Zjawisko tąpnięcia występujące w kopalniach węgla kamiennego wynika z wielu czynników naturalnych cechujących skały oraz czynników technicznych związanych z technologią i intensywnością eksploatacji. W artykule przeprowadzono analizę statystyczną i badania korelacyjne wybranych parametrów, w 129 miejscach polskich kopalń Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego, w których odnotowano tąpnięcia. Wyselekcjonowano „mierzalne” i najbardziej kształtujące stan zagrożenia tąpaniami parametry, tj: głębokość eksploatowanego pokładu, w którym odnotowano skutki tąpnięć (Ht), grubość warstwy wstrząsogennej (Hww) oraz skalę ich odziaływania w postaci minimalnej odległości od pokładu, pomiędzy ogniskiem a skutkiem wstrząsu sejsmicznego (Hos). Do analizy tych parametrów wybrano korelację liniową Pearsona oraz korelację rangową S pearmana. Analiza 129 przypadków tąpnięć pozwoliła na weryfikację wzajemnego wpływu wartości oraz rang rozpatrywanych parametrów na stan zagrożenia tymi zjawiskami. Badanie korelacyjne Pearsona wykazało słabą zależność liniową pomiędzy parametrem głębokości eksploatacji pokładu (Ht) i minimalną odległością pomiędzy ogniskiem a skutkiem wstrząsu powodującego tąpnięcia (Hos). Współzależności liniowe pozostałych parametrów nie spełniły warunku istotności korelacji. Korelacja nieliniowa S pearmana wykazała słabą korelację parametrów: minimalnej odległości od pokładu pomiędzy ogniskiem a skutkiem wstrząsu sejsmicznego (Hos) oraz grubością warstwy wstrząsogennej (Hww), a także nikłą zależność pomiędzy pozostałymi parametrami. Celem pracy była weryfikacja czynników kształtujących stan zagrożenia tąpaniami, występujących w Metodzie Rozeznania Górniczego (MRG str. 3. L.p. 1 i 4)), opublikowanej w roku 2007 w postaci Instrukcji Nr 20 pt.: „Zasady stosowania metody kompleksowej i metod szczegółowych oceny stanu zagrożenia tąpaniami w kopalniach węgla kamiennego”. MRG wskazuje na określoną wartość punktową każdego zdefiniowanego czynnika w poszczególnych zakresach ich zmienności. Proponowane zmiany, nie naruszając istoty i podstawowych złożeń MRG, wskazują na możliwość powtarzalności niektórych parametrów, które mogą wpływać na stan zagrożenia tąpaniami, a które za względu na charakter górotworu są „niezmienialne” i określane jako m.in. podstawowe czynniki geologiczne złoża.

This article presents the effects of the application of the passive method of flue gas purification from mercury compounds emitted during combustion. The research was carried out on a fluidized bed installation using coal. The dry method of acid gas pollutants reduction was applied during the combustion with the use of 9 modified sodium sorbents. They were fed into a gas jet of 573 K in two molar ratios (sodium contained in the sorbent to the sulphur contained in the fuel). The mercury emission level into the atmosphere was determined based on the mercury content in the solid substrates of the combustion process (in the fuel and the sorbent) and the solid products (fly ash and bottom waste). The combustion process was accompanied by mercury emission 14.7 μgHg/m3. During the removal of acid pollutants from fumes, a decrease in mercury concentration was achieved. The degree of the mercury reduction depended on the type the sorbent used, the manner of modification and the molar ratio in which they were fed into the installation (2 Na/S = 0.5; 2.1). Each time, the more the sorbent was fed into the installation, the bigger the reduction of the mercury emission level. Among the unmodified sorbents, the lowest emission level was achieved for the raw bicarbonate – 3.7 μgHg/m3. For baking soda it was 9.7 μgHg/m3. The application of mechanically modified compounds based on baking soda resulted in the reduction of the Hg emission in fumes up to 2.5–2.6 μgHg/m3. The determined mercury concentration levels in the gases during the purification of the fumes were compared with the accepted Hg emissions contained in the BAT conclusions for large combustion plants. As for all of the existing and newly built plants with a heat capacity below 300 MW, satisfactory effects would be achieved by the use of mechanically modified sorbents in the molar concentration of 2 Na/S = 2.1.

