（P=0.28） and ΔEVLW/ITBV between the two groups（P=0.63）. The significant decreases in both CC16 and s ICAM-1 were found in both two groups 4 h after HFOV, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. It was concluded that EVLWI and lung capillary permeability were markedly increased in ARDSp and ARDSexp groups. EVLW could be decreased 4 h after the HFOV treatment. HFOV, EVLW/ITBV and PVPI were increased slightly at first, and then decreased in ARDSexp group, while in ARDSp group no significant difference was found after modeling. No significant differences were found in the decreases in EVLW and lung capillary permeability 4 h after HFOV.

Theoretical analysis and applications of Y-Inversion Ventilation System in a mine fire zone

Based on mine fire fighting practices at the 1110 working face of the Brapukuria Coal Mine,Bangladesh,we introduce and discuss the Y-Inversion Ventilation System,the latest technology used both in mine fire zone management and the unsealing process.This ventilation system can ensure that all miners breathed fresh air,providing protection for them during fire fighting and unsealing the fire zone.On the other hand,adjusting the amount of air at the working face and forming a CO leakage path controlled the state of the fire and as well ensured that the different fire extinguishing measures could be applied successfully.These are all fundamental techniques which ensured successful fire extinguishing and unsealing of the fire zone.We also analyzed the main reasons for the spontaneous coal combustion that occurred at the 1110 working face.Successful application of advanced composite polymer colloidal perfusion techniques,polymer foam MEA perfusion and fire-prevention technology by infusing nitrogen,used in mine fire zone management and unsealing,are presented.We value the experience with these techniques very highly and are of the opinion that these techniques could be widely used in mine fire fighting practices under similar spontaneous coal combustion conditions elsewhere.

Practical Mitigation Strategies for Countering the Spread of Aerosolized COVID-19 Virus (SARS-CoV-2) Using Ventilation and HEPA Air Purifiers: A Literature Review

This paper assesses, through an extensive literature review, the use of ventilation and High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) purifiers as practical mitigation strategies for reducing the spread of aerosolized COVID-191 virus. HEPA is a well-defined standard by the U.S. Department of Energy for filters. The focus of the literature review was on indoor air quality (IAQ) and COVID-19, with a particular emphasis on classroom settings. The start of the review, January 2020, was chosen to coincide with the first cases of COVID-19 in North America. Although children under the age of 12 are currently not yet vaccinated, there is mounting pressure for a return to normal by the start of the new school year, 2021. Also, many classrooms lack pre-installed mechanical ventilation systems (Olsiewski et al., 2021);therefore, mitigation in classrooms often falls solely in the hands of teachers and students. Research shows that ventilation and air purification are essential tools to counter aerosolized transmission (<5 μm) of the COVID-19 virus. According to Curtius et al. (2020), the inhaled dose of particles containing virus RNA is six times lower when using air purifiers with an ACH (air changes per hour) of 5.7. However, ventilation and air purifiers are not replacements for masks, which remain vital for countering droplet (>5 μm) transmission. In addition, occupancy (i.e., number and proximity of people present in a given area) and group activity levels (e.g., talking, shouting, singing) play a critical role in viral transmission. Although natural ventilation by opening windows can be an essential strategy to help counter the spread of the virus, the level of ventilation offered by opening windows is largely uncontrollable as it is subject to weather conditions and building design. One must also consider the energy implications (i.e., loss of heat) that this strategy carries. Scientific evidence shows that varying levels of continuous and/or intermittent ventilation, either mechanical or natural, combined with the use of HEPA air purifiers, can provide a higher degree of protection than window access alone (Curtius et al., 2020). Systematic deployment of a hybrid mitigation strategy incorporating both ventilation and HEPA air purification in schools, offices, or other facilities offers a practical way to establish a safe re-opening of society in Canada.

Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S@CoAl LDH S-型异质结构建及其光催化析氢性能研究

构建高效、稳定的异质结光催化剂体系是实现太阳能驱动分解水制氢的有效途径。本研究通过物理混合法将Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S纳米棒与CoAl LDH纳米片进行耦合,成功制备出一种新型的Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S@CoAl LDH(MCCA)S型异质结光催化剂。光致发光光谱和光电流测试结果表明,该异质结在内建电场的作用下可以有效地加快Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S和CoAl LDH界面间光生载流子的分离和电子转移。关键的是,CoAl LDH的引入有效地抑制了光生电子与空穴的复合,从而提高了Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S的光催化产氢活性。最佳CoAl LDH负载量的MCCA-3在5 h内的产氢量为1177.9μmol。与单独使用纯Mn_(0.2)Cd_(0.8)S纳米棒和CoAl LDH纳米片相比,这是一个显著的改进。本研究为合理设计用于光催化制氢的S型异质结光催化剂提供了一条简单有效的途径。

宽负荷下切圆燃煤锅炉H_(2)S分布特性的数值模拟

锅炉采用空气分级燃烧降低NO_(x)排放的同时也提高了主燃区H_(2)S体积分数。炉墙壁面过高的H_(2)S体积分数是加剧水冷壁高温腐蚀的重要因素。为保障新能源并网发电,大型燃煤机组灵活调峰的需求增加,不同负荷下的水冷壁近壁面H_(2)S分布特性值得关注。通过正交试验分析了切圆燃煤锅炉运行参数对水冷壁近壁面H_(2)S体积分数分布的影响。选取一台超临界600 MW切圆燃煤锅炉建立数值模型,设计L_(16)(4^(5))正交工况,覆盖100%BMCR、75%THA,50%THA以及35%BMCR四种负荷。建立了自定义SO_(x)生成模型以确定燃料硫的析出和转化路径,模型包含多表面反应子模型以描述焦炭与O_(2)/CO_(2)/H_(2)O等3种气体的异相反应,并确定焦炭气化反应消耗量占总消耗量的比例,进而对炉膛H_(2)S空间分布进行了模拟计算。研究表明,近壁面高体积分数H_(2)S区域主要位于投运燃烧器层中最下层燃烧器以下以及最上层燃烧器以上至SOFA层之间,烟气切圆沿炉膛高度增加逐渐增大是造成后一区域H_(2)S体积分数较高的重要原因。35%BMCR负荷下水冷壁重点区域的H_(2)S平均体积分数为364μL/L,明显低于其他负荷。锅炉运行参数对重点区域H_(2)S体积分数影响程度的排序为:锅炉负荷>一次风率>主燃区空气过量系数>假想切圆直径>燃烧器竖直摆角。

基于改进YOLOX-S的轻量化煤矸石检测方法研究

目的 为了探索基于现有机器视觉煤矸石检测方法的模型参数量、计算量对检测速度和嵌入式设备的影响,方法 提出一种基于改进的无锚框YOLOX-S轻量化煤矸石检测模型。为使模型能提取更真实的煤矸石特征信息,收集分选现场煤矸石样本,保证实际环境下的煤矸石检测效果,适应实际生产环境。结合CSPNet,将输入的特征图分割成两个分支,实现更丰富的梯度组合,同时减少模型计算量;之后在其中一条分支使用Ghost轻量化卷积,通过少量常规卷积生成一组特征图,达到初次减少计算量和参数量的效果,然后在此特征图基础上经过简单线性变化操作,生成一组新的特征图,将两组特征图进行融合,降低对计算资源需求的同时,也达到了常规卷积相同的特征提取效果;引入LeakyReLU激活函数减弱模型梯度消失的影响,提取更深更多的特征信息;最后融合两个分支特征,保证较高的检测精度,提升模型检测速度。采用CIOU Loss(complete IOU loss)优化目标边界框回归损失函数,使模型回归损失收敛更快,提高模型目标定位能力。结果 与原模型相比,本文改进模型在保证较高的平均精度均值90.51%情况下,模型参数减少47%,计算量减少49%,检测速度达到50帧/s。结论 轻量化煤矸石检测模型使智能化煤矸石检测在实际生产环境中具有一定的应用前景。

Intelligent and ecological coal mining as well as clean utilization technology in China: Review and prospects

Coal is an essential fossil fuel in China; however, coal mining and its utilization are being under the increasing pressure from ecological and environmental protection. Therefore, the consulting project "Technical Revolution in Ecological and Efficient Coal Mining and Utilization & Intelligence and Diverse Coordination of Coal-based Energy System," initiated by Chinese Academy of Engineering, puts forward three stages(3.0, 4.0 and 5.0) of China's coal industry development strategy. Aimed at "reduced staff,ultra-low ecological damage, and emission level near to natural gas," breakthroughs should be achieved in the following three key technologies during the China Coal Industry 3.0 stage(2016–2025): including intelligent coal mining, ecological mining, ultra-low emission and environmental protection. This paper focuses on the development trends of the China Coal Industry 3.0 and its support for China Coal Industry 4.0 and 5.0 is analyzed and prospected as well, which may offer technical assistance and strategy orientation for realizing the transformation from traditional coal energy to clean energy.

