Dariusz Prostański

Steel surface preparation processes in the shipbuilding industry based on abrasive blasting generate high dust concentrations, including the hazardous respirable fraction. The present study focuses on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) assisted design assessment of a modular water-curtain...

In the context of Poland’s commitments under the European Union’s climate policy, including the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, as well as the decision to ban imports of hard coal from Russia and Belarus, ensuring the stability of the domestic market for energy commodities is becoming a key challenge. The response to these needs is the Coal Platform concept developed by the KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology (KOMAG), which aims to integrate data on hard coal resources, production, and demand. The most important problem is not the just-in-time (JIT) strategy itself, but the lack of accurate, up-to-date data and the high technological and organizational inertia on the production side. The JIT strategy assumes an ability to predict future demand well in advance, which requires advanced analytical tools. Therefore, the Coal Platform project analyses the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to forecast demand and adjust production to actual market needs. The developed mathematical model (2024–2030) takes into account 12 variables, and the tested forecasting methods (including ARX and FLNN) exhibit high accuracy, which together make it possible to reduce overproduction, imports, and CO₂ emissions, supporting the country’s responsible energy transition. This article describes approaches to issues related to the development of the Coal Platform and, above all, describes the concept, preliminary architecture, and data model. As an additional element, a mathematical model and preliminary results of research on forecasting methods in the context of historical data on hard coal production and consumption are presented. The core innovation lies in integrating the just-in-time (JIT) philosophy with AI-driven forecasting and scenario-based planning within a cloud-ready Coal Platform architecture, enabling dynamic resource management and compliance with decarbonization targets.

Gravity beneficiation is a key operation in mineral processing and waste recycling, enabling the production of concentrates with required quality. Among gravity separators, pulsating jigs remain widely applied due to their robustness and adaptability. This study evaluates the KOMAG laboratory jig for upgrading diverse feedstocks: hard coal with variable ash content, gravel aggregates with organic impurities, post-mining waste, and battery scrap. Tests were performed on a two-chamber jig with an air-pulsation system and advanced control. The results confirmed the feasibility of obtaining coal concentrates with 8%–10% ash at 59%–71% yield, complete removal of organic contaminants from aggregates with minimal losses, and recovery of combustible fractions from post-mining waste with favourable separation parameters (d₅₀ = 1.569 g/cm³, imperfection = 0.191). Beneficiation of shredded battery scrap achieved 74%–88% plastic removal and over 99% metallic recovery. Industrial implementations of KOMAG pulsating jigs validated these findings, showing high efficiency in coal, aggregate, and waste processing. This study demonstrates the versatility of pulsating jigging and its relevance in sustainable resource management, confirming that laboratory results can be effectively scaled to industrial practice.

This study explores the design and construction methods for auxiliary workings for the deepening of Shaft II at the Borynia Mine. The shaft, an essential intake structure for personnel and material transport, is being extended from 980 m to 1150 m to provide access to a new mining level at 1120 m. Given the challenging geological and operational conditions, a top-to-bottom deepening method was adopted, with excavation from a sub-level accessed via an auxiliary incline. The study details the planning and implementation of key auxiliary workings, including hoisting machine chamber and technological shaft inset. A comprehensive geotechnical analysis was conducted to assess rock mass properties, classify geological formations, and estimate mechanical parameters affecting excavation stability. The support system design was carried out using both analytical and numerical methods, ensuring safe and efficient construction. The applied primary and secondary support structures have successfully maintained excavation stability. The findings demonstrate the reliability of the adopted engineering solutions and their applicability in deep mining environments.

Undercutting anchors are structural elements used in construction and geotechnics to stabilize both structures and soils. Their main applications include stabilizing slopes and embankments, reinforcing foundations, and providing support during tunnel construction and other underground works. The authors propose the use of these anchors in rock mass detachment technology. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the mechanism behind rock mass detachment using an undercutting anchor. Particular attention is given to the influence of parameters such as the fracture energy of the medium and the coefficient of friction between the medium and the anchor head on the detachment process of rock elements during anchor expansion in the drilled hole. Numerical FEM analysis was employed to model the effect of changes in the shape and size of failure cones under varying simulation conditions. The discussed problem is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of this anchor design under non-standard conditions, particularly in the unconventional destruction of rock media.

Anchors of various designs are crucial, especially in mining and underground construction, where they stabilise the excavation and prevent the movement of rocks. They make it possible to control the direction of cracking during explosions, limit the dispersion of rock material and minimise...

