LOCALIZATION OF UNDERGROUND FIRES IN LONGWALL FACES
Purpose. Modeling the underground open fires in the longwall faces to calculate their parameters and parameters of water screens being developed at couplings of the longwall faces with the air roadways. Methods. The methods are based on the use of the mathematical model of the underground open fires in the ventilated mine workings and of the mathematical model of cooling the heated gas-air flow in a water screen. Results. The methods of calculation of the parameters of the open fire in the longwall face which parts form the analytical dependences to calculate the fire load in the longwall face and the temperature of the gas-air flow are proposed. The fire load includes: mineral oil in a reduction gear and another units of a winning combine and other mechanisms and equipment entering into the composition of a mechanized complex in the longwall face, coal spilled on the floor of the longwall face, flexible electrical cables, methane emitting from the surface of the coal seam. One calculate: thermal capacity of the fire, length of the combustion and smoldering zones, propagation distance of the fire along the longwall face, temperature in the combustion zone and at the outlet from the longwall face to the air roadway. On the basis of these data one determine a number of centrifugal sprayers (installations) that should be placed at the coupling of the longwall face with the air roadway. Scientific novelty. The investigation results of conformities of burning the combustible materials in the longwall faces of the coal mines permit to increase efficiency of localization of the fires with the water screens. Practical value. The results obtained may be used by choice of the means of localization of the underground fires with water sprayed and by evaluation of their efficiency.