The abatement of methane is a growing application that Air Clear’s proven RTO’s tackle. Although an abundant source of energy, both active and abandoned mines present unique challenges in regards to emission control.
The process is known as Ventilation Air Methane (VAM). Coal mine ventillation shafts emit tons of methane every year which is 21 times more reactive than CO2 for the atmosphere.
During coal mine operations Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) and Coal Mine Methane (CMM) are versions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) released by coal or mineral mining operations worldwide. As alternative energies emerge, methane has become an increasingly popular method for generating both heat & electricity.
Both active and abandoned mines are an abundant source of energy that with Air Clear’s VAMTOX abatement technology, can be harnessed safely and responsibly. Rather than venting methane directly to the atmosphere, companies can now profit by adding on an Air Clear VAMTOX air purification technology which utilizes an energy recovery system. In addition it is important to remember that through the use of carbon credits, these projects can often be funded without costly capital resources. The Carbon Credit program was developed to push methane destruction, rather than directly venting to the atmosphere.
Turnkey Solutions
Turnkey solutions are provided by Air Clear, so our team will help guide you through all the permitting required for installation. Air Clear’s proven fail safe designs in conjunction with strict safety protocols ensure both mine safety and EPA compliance is always rigorously adhered to, so that your project goes above and beyond the required standards.
Air Clear’s custom Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) is the leading abatement device for Ventilation Air Methane control.
Our units are custom designed and manufactured with precision and agility for a long and continuous operation. We ensure both miner safety and provide a zero impact guarantee for operations.
The RTO is best suited for this application due to the flexibility of handling Catalytic Oxidation Systems are not suited for the high methane concentrations and excessive heat from the oxidation.
A flare also would not be a good fit for the Ventilation Air Methane application due to the significant supplemental fuel/heat required to maintain destruction efficiency, which results in a much higher operating cost.
In the US, mines typically operate at methane concentrations ranging anywhere from 0.3% to 0.4%, and at concentrations above 0.3% oxidation systems can generate a substantial amount of excess heat. In low methane concentrations, a supplemental Coal Mine Methane (CMM) injection can help to increase methane concentration levels in the feed stream to the RTO.
Air Clear’s RTOs are flexible enough to handle the large volume of air coming from your mine shafts even when relatively low concentration streams are present, all while remaining capable of handling spikes in methane emission and flow.
Our Air Emission Control Equipment is custom engineered for your project with Air Clear’s proprietary hot gas bypass dampers that adapt to your conditions without overheating or going offline. To prevent any possible impact on the mine’s ventilation capacity we engineer custom mechanical connections to the vent shaft which also avoids costly Ventilation Air Methane dilution.
Quality, performance and reliability are hallmarks of all Air Clear Equipment. Carefully monitored in real time, our service technicians help ensure destruction efficiencies are always being met and preventative maintenance requirements are being properly scheduled with proprietary computational software. This both observes and maintains methane values, keeping your RTO self-sustaining, rarely requiring needing supplemental energy. Our process simulators help to optimize your coal mine ventilation system’s performance over the specified methane concentration and targeted range of Ventilation Air Methane flow rate.
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Mining operations are often in very remote locations that require our equipment to be both reliable and maneuverable. Mobility is often the first question our customers ask about, so our skid mounted units are designed for quick and safe travel as well as reinforced for off road conditions that are common in mine operations.