Inflatable Devices for Use in Combating Mine Fires

Abstract: The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting full-scale laboratory studies on the development of lightweight inflatable devices that can be used for rapidly isolating mine fire areas to allow for fire suppression and/or personnel escape. These inflatable devices were able to stop airflows of over 1,100 m3/min within several minutes. The remotely installed bag was designed to rapidly isolate the fire zone and to then serve, if necessary, as a containment form for the remote injection of low-dersil organic or inorganic foams. Other inflatable bag concepts that were tested include an inflatable feed-tube seal for high-expansion foam generators and a positive pressure inflatable walk-through escape device. Laboratory studies indicated that a high-expansion foam plug will travel 183 m through an entry with a 4.5 pct rise in elevation before foam leakage from around the inflatable feed-tube seal. Additionally, the positive-pressure, inflatable walk-through escape device with its pass-through feature may allow extra time for personnel evacuation. All of these inflatable devices have shown merit during laboratory studies in providing a rapid method for isolation of a mine fire prior to suppressant foam injection or personnel escape.