“Reduction of Ventilation Air Methane Emissions in the Coal Mining Transformation Process” (ProVAM)
Source of funding: The European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant 5734/FBWiS/2024/2).
The task was funded from the state budget under the program called „Projekty Międzynarodowe Współfinansowane”
Task Title: “Reduction of Ventilation Air Methane Emissions in the Coal Mining Transformation Process”
The value of the funding is 528,678 PLN, with the total value of the project amounting to 1,468,551 PLN.
Task Description: The aim of the project is to achieve progress in the implementation of methane utilization technology emitted by coal mine ventilation shafts through in-situ research, laboratory studies, and modeling conducted by an international consortium of research institutions, industrial partners, and universities.
Contact person: D. Sc. Eng. Jerzy Krawczyk, Associate Professor
Projects funded from the state budget under the “Premia na Horyzoncie 2” initiative
PICTO
Task title: “Reducing environmental risk during longwall coal mining in bituminous and lignite coal mines acronym PICTO”
Funding value and total task value: 514,950 PLN
Task description: The funding covers salary supplements for individuals participating in the project titled “Reducing environmental risk during longwall coal mining in bituminous and lignite coal mines acronym PICTO” carried out under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), based on agreement No. 800711/2018; and the International Co-Financed Projects program, based on agreement 531739/PnH2/2021.
i2MON
Task title: “Integrated monitoring of the impact of mining activities on the environment acronym I2MON”
Funding value and total task value: 196,582 PLN
Task description: The funding covers salary supplements for individuals participating in the project titled “Integrated monitoring of the impact of mining activities on the environment acronym I2MON” carried out under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), based on agreement No. 800689; and the International Co-Financed Projects program, based on agreement 540032/PnH 2/2022.
MERIDA
Task title: “Environmental risk management during and after mine closure acronym MERIDA”
Funding value and total task value: 271,992 PLN
Task description: The funding covers salary supplements for individuals participating in the project titled “Environmental risk management during and after mine closure acronym MERIDA” carried out under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS-2020), based on agreement No. MERIDA RFCR-CT-2015-00004; and the International Co-Financed Projects program, based on agreement 531739/PnH2/2022.
“Production Face Environmental Risk Minimisation in Coal and Lignite Mines” (PICTO)
Contract No. 800711
Period of implementation: September 1, 2018 – August 31, 2021.
Source of funding: The European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant W93/FBWiS/2018).
Project participants:
- Strata Mechanics Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences — project coordinator:
- Division of Flow Metrology,
- Division of Micromeritics
- Division of Mine Ventilation.
- Główny Instytut Górnictwa (Poland),
- Imperial College London (Great Britain),
- Eickhoff Bergbautechnik GmbH (Germany),
- Premogovnik Velenje (Słovenia),
- Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A. (Poland).
The aim of the project is to develop a prototype control system for the operation of a mining machine in the mining face in order to eliminate or minimize undesired and unplanned production downtime due to exceeding permissible values of gas emissions in mining areas of underground coal and lignite mines through monitoring of the production process and environment and appropriate adjustment of equipment operation to these conditions.
Project reports:
Contact person: D. Sc. Eng. Jerzy Krawczyk, Associate Professor
“Management of Environmental RIsks During and After mine closure” (MERIDA)
Number: RFCR-CT-2015-00004
Period of implementation: December 15, 2015 — December 15, 2019.
Source of funding: The European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant 3582/FBWiS/2016/2).
Environmental Risk Management During and After Mine Closure acronym MERIDA
The task was funded from the state budget as part of the “Horizon 2 Premium” initiative.
Task Title: “Environmental Risk Management During and After Mine Closure, acronym MERIDA” Funding amount and total task value: 271,992 PLN
Task Description: The funding covers supplements to salaries for individuals participating in the project titled “Environmental Risk Management During and After Mine Closure, acronym MERIDA”, carried out under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS-2020), based on agreement no. MERIDA RFCR-CT-2015-00004; and the International Co-Funded Projects program, based on agreement 531739/PnH2/2022.
Project participants:
- Główny Instytut Górnictwa – project coordinator,
- Strata Mechanics Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences:
- Division of Rock Mechanics,
- Division of Mine Ventilation.
- DMT GmbH & Co. KG (Germany),
- Imperial College London (Great Britain),
- University of Exeter (Great Britain),
- University of Oviedo (Spain),
- Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic),
- HUNOSA (Spain),
- French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (France),
- Kompania Węglowa S.A. (since 2016 — Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A.).
