Brown Coal Bulletin - Latest articles

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Deployment of Mobile SLAM Technology for Operational Terrain Updates in Open-Pit Coal Mine Conditions

Ing. Stanislav Dejl, Ing. Marcel Brejcha, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(2)

Aerial photogrammetry using UAVs, or rather the use of POINT CLOUDS, has been used in Severočeské doly a.s., Chomutov since 2021. The main use of this method is the update of mining survey documentation. New mapping methods can ensure better up-to-date documentation due to their operability. They enable mapping of complex geological areas, unstable slip areas or inaccessible dangerous places. This can positively affect risk prevention and increase work safety. Testing of the possibilities of supplementing the DRONE-CLOUD method with mobile ground scanning and "CLOUD TO CLOUD" registration was carried out at a time when UAVs cannot be used due to the weather.

Dust Extraction at the Coal Sorting Plant facility - Technology Replacement, Phase III

Ing. Vladimír Herškovič, Ph.D., Bc. Zdeněk Baloun

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(2)

The article describes the modification of the technology intended for the disposal of coal dust at the Coal Sorting Plant facility in the Ledvice Coal Processing Plant (úUL) operating section of Severočeské doly a.s., caused by the need to respond to the change in the emission limit of Decree No. 415/2012 Coll. This involves replacing the existing dedusting equipment with a completely new one. Together with the newly designed filtration equipment, it was necessary to design a transport and mixing technology. This is used for the transport and subsequent disposal of the extracted coal dust. This dust is then returned in its changed form to the processing...

Start of case study areas monitoring within the REECOL project - input data

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(1)

VUHU is part of an international team that has been working on the important European reclamation project REECOL since 2023. The article briefly summarizes the successful completion of the WP3 initial research package, which was led by VUHU. The main attention is paid to the launch of the WP5 research package, which is focused on short-term and long-term monitoring of case study areas soil parameters. These are briefly characterized in the paper and the monitoring methodology is described in detail. In conclusion, the identified input pedological parameters of the case areas are presented and evaluated.

VUHU and methane on the international stage: The contribution of Czech research to effective emission management CMM

RNDr. Jan Burda, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(1)

On November 5-6, 2024, the International Workshop on Best Practices in Coal Mine Methane Monitoring, Capture, and Use was held in Katowice, Poland, where available technologies and strategies for monitoring, capturing, and using methane from coal mines (CMM - Coal Mine Methane) were presented. The congress was organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in cooperation with ICE-CMM Poland, which is the International Centre of Excellence focusing on methane emissions from coal mines.

The issue of determining the emission factor of methane from brown coal

Ing. Lukáš Anděl

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(1)

On July 15, 2024, the European Parliament and Council Regulation EU 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector was issued. This regulation, among other things, addresses the determination of the emission factor for brown coal mined in open-pit mines in the Czech Republic. The emission factor is expressed as the amount of methane released per unit of coal weight, usually given in kilograms per ton, or sometimes in grams or liters per ton. Currently, there is no legislative or normative standard procedure for determining methane emissions, and various methods using existing technologies can therefore be applied.

New occurrence of cordierite in the Most basin area

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D., Ing. Lukáš Žižka, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2025, 65(1)

Cordierite is a very rare mineral in the conditions of the Most Basin, and its presence has so far always been associated with thermal metamorphism. The first mention of cordierite, as a product of clay transformation in porcelainites, dates back to the 1980s (Fediuk, 1988), but no macroscopically visible specimen has been found so far. The first such specimen is a blue-gray bulk sample measuring approximately 5 x 5 cm, which was found in 2016 at the ČSA quarry (Řehoř, 2016). The main attention is now focused on a new discovery of massive cordierite in 2024.

Neotectonics of the Nancy Valley in the Ore Mountains

RNDr. Petr Rojík, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(4)

The paper presents the results of a detailed geological mapping in the Nancy valley in the village of Stříbrná in the western part of the Ore Mountains. The mapping revealed that the area is intensively tectonically disturbed. The structure of the faults shows the dilatation of the rock mass and gravitational collapse of the faulted blocks. The fault zones are cemented mainly by quartz filling in several generations. The faults were probably formed in response to the uplift of the Ore Mountains after the Miocene.

History of Mineralogical Research in the Area of the CSA Open Cast Mine

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(4)

In 2024, the interruption and probably the definitive end of mining will bring to a close more than a century of lignite mining in the area of the present-day CSA open cast mine. This is an opportunity to summarize the long history of mineralogical research, if only because the end of mining activities and the end of pumping of mine water virtually preclude further significant mineralogical discoveries. The paper briefly summarizes the history of the mining activity in the area of interest and the geological situation of the site. The main attention is paid to historical and recent mineralogical findings which are described in the paper including photo...

