Feasibility study for the design of a portable rock/coal dust meter

Abstract

This thesis deals with a feasibility study for the design of a Rock/Coal Dust Meter (RD meter) using an optical fiber probe, i.e., to investigate and develop a method to determine the safe percentage (by weight) or Rock Dust (RD) in a mixture of Coal Dust and Rock Dust sample. The goal is to develop a model that will predict the results of laboratory experiments. This model will be used to determine the feasibility of developing a RD meter, and to investigate the relationship of existing theory to laboratory measurements. The attenuation, reflection and scattering of light waves from a coal/rock dust surface are important elements in such investigations. Currently, a large amount of research and development work is being done by researchers in other fields, e.g., the determination of the oxygen content in blood by measuring the diffuse reflectance. Such an RD meter may be used to detect dangerous levels of coal dust in coal mines; coal mine explosions may then be averted.