A/Prof. Simit Raval receives ACARP funding of $534,880

The team aims to develop an evidence-based guideline for the coal industry to estimate surface coal mine methane emissions.

The Australian Coal Industry’s Research Program (ACARP) has funded $534k to A/Prof Simit Raval and his team for the project titled - “Assessment of sensors and airflow modelling for their suitability to quantify methane emissions in open cut mines”. His team aims to develop an evidence-based guideline for the coal industry covering a selection of sensors, strategies for data capture, and influence of airflow modelling through to utilisation of machine learning based mathematical models to estimate total methane emissions.

Simit said, “We are currently at a critical juncture because the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from coal mines is increasingly becoming a priority for both operators and regulators. At the same time, involved scientific challenges in the methane measurements is generating significant interest from global research community. Various technology providers are also actively engaged in improving their sensors, platforms, and models to address the measurement challenges and capitalise the market opportunities. Our project is a fundamental step to explore various continuous monitoring technologies that suit a typical surface coal mine methane emission characteristics”.  

ACARP is a collaborative program that brings together the experience and technical strength of the coal mining industry and research institutions to solve technical problems and address for the industry’s long-term future. Its research covers a wide range of important areas including safety, productivity, and environment sustainability.

Established in 1992, ACARP is the most successful coal research program in the world. The Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation group within ACARP focuses on estimating fugitive methane emissions from open cut operations and mitigating the methane in underground mine ventilation air.