Knowledge based expert system to assess fires and pollution due to fires in underground coal mine

Abstract

A considerable amount of coal is lost due to the fires in underground/surface mines and it pollutes the natural environment because of the evolution of the pollutant gases like carbon monoxide, oxides of sulphur and nitrous fumes besides the unburnt hydrocarbons. Subsoil water loss in the area are severely damaging the strata. The movement of water over fire areas create further problems of low dissolved oxygen and downward movement of salts thereby increasing soil salinity, restricting end use potential of water. Hence, the knowledge based expert system model is developed for the combat of fires and also pollution due to fires by analysing the different causes of fires in underground workings with the help of certainty factor techniques. The modification of mining methods can be suggested to avoid dangerous combinations. These models help us to understand the optimisation of the parameters needed to control fires as well as pollution due to fires in underground coal mines.