Glückauf! 2/2021

“Safety in mines” has once again been chosen as the main theme of one of this year’s issues of Mining Report Glückauf and this latest publication will therefore be focussing on mines rescue activities. Since the summer of 2019 a working group set up by the German Committee for Mine Rescue has continued to address a number of unresolved issues connected with the provision of equipment to those mines rescue teams that are still on active duty in the country. This issue of Mining Report Glückauf will therefore be reporting on the key findings of this working group. Over the last thirty years or more we have witnessed the closure of many large mining facilities, this being accompanied by a massive reduction … Read more
With my best regards // Mit freundlichem Glückauf
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas-Peter Sitte
Chief Editor Mining Report Glückauf, Essen

ISSUE 02/2021

Post-Mining Research on Reactivation and Transition

Overview of research priorities at the FZN. Source: THGA

The Research Center of Post-Mining (FZN) at the TH Georg Agricola University (THGA) in Bochum/Germany has significantly expanded the range of its research programme since 2019/2020. Its scope has now been broadened by the new research division “Reactivation and Transition”. Research in this division focuses on land development and regional policy, socio-economic aspects and governance of post-mining. Emphasis is less on natural science, geosciences and engineering and more on economics and geography, spatial planning and political issues related to post-mining, although the work in the research centre has interdisciplinary ties to the aforementioned disciplines.

Authors: Prof. Dr. Kai van de Loo, Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Brüggemann, Forschungszentrum Nachbergbau (FZN), Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA), Bochum/Germany

The Mirny Mine. Photo: Itasca

The Mirny Mine is located in the northern Russia, where arctic conditions are present year-round. It is a large, open-pit and underground diamond mine with an open-pit depth of approximately 500 m below ground surface and a current depth of the underground mine workings of approximately 900 m below ground surface. From the ground surface, shallow geologic units with approximately 350 m thickness are generally under permafrost conditions. The key water-producing unit is C12ic. This unit is at a depth of 237 to 515 m below ground. It consists of limestone with extensive sets of fractures and has high salinity. The aquifer is the main source of groundwater to the open pit and underground workings. The mine is currently flooded because of the failure of the crown pillar. Studies were conducted to assess the options of remediating …

Authors: Houmao Liu, Ph.D., Itasca Denver, Inc., Lakewood, Colorado/USA, Dr. Lothar te Kamp and Dipl.-Ing. Ivan Akinshin, Itasca Consultants GmbH, Gelsenkirchen/Germany, Alexey Kulminskiy and Maxim Tishkov, Institute Yakutniproalmaz, PJSC Alrosa, Mirny/Russia

Fig. 1. Mine rescue telephone system I made by Funke + Huster Fernsig/Becker and electronic psychrometer BTS 19n made by -Seba-Dynatronik. // Bild 1. Grubenwehrtelefonsystem I der Firmen Funke + Huster Fernsig/Becker und elektronisches Psychrometer BTS 19n der Firma Seba Dynatronik. Photos/Fotos: BG RCI

Since summer 2019, an ad hoc group of the German Committee for Mine Rescue (Deutscher Ausschuss für Grubenrettungswesen – DA GRW) has been discussing several unanswered questions regarding the equipment of the mine rescue brigades currently active in Germany. The following questions were to be answered:

Are there any supply gaps regarding the standard equipment of the mine rescue brigades, and how can no longer available equipment be substituted?
Are there still any mines that might be impacted by rare, major incidents in the future such as wide-spread fires, explosions, gas eruptions, water inrush, etc, and have the necessary precautions been taken?
Regarding rare, major incidents, such as confinement within the mine, this work aims to be concluded in an updated, national directory of mine rescue works, which lists specialists and equipment. The final draft has been finished and is to be passed at the 2021 general meeting of the DA GRW.

Authors: Prof. Dr. Kai van de Loo, Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Brüggemann, Forschungszentrum Nachbergbau (FZN), Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA), Bochum/Germany

Underground facilities as seen by the association. Photo: Wismut GmbH, 2021, Chemnitz

In recent years and decades, structural change has taken place in all German mining regions. In general, it can be said that the old-established, large-scale coal and ore mines have been closed down or have moved from an active extraction phase to rehabilitation mining, combined with a corresponding reduction in the number of employees. At the same time, we are seeing a significant rise of mechanisation at many small and medium-sized underground mining companies which is also having an impact on the number of employees and their qualifications. This development is also visible in …

Authors: Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Helmut Mischo, Dipl.-Ing. Frank Reuter and Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Pötzsch, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg/Germany, Dipl.-Ing. Andy Tauber, Wismut GmbH, Chemnitz/Germany

Influences on the course design based on qualification stages.

dropcap][/dropcap]afety is the highest goal in a mining operation due to its responsibility towards the involved persons as employees but also in terms of the society. Furthermore, economical risks are closely related to unsafe working standards enhancing the severity of incidents. The mentality for safe and aware behavior needs to be set for all internal stakeholders of mining activities and thus needs to be included in the Engineering education. This paper presents, based on the aim of occupational safety and health, a content-based and conceptual integration in modern higher education as a base for safe mines of the future.

Authors: Dr.-Ing. Alexander Hutwalker, Angela Binder M. Sc., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Langefeld, Institut für Bergbau, TU Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Germany

a) impeller deformation, b) impeller deformation 3D, c) blade forces. Source: Korfmann

Fans provide artificial air movement in mines. They are assigned to different applications. Whilst the main fans provide the total fresh air requirement for the mine workings, auxiliary fans provide pressure increases or relief and support the total ventilation system. Special fans form part of the primary haulage framework to bring fresh air to the workplaces and the working face. But often the application is not so simple and needs to fulfill a much more complex set of criteria than just “clean” and “fresh” ambient air. These criteria demand equipment that is designed for such operating conditions. Visually, a mining fan may look very similar to an industrial fan, but the individual components of the mining fan must be capable of …

Author: Jens Kegenhoff, Korfmann Lufttechnik GmbH, Witten/Germany

Association of Importers of English Coal in Hamburg/Germany, founded in 1896. Photo: VDKi

The Coal Importers Association (VDKi), Berlin/Germany, will be celebrating 125 years of association history in 2021. The year 2021 also marks the first year of implementation of the measures that will put an end to coal-fired power generation. Despite the difficulties caused by the current coronavirus pandemic, the energy industry has proven its ability to maintain supply lines; deliveries to the power plants and blast furnaces have never been at risk even these days of Covid-19. This report looks at the current and future functions of the Association, gives a brief overview of energy industry developments both nationally and internationally and, as usual, takes a look back at the coal market in 2020.

Author: Manfred Müller, Geschäftsführer, Verein der Kohleimporteure e. V. (VDKi), Berlin/Germany

MINING REPORT

Glückauf! 2/2021

Post-Mining Research on Reactivation and Transition

Assessment of Remedial Options for Sustainable Operation of the Mirny Mine

Directory of Mine Rescue Works Updated by the German Committee for Mine Rescue Services

Optimization and Enhancement of Mine Rescue Services in Saxony

Occupational Safety and Health and its Consideration in Higher Education

Possible Effects of Dusts and Harmful Gases on Fans

Hard Coal 2020