Department of Dust Hazard Control

DEPARTMENT OF DUST HAZARD CONTROL

ul. Podleska 72, 43-190 Mikołów, Poland

 

Head of Department

dr hab. Zdzisław Dyduch
e-mail: zdyduch@gig.eu
telefon: 32 3246 531

 

 

 

LABORATORY OF COMBATING THE HAZARD OF DUST AND GAS EXPLOSIONS IN MINES

Head

mgr inż. Jerzy Waluga
e-mail: jwaluga@gig.eu
telefon: 32 3246 650

 

 

 

LABORATORY OF AIR DUSTINESS MEASUREMENTS

Head

dr Tomasz Pindel
e-mail: tpindel@gig.eu
telefon: 32 3246 516

 

 

 

LABORATORY OF INDUSTRIAL DUST EXPLOSIONS

Head

dr hab. Zdzisław Dyduch
e-mail: zdyduch@gig.eu
telefon: 32 3246 531

 

 

The department deals with different aspects of dust hazards. It consists of three laboratories:

  • Laboratory of Dust and Gas Explosions Control in Mines
  • Laboratory of Air Dustiness Measurements
  • Industrial Dust Explosion Laboratory

Laboratory carries out research and service-related works regarding:

  • scientific reports related to coal dust explosion hazards in mines, including research qualifying coal seams, functional chambers areas, coal storage areas, etc. as for their coal dust explosion hazards,
  • tests on coal dust explosion hazard in rock workings, rock-coal workings and coal workings,
  • tests on coal dust explosion hazard and matching necessary protection for the explosives storage, coal storage and other areas particularly subject to coal dust explosion hazards,
  • assessment of the need to use main explosion-proof barriers to protect the ventilation areas (especially in the pit bottoms),
  • assessment of the effectiveness in limiting dispersibility of the coal dusts using liquid and solid dampers as for coal dust counter-explosive prevention,
  • assessment of the effectiveness in limiting volatility of the coal dusts using calcium chloride or magnesium chloride with surface-active agent additive,
  • assessment of fire-explosion hazard in mechanical coal processing plants,
  • tests on the effectiveness of safeguards against dusts explosion initiation and spreading,
  • assessment of the factors influencing the possibility of  dust initiation and spreading in tested facilities and spaces of the industrial plants,
  • creating a schedule of dust deposits removal in:
  • mechanical coal processing plants,
  • power plants,
  • mills,
  • heat plants,
  • CHP plants,
  • coal desulphurisation plants,
  • other industrial plants
  • measurement of dust subsidence intensity,
  • determination of quantity of dust remaining in the workings of the mine as well as in the facilities, levels and spaces  of industrial plants,
  • laboratory analysis of dusts remaining  in the workings of the mine according to Polish,
  • demonstrations of experimental dust explosions  and training activities,
  • tests and assessment of rock properties as for its sparking tendency which could ignite methane while operating the shearer in the mines, 
  • tests and assessment of materials properties as for its sparking tendency in the facilities and spaces of industrial plants with explosion hazard of gases and vapours of flammable liquids.

 

Laboratory of Air Dustiness Measurements (KD-2.2) is a part of the Group of Testing and Calibration Laboratories of the Central Mining Institute accredited by the Polish Accreditation Centre (PCA) in Warsaw.

Since 1998 Laboratory has been accredited as a calibration laboratory, number of accreditation - AP 006, website: https://www.pca.gov.pl/akredytowane-podmioty/akredytacje-aktywne/laboratoria-wzorcujace/AP%20006,podmiot.html

The accreditation includes calibration of dust samplers and aspirators:

  • Barbara 3Adust sampler with flow rate of 4,5 - 5,5 dm3/min,
  • personal dust sampler CIP-10 with flow rate 9,8 – 10,2 dm3/min,
  • aspirators: SKC, AP 2000Ex, Gilian and others with the flow of 1,7 - 2,4 dm3/min.

The laboratory is also accredited as a testing  laboratory, number of accreditation - AB 005, website: https://www.pca.gov.pl/akredytowane-podmioty/akredytacje-aktywne/laboratoria-badawcze/AB%20005,podmiot.html since 2006 in the scope of:

  • measurements of dust concentration at workplaces,
  • measurements of the dust concentration of the most dust-generating technological process (worst case),
  • selection of personal respiratory protection of an employee at his workplace,
  • measurement and analysis of respirable fibres in air at workplaces or in an environment,
  • measurement and analysis of respirable asbestos fibres in air at workplaces or in an environment,
  • analysis of grain size distribution of airborne dust (outside the scope of the accreditation).

The Laboratory also carries out research outside the scope of the accreditation:

  • effectiveness and correctness of dust collection equipment with the separate ventilation system of mines built in mine roadways,
  • internal and external sprinkler systems installed on the shearers and the heading machines in terms of effectiveness of control of mechanical sparks capable to ignite methane and reduction of airborne dust,
  • strength tests of suction and discharge flexible lutes.

Participation in projects:

The Laboratory is a member of the consortium that performs research in the European Project ROCD of the Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) “Reduction of risk associated with exposure to coal dust”.