Discrete modeling of a longwall coal mine gob for CFD simulation

One area of concern in longwall coal mines is the active gob directly behind the longwall face,where high concentrations of methane are likely to accumulate and active roof caving occurs.Using computational fluid dynamics(CFD)to simulate gas flows in and through the gob,most researchers have represented the entire gob as a porous medium governed by Darcy’s law.However,Darcy-type porous flow may not be applicable for the highly porous and unconsolidated fringes of the gob.In addition,porous medium models do not allow for representative combustion modeling to simulate in-gob ignition and flame propagation.This study presents a hybrid approach to modeling the gob using CFD:the outer part of the gob is modeled as discrete objects that simulate coarse rock rubble,while the gob center is modeled as a porous medium.

Designing coal panels in the conditions of associated methane and spontaneous fire hazards

An increase in methane,spontaneous fire and bumping hazards in Polish hard coal mines,observed in the last two decades,led to the need to elaborate the tools allowing proper selection of a range of preventive measures to fight them at the stage of designing coal extraction.Designing the production of a coal seams in the conditions of associated methane and spontaneous fires hazards in Polish hard coal mines requires elaboration of the design standards for coal panels in gassy coal seams.This paper presents the guidelines on how to design production in the conditions of associated methane and spontaneous fire hazards.Presented tools and methodology since the very first research were many times verified by daily mining operations in the conditions of associated methane and spontaneous fire hazards,which confirms their significant contribution to the development of safe and economical mining operations.

Investigation of factors influencing roof stability at a Western U.S.longwall coal mine

The coal mine roof rating(CMRR) was developed to bridge the gap between geological variation in underground coal mines and engineering design. The CMRR accounts for the compressive strength of the immediate roof, the shear strength and intensity of any discontinuities present, and the moisture sensitivity of the immediate roof. The CMRR has been widely used and validated in Eastern US coal mines, but it has seen limited application in the Western US. This study focuses on roof behavior at a Western coal mine(Mine A). Mine A shows significant lateral geological variation, along with localized faulting and a laterally extensive sandstone channel network. The CMRR is not used to predict roof instability at the mine. It is, therefore, hypothesized that there are other factors that are correlated with roof instability in underground coal mines that could potentially also be considered in conjunction with the CMRR.This hypothesis was tested by collecting 30 CMRR measurements at Mine A. At each measurement location, a binary record of the roof condition(stable or unstable) was made, and other parameters such as depth of cover, presence of faulting, and sandstone channels were also recorded. ANOVA tests showed that the CMRR values and the roof conditions were not strongly correlated, indicating that the CMRR input criteria are not fully predictive of roof stability at this mine. The CMRR values showed statistically significant correlations(p less than 0.05) with faulting as well as with location at an intersection. For areas that had previously experienced roof fall but were currently stable, faulting was correlated with roof condition(p less than 0.05) only when the condition was classified as unstable.

A comparative study of dust control practices in Chinese and Australian longwall coal mines

Mine dust is one of the main hazards in underground longwall mines worldwide.In order to solve the mine dust problem,a significant number of studies have been carried out regarding longwall mine dust control,both in China and Australia.This paper presents a comparative study of dust control practices in Chinese and Australian longwall mines,with particular references to statutory limits,dust monitoring methods and dust management practices,followed by a brief discussion on the research status of longwall mine dust control in both countries.The study shows that water infusion,face ventilation controls,water sprays,and deep and wet cutting in longwall shearer operations are commonly practiced in almost all underground longwall mines and that both Chinese and Australian longwall mine dust control practices have their own advantages and disadvantages.It is concluded that there is a need for further development and innovative design of more effective dust mitigation products or systems despite the development of various dust control technologies.Based on the examinations and discussions,the authors have made some recommendations for further research and development in dust control in longwall mines.It is hoped that this comparative study will provide beneficial guidance for scholars and engineers who are engaging in longwall mine dust control research and practice.

