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Field Testing of Roof Bolter Canopy Air Curtain Operating Downwind of the Continuous Miner

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Abstract

Roof bolter canopy air curtains (CACs) are gaining acceptance as a respirable dust control device that can provide roof bolter operators with protection from overexposure to respirable coal mine dust. Both lab and field studies on the effectiveness of roof bolter CACs have been published. Field studies have shown the effectiveness to be variable. However, in all previous field studies, none has been conducted when the roof bolting machine operates downwind of the continuous miner (CM)—a scenario for which the CAC was designed to provide respirable dust control. This study, performed by researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was conducted to test a CAC on a roof bolter machine operating downwind of the CM. The results of testing demonstrated that the roof bolter CAC can effectively provide respirable dust protection for roof bolter operators with dust control efficiencies ranging from 11 to 40%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CDC-NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA

    William R. Reed, Michael Shahan & Vasu Gangrade

  2. J.H. Fletcher & Co, Inc., Huntington, WV, 25705, USA

    Garron Ross

  3. Lively Grove Mine, Prairie State Generating Company, LLC, Marissa, IL, 62257, USA

    Kunal Singh & Todd Grounds

Authors
  1. William R. Reed
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  2. Michael Shahan
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  3. Vasu Gangrade
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  4. Garron Ross
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  5. Kunal Singh
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  6. Todd Grounds
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Correspondence to William R. Reed.

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The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

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Reed, W.R., Shahan, M., Gangrade, V. et al. Field Testing of Roof Bolter Canopy Air Curtain Operating Downwind of the Continuous Miner. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 38, 581–592 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00319-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00319-1

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