Improvement of air sampling method to determine relative concentration of combustion gases in mine air

The currently applied methods of air sampling at the Upper Kama deposit of potassium–magnesium salts for the further chromatographic analysis are reviewed. In particular, the conventional (in glass jars), «dripping» (average daily sampler) and piston (plastic syringe) methods of mine air sampling are described. The article proposes a new approved method to sample mine air containing combustion gases for the subsequent transportation and analysis in a laboratory. The main idea of this method is using the piston effect of plastic injection syringes to be then employed as containers of air samples. The time of air storage inside plastic syringes without loss of data precision is determined. In particular, it is found that the error of relative concentration of methane as a consequence of methane leak from a syringe is no more than 5% by the 7th day of storage. Such error leads to an air demand error of 9 m3/min approximately, which is much less than the standard error of air flow rate meters employed in mines. Furthermore, over the same time period, hydrogen concentration in a syringe lowers by 50%. On average, the time from air sampling to the start of laboratory research takes no longer than one day; consequently, the concentrations of hydrogen and methane in a syringe decrease not more than by 5 and 2%, respectively. The research allows a conclusion to be drawn that the proposed method of air sampling is applicable subject to storage time not longer than one day. In case of the storage period from 2 to 7 days, the method is also applicable upon condition of introduction of an appropriate correction factor for gas concentration (methane or hydrogen).

Isaevich A. G., Starikov A. N., Maltsev S. V. Improvement of air sampling method to determine relative concentration of combustion gases in mine air. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(4):143-153. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_4_0_143.

The study was supported by the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Project No. 18-5-5-5, and by the Basic Research Program, Research Issue No. 04222019-0145-C-01.

A.G. Isaevich¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Sector, Scopus ID: 56671263900, e-mail: aero_alex@mail.ru,
A.N. Starikov¹, Engineer, e-mail: vaso4488@gmail.com,
S.V. Maltsev¹, Engineer, e-mail: stasmalcev32@gmail.com,
¹ Mining Institute of Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 614007, Perm, Russia.

S.V. Maltsev, e-mail: stasmalcev32@gmail.com.

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