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Mining Contract: Noise Reduction of Continuous Miner Scrubber Fan System
Keywords: Continuous miners Noise and vibration control Noise control equipment Scrubber induced airflow
This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated.
Contract #
200-2016-90547Start Date
9/1/2016End Date
8/31/2018Research Concept
Noise-induced hearing loss affects about 90 percent of all miners by age 50 due to regular, repeated, and sustained levels of noise exposure above what is considered safe. The noise associated with continuous miner machines used underground to cut coal can be excessive, which can lead not only to hearing loss, but can also make it difficult to communicate with fellow workers and hear alarms that may signal a hazard is present. Reducing the noise produced by this equipment would benefit operators and their surrounding coworkers.
Contract Status & Impact
This contract is complete. To receive a copy of the final report, send a request to mining@cdc.gov.
Interestingly, the primary noise source on a continuous miner is not the cutting head churning into the coal seam, but the scrubber system which serves to exhaust away much of the dust released by cutting coal from the coal face. The scrubber system of a continuous miner machine consists of ductwork, a demister box, a filter, a scrubber fan and stators, and an exhaust duct outlet, and the whole system extends from one end of the machine to the other. Studies show several areas in these systems where improvements might be made in order to reduce noise.
The objective of the proposed work is to demonstrate noise reduction of at least 10 decibels on a full-size prototype scrubber fan system while maintaining the required flowrate, demister efficiency, and pressure rise. The proposed approach is to first redesign the demister and ductwork for a scrubber fan system using modern computational tools to reduce the noise signature while maintaining aerodynamic performance, and then test and verify the noise reduction performance using a full-scale prototype scrubber system.
By redesigning components of the system using state-of-the-art aerodynamic and noise prediction tools, and removing inefficiencies in the system that might further exacerbate any noise generation, the result will be a scrubber system that is equally effective at removing dust as current models, but which operates more efficiently and with less noise.
See Also
Application of Phased Array Technology for Identification of Low Frequency Noise Sources
A Control Suite to Reduce Roof Bolting Machine Drilling Noise
A Dual Sprocket Chain as a Noise Control for a Continuous Mining Machine
Estimated Sound Power Radiated by Surfaces on a Continuous Miner Tail Section Using Vibration Measurements
Evaluation of Engineering Noise Controls for a Continuous Miner Conveyer System
The Evolution of Drill Bit and Chuck Isolators to Reduce Roof Bolting Machine Drilling Noise
Experimental Methods to Reduce Noise Generated by Haul Trucks and LHDs
Modified Tail Section Reduces Noise on a Continuous Mining Machine
NIOSH Researchers Win Noise Control Award
Technology News 539 - Identifying The Benefits Of Engineering Noise Controls Through A Business Case
Page last reviewed: February 11, 2020
Page last updated: February 1, 2018
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program
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