Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Roof Bolter Canopy Air Curtain on Airflow and Dust Dispersion in an Entry Using Exhaust Curtain Ventilation

  • Published:
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A recent study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated the roof bolter canopy air curtain (CAC) system in a blowing face ventilation system, demonstrating its effectiveness and illustrating the CAC protection zones. This study evaluates the roof bolter machine CAC while operating in an exhausting face ventilation system. This study considers two similar locations to allow comparison with the previous blowing face ventilation (Zheng et al., Min Metal Explor 36(6):1115–1126, (2019)) study: (1) a roof bolter machine bolting the roof at 20 ft (6.1 m) from the face and (2) a roof bolting machine bolting at 4 ft (1.2 m) from the face. The environment introduces 6.0 mg/m3 of respirable dust to represent the roof bolting machine operating downstream of the continuous miner. However, the exhausting face ventilation uses an exhaust curtain with 9000 cfm (4.25 m3/s) of air. Two roof bolter machine working positions are simulated with the use of dual drill heads in the inward position for two inside bolts and in the outward position for two outside bolts. The influence of the CAC on airflows and dust dispersion is evaluated with the CAC operating at 250 cfm (0.12 m3/s) with dust reductions ranging from 39.5 to 82.8%. When the roof bolter machine operated close to the face, increasing CAC airflow was required for adequate protection since the dust reductions can be as low as 39.5%. Additional CAC airflows of 350 cfm (0.17 m3/s) and 450 cfm (0.21 m3/s) were evaluated and demonstrated that dust reductions increased to 59.7% (350 cfm) and 72.0% (450 cfm) for the worst location where the roof bolter operators located.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abigail RL (ed.) (2014). Silicosis. The Merck manual professional version, accessed at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pulmonary_disorders/environmental_pulmonary_diseases/silicosis.html. Merck Research Laboratories

  2. Antao VC d S, Petsonk EL, Sokolow LZ, Wolfe AL, Pinheiro GA, Hale JM, Attfield MD (2005) Rapidly progressive coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in the United States: geographic clustering and other factors. Occup Environ Med 62(10):670–674. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2004.019679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Blackley, D.J., Crum, J.B., Halldin, C.N., Storey, E., and Laney, A.S. (2016). Resurgence of progressive massive fibrosis in coal miners – Eastern Kentucky, 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MMWR, Vol. 65, No. 49

  4. Blackley DJ, Reynolds LE, Short C, Carson R, Storey E, Halldin C, Laney AS (2018) Progressive massive fibrosis in coal miners from 3 clinics in Virginia. JAMA 319(5):500–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cohen RA, Petsonk EL, Rose C, Young B, Regier M, Majmuddin N, Abraham JL, Chung A, Green FHY (2016) Lung pathology in U.S. coal workers with rapidly progressive pneumoconiosis implicates silica and silicates. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 193(6):673–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Colinet JF, Reed WR, Potts JD (2013) Impact on respirable dust levels when operating a flooded-bed scrubber in 20-foot cuts, NIOSH Report of Investigations 9683, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, Pittsburgh, PA

  7. Engel M, Johnson D, Raether T (1987) Improved canopy air curtain systems. Washington, DC: US Bureau of Mines Contract Report JO318014

  8. European Communities Commission (1981) Studies of air curtain technology with particular application to the provision of clean air for underground workers. Final Report on ECSC research project 7251–17/8/085, National Coal Board, Mining Research and Development Establishment

  9. Goodman GVR, Organiscak JA (2002) Evaluation of methods for controlling silica dust exposures on roof bolters, 2002 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit, February 25–27, Phoenix, AZ, Preprint 02–163. Littleton, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc

  10. Goodman GVR, Organiscak JA (2003) Assessment of respirable quartz dust exposures at roof bolters in underground coal mining. J Mine Ventil Soc South Africa 56(2):50–54

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hall NB, Blackley DJ, Halldin CN, Laney AS (2018) Continued increase in prevalence of r-type opacities among underground coal miners in the USA. Occup Environ Med 1:2019–2481. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2019-105691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kissell FN (2011) Silica dust at roof bolters. Min Eng 63(10):78–82