The proper selection of cutting longwall winning machines for specific mining and geological conditions requires the development of an appropriate algorithm. The appropriate selection of a machine (shearer) is closely related to acquiring a high concentration of exploitation from the given longwall. That is indispensable, especially taking into consideration the growing cost of mining, as well as the depth of coal seams. In this article, an algorithm showing the selection of longwall winning machines has been presented. The algorithm has been created based on results of research on the processed coal’s mechanical properties. Analysis of the mining process, especially in difficult conditions, shows that in order to define a drum longwall shearer’s range of usage, the coal’s properties which have a significant impact on the mining process must be determined. The above also influences the technique, technology and effectiveness of mining—they impact the effectiveness of the winning machines. In connection to this, the cutting heads should be chosen and designed based on those factors, as well as any performance forecasts. As representative values the following have been chosen: workability index (WU_B), resistance to unidirectional compression (R_c), and energy consumption of the mining process (TE).

In an overwhelming number of cases, the closure of a coal mine in Poland, for safety reasons, requires the installation of a pumping station and systems for the drainage of inflowing water due to its connection via roadways, goaves, or water-leaking pillars with other adjacent active mines. Due to operational costs, stationary pumping stations are being replaced with submersible pumping stations, wherever the geological/mining conditions allow this. The key factors to be considered when designing a submersible pumping station include the estimated water influx and the storage and emergency reservoir fill-up time. If the water level in the emergency reservoir exceeds the level of the maximum ordinate, there is the risk of water flooding an adjacent active mine, which poses a serious safety risk to this mine. A pumping station design must ensure that water can be pumped out also in emergency situations and must ensure permanent control over the level of the water table. The pumped-out water, after potential treatment, can be utilized as technological water in industrial plants. In the designed pumping station, it is also feasible to establish underground pumped-storage hydropower. This would enable the storage of energy from renewable sources, thereby contributing to CO₂ emission reduction.

The amounts of biomass in ecosystems depends on the efficiency of energy gathering in organic chemical bonds by autotrophs, which are the only organisms that synthesize inorganic compounds into organic compounds structured into biomass. Plant species composition in the vegetation patch and the associated microorganism communities are factors that affect the matter and energy flow in the ecosystem. In human-established or severely transformed novel ecosystems, in particular in mineral-poor, oligotrophic habitats, the knowledge about the biotic parameters related to the biomass amount is very limited. The presented studies were performed on post-black coal mining heaps that provide the mineral material habitat. The following biotic parameters, the vegetation plant species composition of the distinguished vegetation types, soil organic matter, soil enzymatic activity, soil fauna presence, and the functional aspect of soil carbon release concerning amount of biomass are considered. The aim of this research was to analyze the influence of the selected biotic factors on the biomass amount in the vegetation patches of the studied sites. The results showed that the effect of the species composition diversity on the biomass amount is complex. The influences of soil enzyme activity on biomass amount are dependent on the enzyme presence and the vegetation type. Similarly, the impact of the soil organic matter (SOM) on the biomass amount is significantly different and dependent on vegetation type. The relationship between the amount of biomass and respiration showed that the biomass of the dominant plant species is positively correlated with the biomass amount in the studied vegetation types.

The biodiversity, including the diversity of autotrophic organisms of mostly plant species, assembled in vegetation patches and its impact on the course of ecosystem processes is still a key subject of research in natural sciences around the world. Certain aspects of the relationship between biodiversity and CO₂ release processes have been studied only in some natural and semi-natural ecosystems (semi-natural ecosystems such as meadow or grasslands). In contrast, very little is known about the biotic parameters related to natural processes and the functioning of novel ecosystems. This study was performed on post-black coal mining heaps. The studied sites were established on carboniferous mineral material. Among the considered biotic parameters, the vegetation plant species composition, soil organic matter, soil enzymatic activity, soil fauna presence, and the plant species biomass were studied. The aim of the research was to analyse the influence of the selected biotic factors on the CO₂ release from the mineral material of black coal mining heaps’ novel ecosystems. The range of CO₂ release at the analysed sites was 0.00158–1.21462 [g CO₂/m²/h]. The activity of soil enzymes such as dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, and basic phosphatase was positively correlated with the amount of CO₂ released, however, there was no correlation between urease activity and CO₂ emissions from the soil. In our study, a comparison of the soil organic matter developed under the vegetation types studied and CO₂ release (rate) showed a dependence on vegetation type. The amount of biomass was not linearly correlated with CO₂ release from the soil. The presence of soil fauna displayed a positive effect on CO₂ release.