Coal mine ventilation air methane combustion a history, present state and future prospects
K. Gosiewski, M. Jaschik, A. Pawlaczyk, K. Warmuziński, M. Tańczyk
III Ogólnopolskie Sympozjum Reaktory Wielofazowe i Wielofunkcyjne dla Procesów Chemicznych i Ochrony Środowiska, ***, 75-80 (2012)
Abstract
Methane released during coal mine exploitation is not only greenhouse gas but also a valuable energy carrier. The so-called Ventilation Air Methane (VAM), is emitted with mine ventilation air at a concentration from about 0.1 to 1.0 CH4 vol.%. Such lean mixture can be considered as an alternative fuel for energy production by applying modern combustion technologies such as Flow Reversal Reactors (FRRs). Numerous studies of VAM abatement are around the world intensively carried out barely since the end of 90-ies. Institute of Chemical Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ICE-PAS) joined to this research in 2000. The most promising to the VAM utilization occurred to be non-catalytic, thermal flow reversal reactors (TFRRs). The paper describes an earlier and present ICE-PAS’ studies an moreover quite recent cooperation with the Coal Mining Company in Katowice (the largest such a company in Europe) in projected industrial VAM utilizing TFRR pilot plant build up and industrial research in the “Brzeszcze” coal mine.
