Source
Proceedings of the Eighth International Mine Ventilation Congress, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, July 6-8, 2005. Carlton, Victoria, Australia: Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2005 Jul; :255-261
Abstract
A long-term field evaluation of selected diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems available to the underground mining industry was conducted at Inco Ltd.'s Stobie Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The project was sponsored by the Diesel Emissions Evaluation Program (DEEP). Nine state-of-the-art DPF systems were retrofitted to heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles and were subjected to extensive long-term in-mine evaluation. Periodic efficiency tests were done at various stages of the study (in 2001, 2002, and 2004) to establish in-use efficiencies and durabilities of the tested DPF systems. During efficiency tests, the vehicles/engines were operated over several steady-state operating conditions. Various instruments were used to measure particulate and gaseous emissions upstream and downstream of the filter systems. The results were used to assess the effects of the filter systems on the concentrations of diesel particulate matter, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the vehicle exhaust. Experience with the operational issues related to deployment of the filter systems on underground mining vehicles, coupled with the assessment of the filtration efficiencies, were the main objectives of the study. The variety of filtration systems and regeneration concepts used in this study offered the opportunity to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of the various types. Some of the major issues studied were criteria for selecting the filter media, means of regeneration, the long-term operational reliability, and the occurrence of unwanted secondary emissions.