Methodology in early detection of conveyor belt fire in coal transportation

ABSTRACT

Thermal power units are a major source of power generation in India. Belt conveyor is the leading transportation system in a thermal power plant. Belt conveyor fire in a thermal power plant breaks the chain of the transportation system, stops the feeding to the boiler, and often leads to closure of the plant, and thereby impacts the production for several months incurring huge losses. The main aim of this study is to design a model for early detection of belt conveyor fire and its automatic fire suppression system. The proposed model incorporates safety devices and sensors which shall be activated whenever it is necessary. Based on coal characteristics, threshold limit values (TLV) of sensors are defined. Proximate analysis, critical oxidation temperature, fire ladder, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies were conducted to characterize the five coal samples used in this study collected from Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL), Mansa, Punjab, India. For the coal samples used in this study (with an average moisture content of 7.59 wt %), the average critical oxidation temperature was observed to be 81.3 ⁰C. Further, the fire ladder study indicates that gas sensors like CO and H₂ should be installed in the belt conveyor route. Based on laboratory and field investigations an automated model for early detection of fire was proposed which incorporates safety devices, temperature, and gas sensors, and fire suppression mechanisms.

KEYWORDS:

• Belt conveyor fire
• coal
• sensor
• critical oxidation temperature
• fire ladder
• automated model

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank M/s Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd., Mansa Punjab for providing technical assistance to carry out part of the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Santosh Kumar Ray

Dr. Santosh Kumar Ray is a Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Barwa Road, Dhanbad. He did his B.Sc Engg. (Mining) from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, M.Tech (Mine Planning and Design) from IIT, BHU, Varanasi, and Ph. D (Mining Engineering) from IIT (ISM), Dhanbad. He has 25 years of experience in R&D in mining and allied industries with additional exposure to HRD and academics, apart from 4 years’ experience in teaching to undergraduate mining engineering. He investigated several S&T projects funded by the Ministry of Coal, Govt. of India on mine fire and explosions, and more than 150 industry-sponsored projects on mine environment, mine planning, ventilation, and fire. Presently, he is engaged with an S&T project on Coal Dust Explosion costing Rs. 80 million funded by the CIL R&D board. He is the recipient of many national-level awards including the National Geoscience Award – 2016, MEAI-Sitaram Rungta Memorial Award, D N Thakur award, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Prize. He has on his credit 89 research publications in journals and conference proceedings and five patents including one International patent. His current research interests include mine fire and explosion, ventilation planning and design, CFD modelling.

Asfar Mobin Khan

Mr. Asfar Mobin Khan is a Senior Research Fellow at CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad. He has completed his Master of Technology in Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, and Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata. He has qualified Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering for two consecutive years, 2012, 2013, and was granted a scholarship for two successive years by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, India. He has worked in Hindustan National Glass and Industries Limited, Rishra for six months. He joined CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad as a Senior Research fellow in 2016. He has authored over 12 research papers in International and National journals and important conferences. His major research areas include Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation/study in Mine Fire, Mine Ventilation, Coal stockpiles, and Blasting gallery Panels. He is currently pursuing Ph.D. in Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Coal dust explosibility of Indian Coal in Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India.

Niroj Kumar Mohalik

Dr. Niroj Kumar Mohalik, Principal Scientist at CSIR-CIMFR Dhanbad is carrying out R&D work for Mine Fire, Ventilation and Miners Safety for last nineteen years. He has completed his Ph.D. (Environmental Engineering) degree from the University of Nottingham, UK in 2013 (Ph.D. title: A study of the spontaneous heating of Indian coals) under Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK. He did his B. E. (Mining Engineering) from NIT, Rourkela, and M. Tech. (Env. Science and Engineering) from IIT (ISM), Dhanbad. His expertise is in the area of basic coal characterization study, spontaneous combustion of coal, development of firefighting chemicals, coal mine fire detection, prevention and control, ventilation system optimization, ventilation planning, GHG emission inventories, CFD modeling, coal dust explosion, air pollution modelling and noise modelling. He has developed computer software for the detection and assessment of coal mine fire (FIDA). He has also carried out six R&D projects and 60 consultancy projects sponsored by different mining companies. Presently, he is engaged with an S&T project on Coal Dust Explosion costing about Rs.80.0 Million funded by the CIL R&D board. He has also published 44 papers in different international and national journals and important proceedings in the area of Mine Environment and Safety.

