Techniques to determine spontaneous ignition of brown coal

Abstract

Open-pit mining of mineral deposits is characterised by a significant level of adverse effects on the atmospheric air due to both natural and technogenic phenomena. When assessing the environmental impact, some authors often do not take into account the phenomenon of endogenous spontaneous coal combustion, which can lead to the release of various toxic substances into the atmosphere. In cases of an imperfect control system, and untimely adoption of fire prevention measures, spontaneous combustion can cause catastrophic consequences. This issue is particularly acute in decommissioned facilities, where uncontrolled temperature growth occurs in a fire seat, the area of which increases daily in the absence of monitoring of combustion in strata and dumps. Such circumstances are observed at the Korkino Coal Mine, where seats of endogenous brown coal combustion have been observed for over 25 years. Since the mine is decommissioned, its reclamation is necessary with the development of complex works on the isolation of endogenous burning seats. Carrying out these works at the modern level requires the creation of a mathematical model of the process, providing a comprehensive study of the main parameters of spontaneous combustion, and also estimates of release intensity of the main fire gases at different temperatures. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the experience of conducting experimental studies of the processes of spontaneous combustion of brown coal, which served as the basis for building an experimental facility for studying the processes of spontaneous combustion and endogenous combustion of brown coals of the Korkino Coal Mine.