SBIR Phase I: Capture and Use of Coal Mine Ventilation Air Methane (VAM)

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a technology that can effectively capture ventilation air methane (VAM) generated in coal mine operation and convert it to fuels. VAM is the #1 cause of coal mine explosion. Currently, the only available method to reduce this risk is to use powerful ventilation systems, which are costly to maintain and insufficient to handle emergencies. Methane is also a greenhouse gas that is over 20 times more effective in trapping heat than CO2. Each year tens of millions tons of methane are released into the atmosphere due to mining activities. The proposed technology will provide an ideal technical solution that can solve all the main concerns of VAM - safety, environment, and energy. Compared to existing methods, such as ground VAM burners, the proposed technology features underground operation, room-temperature operation, portable in size, stand-alone, energy efficient and much lower costs. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are the reduction of coal mine accidents, reduction of mine shut-down time, increase of work place safety, a technology that may lead to further development and applications for the treatment of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), a constant threat to people safety and health. Although, this project targets at the coal mine industry at Phase I, the technology developed in this project can be easily adopted for applications in other industries without significant modification, such as petroleum, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals and residential air quality control etc.