Applying CFD Model Studies to Determine Zones at Risk of Methane Explosion and Spontaneous Combustion of Coal in Goaves

hazards. Events resulting from these hazards are difficult to predict,
and if they occur, they disrupt the entire mining process and pose a
great danger to the crew. Some of the most dangerous include
ventilation hazards involving methane explosions and fires caused
by the spontaneous combustion of coal. The complex state of the
underground environment means that these hazards oftentimes
occur simultaneously, making mining conditions even worse. The
following paper addresses this issue by developing the methodology
for determining areas endangered by methane explosions and
spontaneous coal combustion in goaves. The reference to goaves
results from the fact that this particular area is most frequently
affected by spontaneous coal combustion and the accumulation of
dangerous amounts of methane. The developed methodology was
based on model tests with the use of the CFD method and data
necessary to develop a numerical model. The research encompassed
a real longwall in one of the hard coal mines, ventilated with the Y
system during its exploitation, which is beneficial in the case of the
methane hazard but worsens the safety in terms of the self-ignition
of coal. As a result of the conducted research, for the exploitation
conditions, dangerous zones were specified due to the potential
possibility of methane explosion and self-heating of coal. The basis
for determining dangerous zones was the criteria of occurrence of
the examined phenomena. In this study, the zones were identified
for each of the investigated hazards separately and for their
simultaneous occurrence. Thus, the aim of the study, which
involved the determination of potentially hazardous zones by
applying modern methods of modelling in the mining area, was
achieved. The results are an immensely important source of
information for activities aimed at improving safety in the studied
area in relation to the studied threats.