    Google Scholar 

  13. Krisko WJ (1975) Develop and test canopy air curtain devices, USBM Contract Report HO232067, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA/Donaldson Co. Inc

  14. Listak JM, Beck TW (2012) Development of a canopy air curtain to reduce roof bolters’ dust exposure. Min Eng 64(7):72–79

    Google Scholar 

  15. Luxner JV (1969) Face ventilation in underground bituminous coal mines, airflow and methane distribution patterns in the immediate face area – line brattice. U.S. Bureau of Mines RI 7223. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  16. MSHA (2016) MSHA finds nearly all respirable coal dust samplings comply with new standards to lower levels of respirable dust. U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Arlington

    Google Scholar 

  17. Petrov T, Wala AM, Huang G (2013) Parametric study of airflow separation phenomenon at face area during deep cut continuous mining. Min Technol 122(4):208–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Pollock DE, Potts JD, Joy GJ (2010) Investigation into dust exposures and mining practices in mines in the southern Appalachian Region. Min Eng 63(2):44–49

    Google Scholar 

  19. Potts JD, Reed WR, Colinet JF (2011) Evaluation of face dust concentrations at mines using deep-cutting practices, NIOSH Report of Investigations 9680, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, Pittsburgh, PA

  20. Reed WR, Joy GJ, Kendall B, Bailey A, Zheng Y (2017) Development of a roof bolter canopy air curtain for respirable dust control. Min Eng 69(1):33–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Reed WR, Zheng Y, Yekich M, Ross G, Salem A (2018) Laboratory testing of a shuttle car canopy air curtain for respirable coal mine dust control. Int J Coal Sci Technol 5(3):305–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Reed WR, Klima S, Shahan M, Ross G, Singh K, Cross R, Grounds T (2019a) A field study of a roof bolter canopy air curtain (2nd generation) for respirable coal mine dust control. Int J Min Sci Technol 29:711–720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2019.02.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Reed WR, Shahan M, Ross G (2019b) Field study results of the 3rd generation roof bolter canopy air curtain for respirable coal mine dust control. Accepted by International Journal of Coal Science and Technology

  24. Taylor CD, Chilton JE, Goodman GVR (2010) Guidelines for the control and monitoring of methane gas on continuous mining operations, Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2010–141, Report of Investigations 9523, 2010 Apr; :1–75

  25. The Office of the Federal Register (2017a) Code of Federal Regulations, 70.100 Respirable dust standards, CFR Title 30, Chapter I, Subchapter O, Part 70, Subpart B, 70.100. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C

    Google Scholar 

  26. The Office of the Federal Register (2017b) Code of Federal Regulations, 70.101 Respirable dust standard when quartz is present, CFR Title 30, Chapter I, Subchapter O, Part 70, Subpart B, 70.101. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C

    Google Scholar 

  27. The Office of the Federal Register (2017c) Code of Federal Regulations, 75.326 Mean entry air velocity, CFR Title 30, Chapter I, Subchapter O, Part 75, Subpart D, 75.326. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zheng Y, Reed WR, Zhou L, Rider JP (2016) Computational fluid dynamics modeling of a medium-sized surface mine blasthole drill shroud. Min Eng 68(11):43–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Zheng Y, Reed WR, Shahan MR, Rider JP (2019) Evaluation of roof bolter canopy air curtain effects on airflow and dust dispersion in an entry using blowing curtain ventilation. Min Metal Explor 36(6):1115–1126. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-0070-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors of this paper sincerely acknowledge J. Drew Potts, Jay F. Colinet, Liming Yuan, Peter Zhang, and Lihong Zhou for their technical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 626 Cochrans Mill Rd, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA

    Y. Zheng & W. R. Reed

Authors
  1. Y. Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. R. Reed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y. Zheng.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zheng, Y., Reed, W.R. Effects of Roof Bolter Canopy Air Curtain on Airflow and Dust Dispersion in an Entry Using Exhaust Curtain Ventilation. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 37, 1865–1875 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00294-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00294-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation