| Abstract Title: | Directorate General of Mines Safety(DGMS) approved Methane and Carbon Monoxide gas Detector(Meth-CO Meter) |
| Session Choice: | Monitoring Techniques: Combustion gases |
| Presenter Name: | Mr Bhogesh Kumar |
| Company/Organisation: | M.P Enterprises |
| Country: | India |
Abstract Information :
Instrument Methane and Carbon monoxide gas detector abbreviated as 'Meth-CO meter', is India's first of its type, Indigenously developed handheld gas detector for use in underground Coal mines, having ability to detect two mostly found hazardous gases of underground Mining atmosphere i.e. Methane and Carbon monoxide in a single handy enclosure, and most important is now approved from Directorate General of Mines safety (DGMS) for use in Underground Coal Mines.
Underground coal mining, which is the future of coal mining to fulfill India's continuously growing demand for energy, there comes issues of various hazardous and in words of Miners they say "We are fighting against nature to extract Coal from its core".
There are many hazards to work in underground environment and one of which is 'hazardous Gases' that is a major concern for Underground mining atmosphere. As underground mining belongs to a closed atmospheric environment, with restricted ventilation facility, there are chances of being present various hazardous gases in underground mining atmosphere. Among of other gases, Methane and Carbon Monoxide are two most important and mostly found hazardous gases in underground mining atmosphere. Methane is a light and highly flammable gas and is most commonly found in underground coal mines, presence of methane can roughly be compared with presence of LPG(cooking gas) gas in our kitchen, when incase somehow gas cylinder knob remains open and gas becomes full in kitchen, in such a case a single spark(source of ignition) can cause a big explosion in house, the situation may be well realized for underground mines where how much big explosion can occur by Methane gas which is also highly flammable and mining has a closed surrounding for ventilation.
In the same manner Carbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas which are very easily generated by burning of coal (carbon) in deficiency of oxygen, it is medically reported that 5 to 10 PPM Carbon monoxide gas in human blood may even cause death of human body. In general words we can see the example of mosquito coil where by burning this coil in our houses, the emitting smoke contains Carbon monoxide more than 200 PPM.
Being so much important to be measured for successful operation of mining, there is also a big demand for instruments which can measure the concentration of these two gases and provide alert to the miners for the presence of these. Roughly there is demand of thousands of pieces of these instruments in our country, but it is unfortunate that after 69 years of independence of our country no one successful Indigenous handheld gas measuring instruments exists in our country to be used in underground mines.
This Instrument 'Meth-CO Meter' is also advantageous in regard that it is replacement of two widely used gas detectors i.e. 'Methanometers' and 'Toximeters' by a single instrument with best one Infrared Methane sensor for methane detection in range of 0.00% to 5.00% and Carbon monoxide in range of 0 to 2000PPM.
