GOB Ventilation And Bleeder Systems In U.S. Coal Mines (1bc7ffd0-b429-4955-87e5-82241f8281f1)

The Mine safety and Health Administration (MSHA) formed the Mine Ventilation Bleeder and Gob Training Committee in 1993. This committee was charged with developing a training course designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of practical bleeder ventilation systems. The course will probably include a discussion on the theory behind bleeder system design, an in-depth look at the strengths and weaknesses of the basic bleeder system types, case studies, and a review of the systems currently in use. A database on active underground bituminous coal mines, gob areas, and the bleeder systems presently used was developed from questionnaires distributed to nine Coal Mine Safety and Health (CMS&H) districts. Representative systems were selected for thorough investigation to develop case studies. This paper introduces some of the material to be included in the course, including a description of basic bleeder system designs, a review of a portion of the database, and facts about the gob areas and bleeder systems investigated for the development of case studies.