99 / 2021-11-30 21:09:48

Methane capture to ensure safety of mining works and electricity production – A case study

hard coal mine,methane capture,methane hazard,mining safety,electricity production

Energy Science and Technology > 2. Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Utilization

Methane is captured from the mines to ensure the operational safety of the mine and the continuity of mining operations. Capturing and using methane gained increasing interest in the past number of years. Many factors affect methane capture and its concentration in the air-methane mixture. The quality of the gas is important for the possibility of use and durability of the installation. At the same time, hard coal deposits are one of the largest sources of anthropogenic methane emissions. Methane emissions increase in the case of active mining activities. Methane is a significant greenhouses gas with a global warming potential (GWP) 28 times larger than carbon dioxide over 100 years. Therefore, methane capture becomes an important challenge. There are many potential utilization methods of coal mine methane. An interesting solution that allows increasing the efficiency of methane use is cogeneration systems (CHP). Cogeneration systems can use internal combustion engines or turbines to generate electricity, and the waste heat is used to heat and/or cool mine facilities. The use of the captured methane depends on the quantity and quality of the gas produced. Therefore, to increase the efficiency and safety of methane capture, it is necessary to control and measure the concentration of methane in the captured mixture. The subject of the paper is capturing methane to ensure the safety of mining works in conditions of methane hazard. Additionally, captured methane from the coal seams drainage is used for electricity production. The article analyses the possibility of producing electricity using gas engines fuelled with methane captured from the active hard coal mine Budryk in Poland.