Norilsk Nickel has launched a special test site to test automatic fire extinguishing systems that will be used at the Skalisty mine. This is an important step in improving the safety of mines where modern technologies, including unmanned production and precise personnel tracking. In the near future, there are plans to modernize equipment at other mines of the Polar Branch.
Before installing fire protection systems in mines, it is necessary to ensure their effectiveness. For this purpose, at the request of Norilsk Nickel, the National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering created a test site in Mytishchi. The conditions of the mine are reproduced here: a 12-meter tunnel with powerful ventilation, simulating the air flows of underground workings.
Testing includes simulating fires using tires, pallets and fuel. This allows you not only to check the operation of the systems, but also to eliminate false alarms, for example, from sparks during welding.
Maxim Barkov, Director of the Automation Department and digitalization of production Polar Branch of Norilsk Nickel, noted that the test site is not only a tool for testing equipment, but also an incentive for the development of Russian manufacturers. SPbEC-Mining and STCU-ET have already tested their solutions here.
Norilsk Nickel views the landfill as a key element in the development of fire protection in the mining industry. Regular testing will help identify weaknesses and improve technology, making mines safer.
Source: @nornickel_official
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