Hierarchical structure of aerological risks in coal mines
Authors:   National University of Science and Technology ", BALOVTSEV Sergey ,   MISIS", SKOPINTSEVA Olga ,   National University of Science and Technology "MISIS", KULIKOVA Elena ,   National University of Science and Technology "MISIS"
Published: July 2022

Introduction. As the actual data show, the safety of coalmines is the most vulnerable in the event of explosions of methane and coal dust, often accompanied by a complex manifestation and implementation of several hazardous factors, such as gas, dust, exogenous fires, leading to catastrophic consequences. To assess, predict, manage and reduce the consequences of the complex implementation of dangerous aerological factors in the occurrence of accidents in coalmines, a methodology has been developed for assessing and managing aerological risks in coalmines, based on the hierarchical structure of aerological risk. Objective. Assessment, forecasting, management and reduction of rank III aerological risks for extraction areas and development workings of highly gas-rich coalmines. Methodology. To assess, predict, control and reduce the consequences of the complex implementation of hazardous production factors in the occurrence of accidents associated with explosions of gas and dust in coal mines, a methodology has been developed for assessing and managing aerological risks in coal mines, based on a systematic approach in accordance with the hierarchical structure of aerological safety. The aerological safety of mines can be quantified in terms of aerological risks: the lower the risks, the higher the safety. All aerological risks were divided into three ranks according to their importance in the production activities of the mine, corresponding to the hierarchical structure of the aerological safety of the mine. Aerological risks of the I rank are understood as aerological risks covering the entire mine, aerological risks of the II rank cover layers, wings, deposits; aerological risks of III rank cover separate mining or development sites. Comparison of mines by aerological risks should be made according to aerological risks of the same rank. When performing research, an analysis of literary domestic and foreign sources was used; generally accepted methods, including methods of mathematical statistics and probability theory; a method of expert assessments to obtain the values of the hazard and vulnerability coefficients of ventilation methods for excavation areas and development workings. Results and discussion. A methodology has been developed for constructing a hierarchical structure of aerological risks in coal mines. A block diagram of aerological risks of III rank has been compiled, including the main hazards in the excavation areas and development workings and the main types of vulnerability of the ventilation schemes of the excavation areas and the methods of ventilation of dead-end workings. Calculations have shown that when developing the most dangerous mine seams, the lowest values of aerological risk of III rank for excavation areas are characterized by combined ventilation schemes in the absence of a diagonal connection in the scheme; the presence of an unstable diagonal connection in the ventilation scheme of the excavation area increases the aerological risk by 2.7 times. For development workings carried out along seams prone to rock bumps, spontaneous combustion, sudden outbursts of coal and gas, with a specific dust emission of more than 1200 g/t, only ventilation methods with a high degree of gas mixing activity in the bottomhole zone can be applicable. Conclusions. The developed hierarchical structure of aerological risks makes it possible to rank risks by levels and compare risks of the same rank. The application of the developed risk assessment methodology makes it possible to predict and reduce aerological risks in the design and operation of coal mines.