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Mining Contract: Development and Demonstration of the Battelle Barrier Survival System
Keywords: Physical barriers Refuge chambers
This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated.
Contract #
200-2007-22067Start Date
8/30/2007End Date
10/30/2008Research Concept
The objective of this contract was to design, test, develop, and demonstrate a prototype for an advanced mine barrier survival system (MBSS).Topic Areas
Refuge Chambers
Rescue Technologies and Training
Contract Status & Impact
This contract is complete. To receive a copy of the final report, send a request to mining@cdc.gov.
The advanced mine barrier survival system (MBSS) developed under this contract had the following goals:
to follow miners at the rapid pace of continuously advancing mine faces,
be built on-demand by barricading mine entries, crosscuts, or rooms,
be compatible with current miner training and equipment (barricading),
have barriers precut and deployable in most-probable mine dimensions,
have synergistic processes for removing C02 and CO and adding O2 and heat,
be scaled to number of miners (10) and duration (4 days),
contain supplies storable unattended for up to about 10 years,
have a footprint, volume, and weight optimized to the minimal,
have a built-in and self-acting barrier-deployment system,
have soft-seals for relocation or reentry, as necessary,
have flexibility for overpressure resistance (15 psi),
have material resistant to flash heating up to 300°F,
have economically competitive capital costs, and
be demonstrated in time to meet the needs of the MINER Act of 2006.
During Phase I, the MBSS concept was proven to be viable with respect to barrier design, deployment, and air processing components. Phase II focused on the final design and fabrication of a working MBSS. The system was tested in Battelle's Columbus, Ohio, environmental chamber. The inflatable barrier was shown to be a viable entry sealing barrier and the air processing components were able to provide oxygen and scrub carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. At the time of contract completion, Battelle was pursuing commercialization of the MBSS, which will require field testing the prototype in an operating underground coal mine.
See Also
Emergency Escape and Refuge Alternatives
Guidelines for Instructional Materials on Refuge Chamber Setup, Use, and Maintenance
How to Operate a Refuge Chamber: A Quick Start Guide
NIOSH Docket Number 125: Refuge Alternative Research
Recommendations for Refuge Chamber Operations Training
Refuge Alternatives in Underground Coal Mines
Technology News 537 - NIOSH Develops New Mine Refuge Chamber Training
Underground Mine Refuge Chamber Expectations Training: Program Development and Evaluation
When Do You Take Refuge? Decisionmaking During Mine Emergency Escape
Work-Principle Model for Predicting Toxic Fumes of Nonideal Explosives
Page last reviewed: July 18, 2016
Page last updated: July 18, 2016
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program
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