The aim of the project is to develop a methodology for managing the environmental risks associated with the closure of coal mines, both during and after closure, and to develop an integrated approach that will allow the industry to implement the methodology anywhere. MERIDA will produce a best practices manual to be used by the industry and decision-makers for the systematic assessment of the main environmental threats of closure, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Strata Mechanics Research Institute was responsible for tasks related to subsidence and uplift hazards as well as gas emissions.
Contact person: D. Sc. Eng. Jerzy Krawczyk, Associate Professor
“Integrated Mining Impact Monitoring (i2MON)”
Period of implementation: July 1, 2018 — August 30, 2022.
Source of funding: The European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS).
Project participants:
- Strata Mechanics Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences — project coordinator:
- Division of Flow Metrology,
- Division of Rock Mechanics,
- Division of Mine Ventilation.
- DMT GmbH & Co. KG (Germany),
- EFTAS Fernerkundung Technologietransfer GmbH (Germany),
- Technische Universiteit Delft (Holand),
- Hochschule Mainz — University of Applied Sciences (Germany),
- Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany),
- Laserdata GmbH (Austria),
- Lausitz energy Bergbau AG (Germany),
- Airbus Defence & Space GmbH (Germany),
- Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A. (Poland).
Project website: http://i2monproject.eu/
Contact person: Prof. D.Sc. Eng Krzysztof Tajduś
CO2/CH4 exchange sorption on carbonaceous matter under circular loading condition
NCN, OPUS 12, 2016/23/B/ST8/00744
Implementing Entity:Strata Mechanics Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
Project Manager : D.Sc. Eng. Norbert Skoczylas
Amount awarded: 611,500 PLN, Commencement: 2017-10-18, Completion: 2021-10-17
1. Purpose of conducted research / research hypothesis
The purpose of the ongoing work will be to study the course and mechanism of CO2/CH4 exchange sorption in carbon material under circular loading conditions. The planned research will include a number of scientific problems to be solved. Among other things, they will make it possible to thoroughly analyze changes in sorption capacities and volumes (sorption swelling/shrinkage) of a coal sample at different circular pressures for different sorption equilibrium points, as well as to analyze qualitative and quantitative changes in the mechanism of exchange sorption at different circular loads and different pressure gradients. In addition, the effect of the CO2/CH4 exchange sorption process on the coal material under circular loading condition on its structural properties will be determined.
2. Research method / methodology used
The research plan includes main sorption studies, i.e.: analysis of the course of CO2/CH4 exchange sorption processes on a carbon sample, exchange efficiency of sorbed gases, kinetics of exchange zone displacement in the sample under circular loading conditions, sorption swelling, and additional studies of changes formed in the porous structure of the sample. The main sorption studies will be realized using the isobaric-isothermal volumetric method and the flow method while maintaining a constant gas pressure gradient. For these studies, a unique proprietary apparatus will be constructed, which, realizing the individual research objectives, will enable a comprehensive evaluation of the effect of circular loading on the parameters of the carbon-gas system under isothermal and isobaric conditions.
Before and after the main sorption tests, selected carbon samples will be subjected to technical and structural analyses. For additional structural studies, scanning electron microscopy will be used to observe changes in the surface topography of the samples and determine their phase composition. Mercury porosimetry, low-pressure gas adsorption and helium pycnometry will be used to characterize changes in the porous structure of the samples. These methods will allow determination of changes in porosity, pore size and distribution in the samples after exchange sorption tests under load.
3. Impact of expected results on the development of science, civilization, society
The mechanism of sorption processes in coal has been the subject of scientific research for many years. The sorption processes of single gases and their mixtures on coal material are well recognized. Studies of gas sorption on coal material under load have been conducted. An in-depth review of the literature has shown that a topic as yet unrecognized is the issue of CO2/CH4 exchange sorption on coal material under circular loading.
The multitude of dependencies that can be both experimentally observed and quantitatively estimated during sorption processes in the circular loading state of a coal sorbent is a missing link in the broad research of the coal-gas system. Certainly, the proposal to study the exchange sorption of CO2/CH4 under coal circular loading conditions taking into account the factor of time and space is unique. Such research is envisaged in the implementation of the present project. The result of the project will be a detailed description of the relationship: exchange sorption – sorbent circular loading – sorbent swelling.
Research apparatus built as part of the project implementation.
Examples of results recorded during sorption exchange experiments.
