1408 ADVANCING VENTILATION AIR METHANE ABATEMENT: CSIRO’S RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT *Y. Jin, X. Yu, J-S. Bae, G. Zhao, M. Elmouttie CSIRO Mineral Resources, 1 Technology Court, Pullenvale QLD 4069, Australia (*Presenting author: yonggang.jin@csiro.au) ABSTRACT Ventilation air methane (VAM), a dilute but voluminous source of greenhouse gas emissions from underground coal mining, poses both a significant environmental challenge and a promising opportunity for mitigation and utilization. This paper outlines CSIRO’s research and development in VAM abatement over the past two decades, highlighting four high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 6-7) technologies that have been successfully trialed with actual VAM at mine sites. In addition to these established solutions, CSIRO has explored emerging approaches such as photocatalytic oxidation for ultralow diffuse methane sources, novel low-cost transition metal oxides catalysts for catalytic VAM mitigation. The paper presents recent findings from successful site trials of CSIRO’s catalytic VAM mitigator pilot unit, known as CataVAMTM at an Australian mine. The system demonstrated efficient destruction of low-concentration VAM in a selfsustaining mode, achieving over 98% methane destruction efficiency across tested ventilation air flow rates up to 1.3 Nm3/s and methane concentrations ranging from 0.13 to 0.5%. CataVAM’s low operational temperatures (450-650 oC), combined with significantly high throughput and low pressure drop, offer significant cost-effectiveness and reduced operational risk. This work represents the world’s first successful field demonstration of catalytic VAM mitigation at such a large scale. KEYWORDS Methane Abatement, Ventilation Air Methane, Regenerative Thermal Oxidation, Regenerative Catalytic Oxidation, Photocatalytic Oxidation, Catalysts, Methane Capture 1. INTRODUCTION Methane, the second most significant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is responsible for approximately 30% of the increase in global warming since the Industrial Revolution [1]. Reducing resources sector-based methane emissions is an important part of Australia’s and global net zero strategies. As a major source of fugitive methane emissions, ventilation air methane (VAM) contained in mine ventilation exhaust, contributes approximately 15% of Australia’s total methane emissions [2] and 9% of global methane emissions [3, 4]. VAM abatement is technically complex due to high airflow, low methane concentrations (< 1% CH4), and the presence of moisture and airborne contaminants. CSIRO commenced the VAM abatement research in 2000. Through over 30 research projects that range from fundamental studies including theoretical analysis and laboratory scale experiments, through to mine site sampling and pilot scale prototype unit development and site trials, the CSIRO team has developed the following four VAM abatement technologies that have achieved technology readiness levels 6-7. • VAMCAT: A novel catalytic gas turbine system capable of operating with methane concentrations as low as 0.8% for power generation • VAMMIT: A compact flow reversal reactor featuring a novel regenerative bed for self-sustaining destruction of ≥ 0.3% methane • VAMCAP: A VAM capture system employing CSIRO-developed carbon composite adsorbents and a two-stage temperature and vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) process for methane enrichment
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