Through an industry wide collaborative project, this paper explores what potential exists for South African underground mines to reduce diesel particulate emissions, where the starting point is a mine using older engine technology (Tier 1 emission level compliant) and a diesel containing 500ppm sulphur. Comprehensive engine exhaust emissions tests were carried out in a test cell on seven diesel fuels and two retrofitted diesel particulate filters. For each evaluation, the engine was operated over a legislated non-road steady-state test cycle and a real-world transient cycle. The transient cycle was obtained from a recording of a working Load-Haul-Dump vehicle in an underground mine, which was used to replicate real-world emissions in a controlled environment. The emission data thus obtained was used also to assess the effectiveness of current dilution rates used in a typical underground mechanized platinum mine to meet proposed occupational exposure levels.
Reference:
Wattrus, M.C., Biffi, M., Pretorius, C.J. et al. 2016. An evaluation of fuels and retrofit diesel particulate filters to reduce diesel particulate matter emissions in an underground mine. Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa 2016 Conference: The increasing relevance of the mine ventilation profession in a highly regulated and cost constrained environment, 1-2 September 2016, Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, p. 37-44
Wattrus, M., Biffi, M., Pretorius, C. J., & Jacobs, D. (2016). An evaluation of fuels and retrofit diesel particulate filters to reduce diesel particulate matter emissions in an underground mine. Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9310
Wattrus, MC, M Biffi, Cecilia J Pretorius, and D Jacobs. "An evaluation of fuels and retrofit diesel particulate filters to reduce diesel particulate matter emissions in an underground mine." (2016): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9310
Wattrus M, Biffi M, Pretorius CJ, Jacobs D, An evaluation of fuels and retrofit diesel particulate filters to reduce diesel particulate matter emissions in an underground mine; Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa; 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9310 .
Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa 2016 Conference: The increasing relevance of the mine ventilation profession in a highly regulated and cost constrained environment, 1-2 September 2016, Emperors Palace, Johannesburg