REMOTELY OPERATED STENCH GAS RELEASE SYSTEM Front Panel View Remote Activated Stench Gas Release System 240 Volt AC Supply
Front Panel View Remote Activated Stench Gas Release System 1000 Volt AC Supply System Overview In the event of an underground emergency, it is of the utmost importance to enable all personnel to get to a safe location in the quickest possible time. Most mines today are equipped with 2-way radio networks that extend underground via Leaky Feeder systems. This 2-way radio system enables the mine to instantly send out an Emergency call to the underground, but some personnel may not hear the radio messages due to machine noise, or be in locations where there is no 2-way radio coverage. To ensure that personnel that have not receive the audible Emergency message, a second alerting system is activated, namely Stench Gas. Stench Gas is designed to be released into the air intake of the mine, and will disperse everywhere the air flows. Even at extremely low concentrations, the strong pungent odour is distinctive, leaving no doubt of the gas s presence and the need to evacuate. For small mines, a single Stench gas activation unit located at the portal is typically sufficient, but as the mine grows larger, and especially when the underground has multiple declines it may no longer be suitable. In some mines it has been recorded
that the stench gas has taken more than 30 minutes to reach some areas when released from the portal alone. For the larger and more complicated mines, multiple stench release point will be required to attain an adequate level of coverage in a suitable time period. Manual stench activation units can be used, but require personnel to travel to each unit to activate them. Not only does this delay the stench gas been released, but can personnel in harm s way while trying to get to these activation units. The Remote activated stench gas release units solve the above problems, allowing stench gas to be released from all installed units, almost instantly, and at the same time. When coupled with a SCADA system, the status of each unit can be monitored, ensuring all units are operational. HAHN ELECTRICAL MONGOLIA LLC are pleased to offer Stench Activation units that come ready for integration into any site automation / control system. Each unit is capable of operating in a stand-alone configuration, but can be interfaced directly via Modbus (Ethernet/RS232/RS485), or via hardwire. When networked or if telemetry is installed, each unit is capable of receiving a command to release stench gas, as well as being able to initiate the command to tell other units to release gas too. This unique feature ensures that when an emergency is declared, all personnel are alerted in the quickest possible time. Typical Telemetry methodologies deployed are Miri AD2000 series or Motorola 2-Way Radios (specific version apply). Equipment HAHN ELECTRICAL MONGOLIA LLC has designed a purpose built system to enable controlled release of stench gas. The unit is comprised of 3 separate chambers, 1 each for: Stench Gas and piping LV / Mains Power Control Equipment This enables the relevant personnel to be able to interact with the unit, without always requiring an electrician to isolate it first. To allow ease of installation, the unit is designed to be powered by 1000VAC. This allows the unit to be installed anywhere in the mine without the need for a local 240VAC supply. The unit can be operated from Mains power by simply bypassing (or removing) the 1000VAC /240VAC transformer.
As with any piece of equipment, periodic testing is required to ensure proper operation. HAHN ELECTRICAL MONGOLIA LLC has approached this issue and come up with a solution whereby all pieces of the system can be fully tested, providing the mine with peace of mind knowing that the system has been tested end to end. The unit has been designed to allow for up to 2 stench gas bottles. Mounting space in the control chamber has been provided for remote telemetry equipment, and there are both 12VDC and 24VDC available to power the telemetry equipment. Both the 12VDC and 24VDC supplies are battery backed up. To facilitate maintenance, the unit has a built in battery monitoring system which checks the health of the backup batteries. Should the batteries fail, an alarm will be generated.
Interior View PLC / Telemetry Control Cabinet Base Stench Activation Unit The Base stench activation unit comes with all the piping and control required to activate 1 Stench gas bottle. The easy to use integrated HMI enables the installer to set the parameters for the units operation, such as: Low Gas Pressure Alarm Point Stench Release Duration Activation Button Hold Time The HMI also allows the operator to view the status of the unit as well as any alarms or faults. The Base unit comes complete and is supplied in a Roll frame for ease of installation.
All that is required from the mine is to supply a 1000VAC supply cable, stench hose from the box to their desired outlet point, and the stench gas bottle itself. Please note when installing the unit, that a minimum of 500mm clearance will be required on the sides and the front of the unit to allow for access into the panel. The Key Features of the Base unit are as follows: Easy to install 1000VAC supply (in a separated chamber) Capable of housing 2 bottles Red powder coated Mild steel enclosure Each chamber has separately padlockable handles Analog Pressure gauge to show system pressure Stainless Steel Pipework and valves Manual and System based release mechanisms Full testing capabilities Telemetry / Network ready via Modbus over Ethernet, RS232 or RS485, or hardwire control Local HMI for displaying alarms, for fault finding and adjusting parameters Battery backed up control Self-monitoring Twin Gas Bottle Adaptor The base unit comes with a single bottle adaptor. To allow the use of 2 Stench gas bottles, a twin adaptor is required.
To install the twin adaptor is quite simple. The single adaptor just needs to be decoupled from the pipe-work, and the twin adaptor coupled in its place. This will then allow 2 Stench gas bottles to be released at the same time, allowing double the volume of gas to be released into the mine. Some mines also require the second bottle to be installed as a backup. Interior View Stench Gas Bottle Enclosure Radio Based Telemetry Add-on To enable the stench release units to operate together, 2-way radio telemetry can be utilised. A specially configured Motorola Radio can be installed in each Stench activation unit, and this will allow each unit to both receive an activation command from a remote unit, or send the activation command to other remote units. Due to the importance of the stench activation system, it is highly recommended that a dedicated radio channel be provided for the stench system.
As a 2-way radio draws around 7W of power in listening mode, additional battery backup must be added to ensure the system has acceptable backup time. The main components of this supply are as follows: Motorola DM4600 VHF/UHF Radio 7Ah 12VDC Backup battery with mounting bracket Ground independent Antenna with mounting bracket Interposing Relays Interior View Telemetry Radio / Communications Enclosure
Base Station Activation System To enable the Stench Gas to be activated from a location that does not have a Stench Activation unit, a base station activation unit can be utilised. This comprises a Motorola 2-way radio installed in a battery backed up desktop enclosure, with an activation push button installed in the enclosure. The enclosure comes standard with a side mounted antenna. All that is required for the unit to work is a standard 240VAC 10A RCD protected GPO. 2-Way Radio Network Further Information For more information please contact: Hahn Electrical Mongolia LLC Web hahnmongolia.com Email info@hahnmongolia.com