More important research and development activities:

  • tests and evaluation of the effectiveness of methane and spark extinguishing generated by shearers and the heading machines in accordance with Polish legal requirements,
  • calibration of personal dust samplers CIP-10, Barbara 3A and aspirators in the calibration laboratory (AP 005) in accordance with the procedures accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) in Warsaw,
  • determination of respirable fibres in dust, in accordance with the procedures accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) in Warsaw,
  • quantitative and qualitative microscopic analysis of dust samples for the presence of coke collected in areas where hazardous event happened.

 

Since 70’s of XX century, risk mitigation and phenomena associated with dusts explosions occurring in all branches of industry except mining industry, are the main research field of Industrial Dust Explosion Laboratory.

The laboratory’s area of activity covers:

Research:

  • Measurements if dust explosion characteristic parameters in laboratory and large scale tests
  • Verification and calibration of dust explosions models

List of selected publications:

  • Dyduch Z., Toman A., Adamus W.: Measurements of turbulence intensity in the standard 1 m3 vessel, Loss Prev. Proc. Ind., 40, 2016, 180-187
  • Dyduch Z., Pękalski A.: Methods for more accurate determination of explosion severity parameters, J. Loss Prev. Proc. Ind., 26, 2013, 1002-1007
  • Dyduch Z., Skjold T.: An assessment of the laminar burning velocity in dust/air mixtures based on a model for dust explosions in closed 20-litre vessels, Proceedings of the 8th Eighth International Symposium on Hazards, Prevention, and Mitigation of Industrial Explosions, Yokohama 5-10 September 2010
  • Dyduch Z., Majcher B.: Ignition of a dust layer by a constant heat flux-heat transport in the layer, J. Loss Prev. Proc. Ind., 19, No. 2-3, 2006
  • Lebecki K., Dyduch Z., Fibich A., Śliż J.: Ignition of a dust layer by a constant heat flux, J. Loss Prev. Proc. Ind., 16, No. 4, 2003
  • Dyduch Z.: Prosty model propagacji wybuchu w mieszaninie pył-powietrze, Prace Naukowe GIG. Górnictwo i Środowisko, 3, 2004
  • Dyduch Z.: Zagrożenie wybuchem pyłu podczas składowania i przetwarzania surowców spożywczych, Ochrona Przeciwpożarowa, 2 (20), 2007
  • Dyduch Z.: Szacowanie laminarnej szybkości spalania mieszanin pył-powietrze na podstawie pomiarów ciśnienia w komorze sferycznej, Prace Naukowe GIG. Górnictwo i Środowisko, 4, 2009
  • Dyduch Z.: Specyfika zagrożenia wybuchem pyłów przemysłowych, Powder & Bulk, 4, 2009
  • Dyduch Z.: Kilka zagadnień związanych z zagrożeniem wybuchem pyłu w instalacjach nawęglania i podawania biomasy, Magazyn Ex, 2012

Commercial service:

Assessment of dust explosion and ignition parameters
In Industrial Dust Explosion Laboratory all standard ignition and explosion parameters are determined according to the European Standards:

  • Identification of combustible dust: VDI 2263 and EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016-05
  • Dust explosion characteristic including maximum explosion pressure pmax , maximum rate of pressure rise (dp/dt)maxand deflagration index KSt max: EN 14034-1, EN 14034-2
  • Lower explosion limit (LEL): EN 14034-3
  • Limiting oxygen concentration (LOC): EN 14034-4

Above mentioned tests can be performed in the standard 1 m3 vessel and in 20-l sphere manufactured by Adolf Kühner AG.

  • Minimum ignition temperature of dust cloud (MIT): EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016-05
  • Minimum ignition temperature of dust layer (T5mm): EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016-05
  • Minimum ignition energy of dust/air mixtures (MIE): EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016-05
  • Determination of spontaneous ignition behaviour of dust accumulations (TSI): EN 15188
  • Dust layer resistivity (ρ): EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016-05

Dust explosion risk assessment

  • For operating industrial facilities: (1999/92/WE ATEX Users)
  • Based on plant design or as-built documentation: (1999/92/WE ATEX Users)

This type of evaluation has been performed for food industry, metallurgical industry, oil industry, cement factories, waste disposal facilities, majority of Polish power plants and many others.

Expert opinions on events connected with dust explosion (accidents, malfunctions)

Tests of the equipment according to 34/14/UE ATEX

Consultations related dust explosions, hazard associated with them and dust explosion protection systems

Selected projects:

  • Research project for security and defense Technologie zabezpieczeń przeciwwybuchowych miejsc składowania materiałów sypkich, nr O ROB 0005 01/ID 5/1
  • Prediction and Mitigation of Methane Explosions Effects for Improved Protection of Mine Infrastructure and Critical Equipment, RFCS Grant No. RFCR-CT-2014-00005, acronym EXPRO

Significant research:

  • Research on explosions of hydrocarbons and vapours of flammable liquids in large scale
  • Explosion pressure impact on the construction of grain silo

 

+ 48-32-259-2000