Fachartikel
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Ventilation on Demand – Controllable Mine Fans, Applications and Limitations
Worldwide interest in developing technology for the automatic control of mine ventilation systems has existed since the 1980s and has mainly been driven by the need to save costs. Demand-oriented ventilation technology is based on the fundamental idea that those areas of the mine where a lot of work is…
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Use of Live Sensor Data in Transient Simulations of Mine Ventilation Models
The implementation of sensor systems to monitor mine ventilation atmospheres offers numerous safety and operational benefits to mines. Detection of various mine gases, changes to airflows and temperature, and detection of clearance of fumes or contaminants are some of the obvious benefits of using atmospheric sensors in mines. The prediction…
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Photoionization Detectors (PIDs) – Theory, Uses and Applications
Photoionization technology and operation PIDs effectively detect and monitor for numerous hazardous substances, providing maximum benefit and safety to users. While many hazardous gas detection methods are available, photoionization detectors offer the combination of speed of response, ease of use and maintenance, small size, and ability to detect low levels,…
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Refuge Chambers in Underground Coal Mines – Do They Represent a Good Strategy to Manage Emergencies?
The 2006 Sago, Darby, and Aracoma mine disasters in the USA forced the US government to implement legislation (MINER Act) that, among other measures, requires all US underground coal mines to install and maintain refuge chambers to manage emergencies in fires or explosions. However, there is still a debate on…
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What Can Go Wrong with Mine Refuge Chambers?
Following the 2006 explosion at the Sago mine in West Virginia/USA twelve miners were trapped without communications for 47 h in a self-made barricade. When mine rescuers finally arrived, eleven of the twelve had died of CO poisoning. This prompted the US government to enact the MINER Act and follow-up…
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The German Lignite Industry in 2016
Germany’s domestic lignite output decreased by 3.7 % from 178.1 mt to 171.5 mt between 2015 and 2016. 2016’s extracted lignite had a net calorific value of 52.7 mtce. 155.2 mt, or more than 90 %, of that output was used in utility power plants supplying the general public. This translates into a…
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Condition and Trends of Accident Rates in the Polish Mining Industry in 2016 – Activity of the State Mining Authority within the Scope of Accident Prevention
This paper presents accident rates and trends observed recently in the Polish mining industry. It also presents the strategy of the State Mining Authority in Katowice as a supervising body for the mining industry aimed at the improvement of occupational health and safety of the miners, optimum management of mineral…
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The End of the German Coal Mining Industry and RAG’s Transition to the Post-Mining Era
The cessation of coal production at Herne-based RAG’s last two collieries at the end of 2018 will mark the end of several hundred years of mining in the Ruhr, Saar and Ibbenbüren coalfields in Germany. The end of the production period will immediately be followed by a decommissioning phase during…
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We Can Do Transformation in this Region – Interview with Prof. Hans-Peter Noll
For some 40 years Essen-based RAG Montan Immobilien has been helping shape structural change in North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland by way of future-oriented and sustainable development projects. Based on former mining land these initiatives range from sports centres, business parks and logistics sites through to smart, liveable urban quarters. RAG…
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Meeting Technical, Ecological, and Social Challenges in the Decommissioning of Potash Mines in Eastern Germany
With annual production of almost 3.5 mt of K2O, former East Germany (GDR) was the third-largest producer of potassium, ranking behind only the Soviet Union and Canada. More than 80 % of production was intended for export, to obtain urgently required hard currency. For this reason, beginning in the 1970s, East…
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