Experimental Study of Seepage Properties of Non-Darcy Flow in Granular Coal Gangues

By using the steady-state seepage method, a patent seepage device together with the MTS815.02 Rock Mechanics Test System is used to test the seepage properties of non-Darcy flow in a granular gangue with five different grain sizes during the compaction. The experimental results show that the seepage properties are not only related to the stress or displacement level, but also to the grain size, the pore structure of the granular gangue, and the current porosity The permeability and the non-Darcy flow coefficient can be fitted respectively by the cubic polynomials and the power functions of the porosity, Formally, the flow in granular gangue satisfies the Forchheimer＇s binomial flow, but under the great axial and confining pressure and owing to the grain＇s crushing, the flow in granular gangues is different from that in rock-fills which are naturallv oiled un. As a result, the non-Darer flow coefficient may be negative.

An analysis of contributing mining factors in coal workers’pneumoconiosis prevalence in the United States coal mines,1986-2018

In the United States,an unexpected and severe increase in coal miners’lung diseases in the late 1990s prompted researchers to investigate the causes of the disease resurgence.This study aims to scrutinize the effects of various mining parameters,including coal rank,mine size,mine operation type,coal seam height,and geographical location on the prevalence of coal worker’s pneumoconiosis(CWP)in surface and underground coal mines.A comprehensive dataset was created using the U.S.Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)Employment and Accident/Injury databases.The information was merged based on the mine ID by utilizing SQL data management software.A total number of 123,589 mine-year observations were included in the statistical analysis.Generalized Estimating Equation(GEE)model was used to conduct a statistical analysis on a total of 29,707,and 32,643 mine-year observations for underground and surface coal mines,respectively.The results of the econometrics approach revealed that coal workers in underground coal mines are at a greater risk of CWP comparing to those of surface coal operations.Furthermore,underground coal mines in the Appalachia and Interior regions are at a higher risk of CWP prevalence than the Western region.Surface coal mines in the Appalachian coal region are more likely to CWP development than miners in the Western region.The analysis also indicated that coal workers working in smaller mines are more vulnerable to CWP than those in large mine sizes.Furthermore,coal workers in thin-seam underground mine operations are more likely to develop CWP.

Association of TNF-α-238G/A and 308 G/A Gene Polymorphisms with Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Patients with Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis

Objectives Tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） may play an important role in host＇s immune response to mycobacterium tuberculosis （M. tuberculosis） infection. This study was to investigate the association of TNF-α gene polymorphism with pulmonary tuberculosis （TB） among patients with coal worker＇s pneumoconiosis （CWP）. Methods A case-control study was conducted in 113 patients with confirmed CWP complicated with pulmonary TB and 113 non-TB controls with CWP. They were matched in gender, age, job, and stage of pneumoconiosis. All participants were interviewed with questionnaires and their blood specimens were collected for genetic determination with informed consent. The TNF-α gene polymorphism was determined with polymerase chain reaction of restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP）. Frequency of genotypes was assessed for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium by chi-square test or Fisher＇s exact probability. Factors influencing the association of individual susceptibility with pulmonary TB were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. Gene-environment interaction was evaluated by a multiplieative model with combined OR. All data were analyzed using SAS version 8.2 software. Results No significant difference in frequency of the TNF-α-308 genotype was found between CWP complicated with pulmonary TB and non-TB controls （2,2=5.44, P=-0.07）. But difference in frequency of the TNF-α-308 A allele was identified between them （2,2-5.14, P=0.02）. No significant difference in frequencies of the TNF-α-238 genotype and allele （P=0.23 and P=0.09, respectively） was found between cases and controls either, with combined （GG and AA） OR of 3.96 （95% confidence interval of 1.30-12.09） at the -308 locus of the TNF-α gene, as compared to combination of the TNF-α-238 GG and TNF-α-308 GG genotypes. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio of the TNF-α-238 GG and TNF-α-308 GA genotypes was 1.98 （95% CI of 1.06-3.71） for risk for pulmonary TB in patients with CWP. There was a synergic interaction between the TNF-a-308 GG genotype and body mass index （OR=4.92）, as well as an interaction between the TNF-α-308 GG genotype and history of BCG immunization or history of TB exposure. And, the interaction of the TNF-α-238 GG genotype and history of BCG immunization or TB exposure with risk for pulmonary TB in them was also indicated. Conclusions TNF-α-308 A allele is associated with an elevated risk for pulmonary TB, whereas TNF-α-238 A allele was otherwise.

