FlowCentric Mining Technology’s Heatshield: The ultimate solution for spontaneous combustion in coal mining
What sets Heatshield apart is its innovative approach to not only effectively suppressing existing fires, but also preventing further ignition.
Spontaneous combustion poses a significant threat to the global mining sector, particularly in coal mines, where the interaction between coal and oxygen initiates the oxidation process, generating heat.
When the dissipation rate of this heat is slower than its evolution, the temperature within coal piles can eventually reach the ignition point, leading to devastating fires. These fires not only result in financial losses due to depleted coal stocks, but also jeopardise infrastructure, the environment, human lives and property.
Most coal mines employ the compaction and soil cladding method to contain and prevent spontaneous combustion, although this method has its challenges. It is an expensive and challenging approach with significant risks, as the availability of soil for cladding, transportation costs and intensive labour hours amount to billions for mines.
Furthermore, the need for a continuous supply of energy to maintain the dumps and effective areas, especially during the rainy season when soil erosion and sloughing occur, renders this method unsustainable.
FlowCentric Heatshield is a long-term solution specifically designed to address the challenges of self-heating and spontaneous combustion. This groundbreaking innovation offers proactive and reactive treatment methods to combat spontaneous combustion:
• In the proactive treatment stage, Heatshield is applied before the oxidation process, effectively preventing the accumulation of heat and gases that could potentially lead to ignition
• In the reactive treatment stage: Where coal oxidation has already begun and the environment is on the brink of ignition, Heatshield can be applied to impede and extinguish the combustion.
What sets Heatshield apart from traditional spontaneous combustion management methods is its unique ability to form a flexible layer that seals the coal off from oxygen without damaging it. This innovative approach not only effectively suppresses existing fires, but also prevents further ignition, providing a sustainable solution to mitigate the oxidation process and reduce long-term fire hazards.
FlowCentric Mining Technology commenced this project in 2019 in collaboration with Glencore Coal South Africa, and in 2021, it became a Coaltech Project. Gerhard Stenzel, general manager of opencast technology at Glencore Coal South Africa, known for his innovative approach to improving mining methods, requested a product that is affordable and more effective than the traditional method of using water sprays and sand dressing to deal with spontaneous combustion. This collaboration resulted in the development of Heatshield, which was successfully tested at Glencore Coal South Africa’s operations.
For more information, contact Nico Stols on 082 651 2929 or email FlowCentric Mining Technology at heatshield@flowcentric-mining.com.