The article presents the results of tests of the application of magnetic fuel activators, which improve the efficiency of metallurgical furnaces and positively affect the ecological aspects of their work. Energy indicators for metallurgical furnaces during operation before and after installation of magnetic fuel activators as well as the results of composition and concentration of emitted pollutants are included in the paper. The magnetic activation of liquid and gaseous fuels modifies their structure. As a result of the activation, the fuel mixture is selectively saturated with oxygen in the zone of free fuel flow. The combustion conditions were close to optimal, which is confirmed by the reduction of pollutants in the exhaust gases. Fuel saving in the combustion process is also a measurable economic effect. The tests included ovens of several types: pusher furnace, one and two chamber furnaces and a furnace with a rotary shaft. Several-month measurement cycles were carried out on each of them. The experiments consisted in the analysis of gas and heat consumption per month in individual furnaces before and after the use of magnetic fuel activators. The effectiveness of using activators was determined on the basis of the results of the tests carried out. As a result of a twelve-month test cycle on the pusher type furnace, a 36% reduction in gas consumption and a 22% reduction in heat consumption were achieved. After a seventeen-month measurement cycle on chamber furnaces, a 35% reduction in gas consumption and 6% in heat consumption were achieved. The tests on furnaces with a rotary shaft lasted fourteen months and showed a reduction in gas consumption by 8%. An improvement in the composition of fumes in the furnace atmosphere was achieved in all units with magnetic activators installed, as well as a reduction in the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere from the installation.

The article discusses the validation process of a certain method of balancing gas contained in the pore space of rocks. The validation was based upon juxtaposition of the examination of rocks’ porosity and the effects of comminution in terms of assessing the possibility of opening the pore space. The tests were carried out for six dolomite samples taken from different areas of the ‘Polkowice-Sieroszowice’ copper mine in Poland. Prior to the grinding process, the rocks’ porosity fell in the range of 0.3-14.8%, while the volume of the open pores was included in the 0.01-0.06 cm3/g range. The grinding process was performed using an original device – the GPR analyzer. The SEM analysis revealed pores of various size and shape on the surface of the rock cores, while at the same time demonstrating lack of pores following the grinding process. The grain size distribution curves were compared with the cumulative pore volume curves of the cores before grinding. In order to confirm the argument put forward in this paper – i.e. that comminution of a rock to grains of a size comparable with the size of the rock’s pores results in the release of gas contained in the pore space – the amount of gas released as a result of the comminution process was studied. The results of gas balancing demonstrated that the pore space of the investigated dolomites was filled with gas in amounts from 3.19 cm3/kg to 45.86 cm3/kg. The obtained results of the rock material comminution to grains comparable – in terms of size – to the size of the pores of investigated rocks, along with asserting the presence of gas in the pore space of the studied dolomites, were regarded as a proof that the method of balancing gas in rocks via rock comminution is correct.

The paper presents research on the influence of grain size of selected coals and their structural parameters on the diffusion coefficient and methane sorption isotherms. Two coals from Polish hard coal mines, differing in the coal rank, were tested. Sorption isotherms for methane were determined. An unconventional sequence of pressures 0→0.1→0→0.5→0→1.5 MPa was employed to assess the speed of achieving sorption equilibrium at different pressures. The studies of CH4 accumulation kinetics were performed on various grain classes of the tested coals. Both the sorption capacity of coal and the diffusion coefficient proved to be highly sensitive to the experimental methodology. Critical measurement parameters in terms of determining the diffusion coefficient concerning the assumptions of the Crank model were indicated. The influence of the equivalent radius of coal grain on the process kinetics was demonstrated. The stepwise pressure increase factor was examined in the context of minimising the impact of sorption isotherm non-linearity on the results. The importance of the width of the grain class of coals was determined to reduce their maceral inhomogeneities. These factors are the most common reason that makes it difficult to quantitatively compare diffusion coefficient values.