Debashish Mishra

Mr. Debashish Mishra obtained his B.Tech in Mining Engineering in 2012 from Orissa School of Mining Engineering, Keonjhar. He did his M. Tech in Mine Safety Engineering from AcSIR, CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad in 2014. Before joining CSIR-CIMFR in 2016, he had worked with HZL-Vedanta Group as GET. Currently, he has been working as a Scientist in Mine Ventilation Division at CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Barwa Road, Dhanbad. He has been working in the field of Mine Ventilation, Miners’ health and safety. He has also worked in the area of CFD modelling and its application in mine ventilation and fire. He has also completed twenty industry-sponsored projects of practical and problem-solving nature in the field of ventilation planning, control of mine fire, and mine environment. He has also visited Bhutan to solve the ventilation problems of hydro project tunnels sponsored by DGPC, Bhutan. He has authored over 12 research publications in international and national journals and conference proceedings and one book to his credit.

Nikhil Kumar Varma

Dr. Nikhil Kumar Varma is a retired Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad. He holds an MSc (Physics) degree from Bihar University, Muzaffarpur and Ph.D. (Applied Physics) from Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribag, Jharkhand. He joined CIMFR, Dhanbad in 1983 and retired as Senior Principal Scientist in 2019. During his more than 35 years of scientific career, he has completed 8 major R&D projects funded by various Ministries of Govt. of India, about 200 Industry sponsored projects of problem-solving nature. He has on his credit more than 63 research publications in journals and important conference proceedings. His research area includes ventilation planning and design, mine fire control, and heat and humidity problems of underground coal mines.

Jai Krishna Pandey

Dr. Jai Krishna Pandey is a Chief Scientist and Head of Mine Fire, Ventilation, Miner’s Safety and Health Research Group at CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad and Professor, Engineering Sciences, AcSIR. He completed his B.Tech and M.Tech in Mining Engineering from IIT (BHU) Varanasi and Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from IIT(ISM), Dhanbad. Joined CSIR- CIMFR as a Scientist in 1989. During his more than 30 years of scientific career, he has completed 10 major R&D projects funded by various Ministries of Govt. of India, about 250 Industry sponsored projects of problem-solving nature, one international collaborative Research Project with the Polish Academy of Sciences. His major accomplishments include 113 research publication  in journals and seminars of repute, edited two books, 3 patents, 1 copyright, supervised 3 Ph.Ds, 1 M.Tech, 14 PG, and 50 UG level project works. He has received the CSIR-DAAD Fellowship and CMRI Whitaker Award, MGMI-D N Thakur Award, and MEAI-Smt Kiran Devi Singhal Award for outstanding contributions in the field of his research. In view of his vast experience he was nominated as a member of the Expert Appraisal Committee of MOEFCC, Govt of India for environmental clearance of coal and thermal projects.

Pradeep Kumar Singh

Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh is the Director, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India. He has made notable contributions in Explosive Science and Blasting Technologies to solve practical problems in the mining industry encompassing the fields of optimal use of explosive energy in rock fragmentation, explosive energy partitioning, blast vibration, wall-control, fragmentation control, blast design in mines and tunnels, pre-split blast design, cast blast designs. He has written 574 technical reports and 11 S&T reports funded by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India. He has 233 research papers published in referred National and International Journals/Symposia to his credit.  He is also the author of 12 books and 4 booklets. He has authored a blast damage index for underground openings in close vicinity of open-cast blasting operations for Indian coal mines. He has also authored 4 more guidelines, which have been internationally accepted. He is the recipient of the prestigious National Mineral Award 2007, Raman Research Fellowship 2005, and CSIR Technology Award for Business Development and Technology Marketing for the year 2017, 2018, and 2019. He is a Fellow of the German Academy and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (2018).