A
stethoscope-like instrument will soon be deployed in mines for predicting
movement of rocks during excavation and minimize the risk of mining accidents.
Developed by IIT Kharagpur researchers, the
"Instrumented Rock Bolt" can forecast vital information of rock
movement before any unwanted accident occurs.
Field trials at Asansol coal mines of West Bengal
have yielded positive results after which experiments would soon be done in the
copper mines of Madhya Pradesh.
"The instrument will collect data on the
health of the rock just like a stethoscope. It will then be analyzed using
geocomputing technology. People who are excavating for mining or making a tunnel
for a hydropower project will then know which rock is risky and to what
extent," Prof Debasis Deb of the department of mining engineering at IIT
Kharagpur told PTI.
A part of this project is funded by the Central
Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
IIT-Kgp and CMPDI have already filed a joint
patent for the instrument.
"We are getting good response but the
technology needs further validation before it is released in the market for
commercial use. We hope that the entire system will be ready in the next two
years," the scientist said.
IIT-Kgp researchers are also collaborating with
fellows from the MIT who are currently employing the same methods for shale gas
exploration.
Source: TOI
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