Weather separator

A weather separator is a weather engineering structure that is used in mining for weather management in the mine workings . Weather Scheider who in lines to be installed, which called Bergmann path separator. Weather separators that are installed in shafts are called shaft weather separators.

Basics and history

In the 16th century it was the drift mining in the Harz mining district committed to providing the ventilation of tunnels to improve. The aim was to create an artificial weather train using suitable measures. For economic reasons, attempts were made to reduce the number of light holes to a necessary minimum. For this purpose, an intermediate floor was built into the tunnel in order to guide both the fresh weather and the downweather through the tunnel. In smaller mines, the operation of two shafts was often too expensive, so that the shaft was divided vertically with a weather separator and both weather streams were led through one shaft. This so-called “one-shaft system” was previously used in potash mining.

Line separator

Drawstring cutters are built in two different variations, as horizontal drawstring cutters or as vertical drawstring cutters. In the case of horizontal section separators, the weather separator is installed either in the area of the track bottom or in the area of the roof . When installing in the sole area, the weather separator is built as a concealed supporting structure. To this end, mining timber used and a second floor above the footwall created. The boards are joined together using tongue and groove . If possible, the boards are then caulked . The structure created in this way is then covered with tailings . Another way to create a weather separator in the sole area is to create a vault wall over a water lake . However, there must be a deep water bank in the route, over which a flat vault made of bricks is built. The installation of the horizontal weather separator in the roof area is rarely used. Horizontal weather separators are suitable for narrow stretches of great height.

Vertical weather separators are either made of wood or created by means of half-timbered walls. The timbered weather separators are made from a wooden frame made of 105 millimeter thick square planks . A canvas soaked in water glass is applied to these wooden walls . Weather separators of this type can be created relatively quickly and are more cost-effective than masonry line separators. For the masonry weather separators, wooden pit punches are first placed. Bricks of half the stone thickness or upright are then built between the stamps. The wooden stamps serve as a framework . Vertical section cutters are suitable for wide sections with more severe or at least approximately more severe impacts .

Shaft weather separator

Shaft weather separators were mainly made of wood. These constructions have the advantage that they have a certain elasticity, they can also be processed more easily during repair work and require less space. Here, too, the individual boards are joined together using tongue and groove. The joints are then sealed by either nailing narrow battens over the joint or covering the weather separator with canvas soaked in tar. Bricked weather separators are not suitable in shafts. This is because the masonry becomes leaky due to vibrations. Half-timbered separators also take up more space than wooden separators. Another option for creating manhole separators is to use galvanized corrugated iron . To fix the sheets, U-profile bars are attached to the shaft joints and sealed with cement. The sheets are riveted to the U-irons so that the folds of the sheet are in a horizontal position. The seams are sealed with strips of canvas soaked in red lead putty. A is at the upper end of the partition Lutte connected, via the then fresh air through the separator weather in the pit building is blown. The other end of the duct is connected to a weather cap . Stronger ventilation is created with a pit ventilator .

Disadvantages and dangers

A major disadvantage of manhole separators is the insufficient tightness. Due to the joints and the edges on the shaft wall, it is very difficult to create a properly leak-proof manhole separator. It is even more difficult to keep the construction permanently tight. Due to the fact that the shaft is not absolutely immobile, but together with the mountain is in motion, it comes to tensile and compressive stresses on the materials. In addition, there are unavoidable vibrations and shocks when hoisting the shaft , which also stress the material. In addition, the walls of the manhole separator are loaded with a relatively high lateral pressure due to the depression. This places great strain on the walls in terms of bending. The walls are particularly stressed when using powerful pit ventilators and must be protected against being pushed in.

Severe damage to the manhole separator by a firedamp explosion or a mine fire can be fatal . This leads to a short-circuit in the weather with devastating consequences. For this reason, Schachtwetterscheider are prohibited in the German hard coal mining.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Heinrich Veith: German mountain dictionary with documents. Published by Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn, Breslau 1871.
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d Carl Hellmut Fritzsche: Textbook of mining science. First volume, 10th edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Göttingen / Heidelberg 1961.
↑ Wilfried Ließmann: Historical mining in the Harz. 3rd edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-540-31327-4 .
↑ ^a ^b Carl Hartmann: Concise dictionary of the mountain, hut and Saltwork science of mineralogy and geognosy. Fourth volume QZ, 2nd edition, J. Scheible's Buchhandlung, Stuttgart 1841.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Albert Serlo: Guide to mining science. Second volume, 4th improved edition, published by Julius Springer, Berlin 1884.
^ Wilhelm Leo: Textbook of mining science. Printed and published by G. Basse, Quedlinburg 1861.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gustav Köhler: Textbook of mining science. Second improved edition, published by Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig 1887.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Fritz Heise, Fritz Herbst: Textbook of mining science with special consideration of hard coal mining. First volume, published by Julius Springer, Berlin 1908.

[Quelle_1-1] Heinrich Veith: German mountain dictionary with documents. Published by Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn, Breslau 1871.

[Quelle_2-2] A ^b ^c ^d Carl Hellmut Fritzsche: Textbook of mining science. First volume, 10th edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Göttingen / Heidelberg 1961.

[Quelle_8-3] Wilfried Ließmann: Historical mining in the Harz. 3rd edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-540-31327-4 .

[Quelle_3-4] Carl Hartmann: Concise dictionary of the mountain, hut and Saltwork science of mineralogy and geognosy. Fourth volume QZ, 2nd edition, J. Scheible's Buchhandlung, Stuttgart 1841.

[Quelle_4-5] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Albert Serlo: Guide to mining science. Second volume, 4th improved edition, published by Julius Springer, Berlin 1884.

[Quelle_5-6] Wilhelm Leo: Textbook of mining science. Printed and published by G. Basse, Quedlinburg 1861.

[Quelle_6-7] Gustav Köhler: Textbook of mining science. Second improved edition, published by Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig 1887.

[Quelle_7-8] Fritz Heise, Fritz Herbst: Textbook of mining science with special consideration of hard coal mining. First volume, published by Julius Springer, Berlin 1908.