Track: Energy

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to develop an automated coal mine methane control system for methane gas extraction from active and abandoned coal mines roof as it is the lightest gas in coal mines. Zimbabwe has the richest deposits of methane gas in coal beds in Southern Africa, which accumulates into the underground coal mines during mining operations and abandoned underground coal mines. Almost 50% of the energy expanded in coal mines goes to the ventilation system so as to ventilate the accumulated explosive gas which is also a source of clean energy. Due to lack of cost-effective technology to capture and fully harness this coal mine methane gas, its accumulations are resulting in 10+% downtime which is a huge loss to coal mining companies such as Hwange Colliery. Analysis of methane gas behavior interms of emission and accumulation was done, circuit designing, conceptual modelling, simulations and 3D modelling. A system was developed which could capture methane gas through a suction process. A model of the system was developed and tested which could detect, monitor and extract coal mine methane gas. This project is recommended for methane gas extraction in active underground coal mines and abandoned underground coal mines in Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: coal mine methane, methane extraction, energy, automated control, ventilation

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