ACARP funding for new projects of $13.96 million was awarded in December last year, bringing total funding for the new projects to $21.92 million.
Of the 66 new projects, 18 were categorised as underground coal.
Projects under management in 2009 totalled 178 with ACARP funding of $44.86 million. Of these, 68 were underground coal with $18.16 million in funding.
New funding was committed to two projects being overseen by the Roadway Development Task Group.
A project being undertaken by Wollongong University – a continuous miner mounted, fully automated system for installing self-drilling bolts and steel mesh for primary roof and rib support during roadway development – received $1.399 million, which will be added to an existing $767,000.
In a related vein, CSIRO received $1.31 million for its continuous miner automation component project.
The project builds on work already done in longwall automation to transfer lessons and technology to continuous miners.
Still on roadway development, Colwell Geotechnical Services received $350,000 for roof support design methodology for wide (greater than 5.5m) roadways.
Hydraulics was also paid plenty attention with Monash University receiving $343,000 additional funding for its project investigating the factors contributing to premature longwall system hose assembly failures including the effects of the selection process, installation and maintenance, damage, hose and staple quality/design deficiencies and overloading.
BMT WBM received $179,000 to look into longwall hydraulics, Staple Loc staple and fatigue assessment and Xstrata’s Paul Gill will investigate high-pressure injection injuries with $76,000 in funding.
Jim Galvin will continue his work into a handbook on managing geotechnical risk in underground coal mining, winning $150,000.
Skillpro Services plans to move onto its next phase of research into active explosion barriers with $390,000 to begin a simulation of active explosion suppression by injection of physical inertants, such as water and dust.
CRCMining will continue research into a coiled tubing drilling system by understanding the operation and design of CTD before it moves onto a field trial.
In the diesel area, Skillpro Services is trialling alternative diesel fuels – biodiesel and synthetic diesel, for reducing diesel particulate matter and solving emission toxicity.
Queensland Mine Rescue Service received $195,000 in new funding to research and develop a functional specification for data collection and management systems suitable for the efficient, risk-assessed management of mine hazards during emergency response.
CSIRO’s Ron McPhee will start a new project looking into developing an intrinsically safe touch screen for computer interfaces in hazardous areas.
Also at CSIRO, Binzhong Zhou will look at improving reflection seismic success through ground truthing.
In addition, CSIRO will look into the options for replacing spark test apparatus for IS testing to find a more reliable method.
Xstrata’s Paul Gill will test aluminium and light metal alloys for underground use in a quest to lighten items to avoid injury risk.
In more safety work, the University of Queensland will develop a new integrated safety case methodology to create lead practice in electrical isolation.
Inbye Mining Services was awarded $170,000 to investigate AFC pan stability.
Projects already under management were dominated by the occupational and health category with 16 projects, while ventilation, gas drainage and monitoring section had 10 projects.
Six roadway development projects received the most funding, totalling $3.77 million.
For 2010 funding a call for proposals will go out on April 17 with short proposals due by May 19. The full proposals will be due September 8.
Confirmation of successful proposals will be issued by ACARP in December, 2010.
