Development and Evaluation of the Baggged Stone Dust Barrier

The need to eliminate the propagation of mine explosions remains important. The design of traditional passive explosion barriers was unchanged for many years. Stone dust and water barriers were originally designed and developed as long as 70 years ago. These systems were developed for single-entry mining methods, they are often regarded as an impediment to modern mining practices in rapidly advancing headings. The industry experienced a significant number of explosions, leading to considerable loss of life. Preventing the accumulation of methane by ventilation, the elimination of frictional sparking at the cutting drums of continuous mining machines, the minimisation of dust generation and dispersion, and the use of stone dust to inert coal dust are preventative controls. The final line of defence is the use of barriers to prevent a coal dust explosion from propagating. This book discusses the development of a barrier that is better suited to modern-day mining practices. It is based on an array of bags holding stone dust and suspended from the mine roof, called 'bagged stone dust barrier'. Testing of it showed it to be as effective, or more so, than conventional barriers.