Abstract
Blasting is an integral part of large-scale open cut mining that often occurs in close proximity to population centers and often results in the emission of particulate material and gases potentially hazardous to health. Current air quality monitoring methods rely on limited numbers of fixed sampling locations to validate a complex fluid environment and collect sufficient data to confirm model effectiveness. This paper describes the development of a methodology to address the need of a more precise approach that is capable of characterizing blasting plumes in near-real time. The integration of the system required the modification and integration of an opto-electrical dust sensor, SHARP GP2Y10, into a small fixed-wing and multi-rotor copter, resulting in the collection of data streamed during flight. The paper also describes the calibration of the optical sensor with an industry grade dust-monitoring device, Dusttrak 8520, demonstrating a high correlation between them, with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.9. The laboratory and field tests demonstrate the feasibility of coupling the sensor with the UAVs. However, further work must be done in the areas of sensor selection and calibration as well as flight planning.
Highlights
The mining and coal seam gas industries in Australia and around the world are important economic activities
Particulate matter, aerosols, ammonia, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) are the primary residues produced by blasting events at mining sites
We propose the use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) carrying air quality sensors to allow precise characterization of blasting plumes in near-real time
Summary
The mining and coal seam gas industries in Australia and around the world are important economic activities. These activities generate particles and gases such as methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx) that have potentially dangerous environmental and health impacts. Blasting in particular includes effects such as airblast, ground vibration, flyrock, toxic gases and particulate matter [2,3]. Particulate matter, aerosols, ammonia, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) are the primary residues produced by blasting events at mining sites. The exothermic reaction produces CO2, water vapor and molecular nitrogen (N2); due to environmental and technical factors, other noxious gases are often produced in a range of concentrations [4]
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