Prognosis of residual coal gas capacity made by the ‘Express' method

An easy, reliable, and inexpensive method, called ＇Express＇ method, was described to determine the residual gas capacity of deep mines using results from an air and gas balance. Air and gas balances are common elements of mine management and must be performed periodically. Using the process described here to obtain balance results, it is straightforward to obtain the residual gas capacity, which is an important parameter for decision-making in current mine operations. After a mine is closed, the residual gas capacity becomes a dominant factor used to select methods to protect against gas emissions from the closed underground area or perhaps to provide information for the use of gas reserves. The proposed ＇Express＇ method is a much simpler method to obtain the residual gas capacity than other procedures used for this purpose to date.

采用两步炭化法和熔盐模板法制备N、S共掺杂煤基硬炭及共储钠性能

硬炭因资源丰富、结构稳定及安全性高等优势,已成为钠离子电池常用阳极材料。其中,煤基衍生硬炭受到了广泛的关注。本工作以长焰煤为碳源,硫脲为氮硫源,NaCl为模板,通过两步炭化工艺和杂原子掺杂相结合的方法合成了N和S共掺杂的煤基硬炭(NSPC1200)。两步炭化过程在调节碳微晶结构和扩大层间距方面发挥了重要的作用。N和S的共掺杂调节了炭材料的电子结构,赋予其更多的活性位点;此外,引入NaCl作为模板有助于孔结构的构建,有利于电极和电解质之间的接触,从而实现Na+和电子的有效传输。在协同作用下,样品NSPC1200表现出优异的储钠能力,在20 mA g^(−1)电流密度下呈现314.2 mAh g^(−1)的可逆容量。即使在100 mA g^(−1)下循环200次,仍保持224.4 mAh g^(−1)的比容量。这项工作成功实现了策略性调整煤基炭材料微观结构的目标,最终获得了具有优异的电化学性能的硬炭阳极。

K_2S-activated carbons developed from coal and their methane adsorption behaviors

The main purpose of this work is to prepare various activated carbons by K2S activation of coal with size fractions of 60-80 meshes, and investigate the microporosity development and corresponding methane storage capacities. Raw coal is mixed with K2S powder, and then heated at 750 ℃-900 ℃ for 30 min-150 min in N2 atmosphere to produce the adsorbents. The texture and surface morphology are characterized by a N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm at 77 K and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The chemical properties of carbons are confirmed by ultimate analysis. The crystal structure and degree of graphitization are tested by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra. The relationship between sulfur content and the specific surface area of the adsorbents is also determined. K2S activation is helps to bring about better development of pore texture. These adsorbents are microporous materials with textural parameters increasing in a range of specific surface area 72.27 m2/g-657.7 m2/g and micropore volume 0.035 cm3/g-0.334 cm3/g. The ability of activated carbons to adsorb methane is measured at 298 K and at pressures up to 5.0 MPa by a volumetric method. The Langmuir model fits the experimental data well. It is concluded that the high specific surface area and micropore volume of activated carbons do determine methane adsorption capacity. The adsorbents obtained at 800 ℃ for 90 min with K2S/raw coal mass ratios of 1.0 and 1.2 show the highest methane adsorption capacities amounting to 106.98 mg/g and 106.17 mg/g, respectively.

Blended coal’s property prediction model based on PCA and SVM

In order to predict blended coal's property accurately, a new kind of hybrid prediction model based on principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) was established. PCA was used to transform the high-dimensional and correlative influencing factors data to low-dimensional principal component subspace. Well-trained SVM was used to extract influencing factors as input to predict blended coal's property. Then experiments were made by using the real data, and the results were compared with weighted averaging method (WAM) and BP neural network. The results show that PCA-SVM has higher prediction accuracy in the condition of few data, thus the hybrid model is of great use in the domain of power coal blending.

New Breakthroughs in China's Coal Gasification Technology

It is learned from the 2013 Summit Forum on Strategic Development of Coal-to-Natural Gas in China that the China Sedin Engineering Company,Ltd.has developed with independent intellectual property rights two experimental furnaces for pressurized gasification of crushed coal,5 m