Ultrafast mining gallery insulation device

Abstract

 The present invention refers to an ultrafast insulation device for mining galleries, operating automatically, for delimiting and securing fresh air circuits from areas contaminated by burned gases, toxic and/or explosive gases, produced as a result underground events such as explosions fires.
The ultrafast gallery insulation device is automatically triggered by an explosion overpressure sensor (6) or by an infrared radiation sensor (5), activating the pyrotechnic gas generator (4) which expels the shutter from the storage block (1) with subsequent inflation against the walls of the gallery. The shutter's central membrane (8) is provided with zipper (9) allowing the passage of workers.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrafast insulation system for mining galleries, operating automatically, for delimiting and securing fresh-air circuits from areas contaminated by burned gases, toxic and/or explosive gases, produced as a result of underground events such as explosions fires.

[0002] Currently, there is known a solution for fast sealing underground mining works, for which there was filed a patent request at the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks - Romania no. A/00197 dated 05.03.2013, which involves the disposal and inflation of inflatable modules by human operators - mine rescuers, by performing a succession of laborious operations, lasting several tens of minutes, in order to prepare the locations for placing the modules in the gallery, using compressed air/nitrogen bottles or flexible hose assemblies connected to the compressed air network of the mine for inflating the cells of the system's modules.

[0003] The problem solved by the present invention consists in: ultrafast insulation of mining galleries by means of a device operating automatically, which enables in a very short period of time, several seconds, the delimiting and securing of fresh-air circuits, restricting the areas contaminated by burned gases, toxic and/or explosive gases, produced as a result of underground events such as explosions fires.

[0004] The ultrafast gallery insulation device, in accordance with the present invention, consists in a compact assembly of functional units, containing the autonomous power unit, infrared and pressure sensors, gas-pyrotechnical charge generator, combination valve (unidirectional and for overpressure), folding inflatable thorons with central membrane, fitted with zipper for passage.

[0005] In accordance with the invention, the ultrafast gallery insulation device has the following technical, functional and safety advantages:

It is a compact assembly of reduced sizes, which contains all required elements for fulfilling the operational role of insulating a gallery

The device transportation is performed in complete work safety, being placed in the gallery, in the intended location, before the occurrence of an event such as explosion or fire;

It is operating automatically, no longer requiring the presence of the human operator - mine rescuer, thus increasing work safety, the device triggering being achieved either by the notification of explosion overpressure or by the notification of infrared radiation of an underground fire;

Insulating the gallery using this device is carried out ultrafast, the gas-pyrotechnical charge generator determines the inflation of the folding thorons with membrane in a few seconds and their moulding on the gallery's profile, maintaining and adjusting the pressure in the thorons being achieved automatically through the combination valve (unidirectional and for overpressure); The device presents required safety characteristics for protection to explosion, being used fireproof and antistatic materials for the thorons and membrane, and the electrical elements (power supply, pressure sensor, infrared sensor) being protected to explosion by Ex s type of protection (a combination of the types of protection: encapsulation, flameproof enclosure, intrinsic safety, increased safety);

It enables the passage of workers (miners/rescuers) through the zipper;

The activated device which insulated a gallery is delimiting and ensuring fresh-air circuits from functional galleries, hindering the entering of burned gases, toxic and/or explosive gases, generated by underground events such as explosions or fires;

[0006] An example of achieving the device is given further, in accordance with the present invention, referring to Fig. 1 which is the block diagram of the ultrafast gallery insulation device.

[0007] The ultrafast gallery insulation device, in accordance with the present invention and referring to Fig. 1, is achieved as follows: folding shutter storage block 1, combination valve block (unidirectional and for overpressure) 2, power supply source block 3, gas-pyrotechnical charge generator with controlled electrical device for initiation 4, sensor for detecting explosion pressure 5, sensor for detecting infrared radiation of a fire 6, inflatable shutter (made of two deformable thorons) 7, provided with central membrane 8, with zipper for staff passage 9, shutter which moulds on the gallery's profile 10.

[0008] The operation of the device and the organic connections between the component elements, in accordance with the present invention, are the following: after the placement in the gallery 10 in the intended location (operation which is performed during normal operation of the mine, before the occurrence of any event such as explosion or fire), at the occurrence of an explosion overpressure or a fire, the pressure sensor 5 or the infrared radiation sensor 6 by means of the power supply source 3 trigger the operation of the electrical device for initiating the pyrotechnical charge 4 of the gas generator, which, through the combination valve 2, determines the inflation and exit from the storage block 1 of the shutter 7, which expands and moulds on the profile of the gallery (pressure inside the shutter is automatically adjusted through the combination valve), thus achieving ultrafast insulation, the passage of staff being able to be performed through the central membrane 8, provided with zipper 9.

Claims

1. Ultrafast mining galleries insulation device, characterised by the fact that, after placing it in the gallery (10) in the intended location, at the occurrence of an explosion overpressure or of a fire, the pressure sensor (5) or an infrared radiation sensor (6) through the power supply source (3) trigger the operation of the electrical device for initiating the pyrotechnical charge (4) of the gas generator, which, through the combination valve (2), determines the inflation and exit from the storage block (1) of the shutter (7), which expands and moulds on the profile of the gallery, thus achieving ultrafast insulation, the passage of staff being able to be performed through the central membrane (8), provided with zipper (9).

Drawing