Barry
I understand the same principle, as described by Nigel Dibben, was used on
flame proof locomotives to guard against flames travelling back down the air
inlet (not to be confused with the exhaust scrubbers filled with water).
I saw too flame traps installed at the former Barnsley Main Colliery site.
The shaft seemed to have been capped leaving only a 600m dia flanged hole.
The flame trap was bolted to this but was square in section and on one face
had 2 or 3 (I forget now) round holes closed off with what looked like a
steel louvre. I assume this louvre was the 'porous medium' that did the
actual trapping.
I was told that they had been fitted (one to the shaft and one to the nearby
drift) while the mine was flooding, then when the water level stabilized,
the shaft would be filled with spoil.
Andrew Hurrell
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