ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Environmental Protection in Industrial Areas
and Applying Thermal Analysis
to Coal Dumps
Rafał Jendruś
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Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Mining and Geology,
Akademicka 2A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Submission date: 2016-04-06
Final revision date: 2016-08-18
Acceptance date: 2016-08-18
Online publication date: 2017-01-31
Publication date: 2017-01-31
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(1):137-146
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ABSTRACT
Complex analysis of thermal and gaseous states of chosen coal dumps performed by the authors made it
possible to initially evaluate risk of spontaneous combustion of these objects and their classification based
on indicators of a certain risk group. Thanks to the observation of coal dumps using a thermovisual camera,
non-contact visualization of temperature distribution of the coal dump was obtained in the form of colored
thermograms, which led to identifying areas of higher thermal activity. Use of a thermovisual camera is
an example of adaptation of modern technology for research purposes. Properly planned measurement,
swift development, and comparison of results gives complex information about object structure and thermal
reactions on its surface. Analysis of thermal anomalies found on coal dumps allows us to draw conclusions
about the causes of these events and repeating characteristics of environmental physicochemical condition
variability accompanying such events.
The process of endogenic fire formation is a complex mechanism that is not yet fully understood. Doubts
were dispelled in the matter of main spontaneous combustion, which is the oxidation process of coal and
which is the main burning by-product material of a mining operation. However, the reason for the activation
process of self-heating and leading coal substance to critical temperature (60-80ºC) is not fully understood.
According to this, the author has reviewed knowledge related to experiences with spontaneous combustion
of coal dumps.