Informace o semináři "PROBLÉMY PROVOZU, ÚDRŽBY A OPRAV STROJNÍHO ZAŘÍZENÍ, POUŽÍVANÉHO PŘI POVRCHOVÉM DOBÝVÁNÍ", pořádaném ve dnech 3.-4. října 2024 ve Sloupu v Čechách

Ing. Vlastimil Moni, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(4)

Hydrogeological Groundwater Regime in the Vicinity of Lake Medard in 2023

Ing. Petr Valvoda

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(3)

The article evaluates changes in the hydrogeological behaviour of groundwater in the immediate vicinity of Lake Medard in 2023. Hydrogeological conditions in the area have been mapped since 2008, when the pumping of mine water at the bottom of the quarry was stopped. The final level of the lake (400.0 m a.s.l.)) was reached in March 2017. Four observation boreholes (MPT13, HG14, SV52 and 60PA) were used to monitor the groundwater levels in the vicinity of the lake in 2023. The obtained measurement results illustrate the view of the hydrogeological conditions in the area that have occurred since the lake was filled. After the final level is reached...

Summary of the Project "Opportunities for the Use of Energy By-Products in the Circular Economy"

Ing. Pavel Schmidt, RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D., Ing. Lukáš Anděl, prof. Ing. Štefan Michna, Ph.D., doc. PhDr. Jan Novotný, Ph.D., Ing. Bc. Anna Knaislová

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(3)

The solution of the project from the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, entitled "Opportunities for the Use of Energy By-Products in the Circular Economy", registration number CZ.01.1.02/0.0/0.0/21_374/0027250, which was completed in mid-2023, was the research of the possibilities of alternative use of energy by-products (EBP) as recycled raw materials for the production of sustainable products applicable in the construction industry. The innovative element of the project is the design and testing of new EBP-based products using die-casting and 3D printing technology.

Selection of Optimal Case Study Areas in the Most Basin for Solving the Reclamation Problems of the European REECOL Project

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D., Ing. Pavel Schmidt

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(3)

From July 2023 VUHU a.s, together with scientific teams from several European countries, has participated as part of the EU research program in the solution of the REECOL project, which deals with the reclamation of areas affected by mining in European coal basins. One of the important tasks of the first phase of the project solution is to identify suitable case study areas in each country of the project solution. The selection of these areas in the Most Basin (CZ) is the subject of this paper. The selection of case study areas was based on the results of long-term research. The main part of the paper contains the characteristics and localization of...

Performance Test of the KK 1600/K112 Excavator

Ing. Vlastimil Moni, Ph.D., RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(2)

In recent years, the latest mining machine has been designed, assembled and commissioned in 2023. The article introduces the reader to the preparation, execution and evaluation of a unique performance test of the new classic wheeled excavatorKK 1600/K112, which was carried out by the VUHU a.s. The purpose of this complex test was to verify the performance parameters of the new excavator in the context of real operation in the sixth overburden section of the Bílina open-cast mine.

Measurement of the Dynamic behaviour of the KK 1600/K112 Machine

Ing. Vlastimil Moni, Ph.D., Ing. Jaromír Täuber

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(2)

At the end of 2023, with the active participation of VUHU a.s., a unique performance test of the new classic wheel excavator KK1600/K112 was carried out in the sixth overburden section of the Bílina open-cast mine. This comprehensive test also included measuring the dynamic behaviour of the machine during operation to verify the dynamic analysis. The article introduces the reader to the preparation, execution and evaluation of these measurements.

Characteristics of Degraded Soils of the Most-Basin and Possibilities of Their localisation and Mapping Within the REECOL Project

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D., Ing. Pavel Schmidt

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(2)

Since July 2023, the VUHU a.s. has been participating in the REECOL Project, which deals with the reclamation of miningdamaged areas in European coal basins, as part of the EU research programme together with scientific teams from severalEuropean countries. This article contains the results of the preparation of the first sub-research report of the project which deals with degraded soils. The characteristics of degraded soil types, the most important degradation criteria and the classification of the degree of degradation are discussed. This forms the basis for a future map of degraded soils.

Technical Passport of the Monitoring Wells in the Forefield to the CSA Open-Cast Mine (History, Present Time)

Ing. Lukáš Žižka, Ph.D., Tomáš Kellermann

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(2)

With the development of large-scale open-cast mining in the CSA open-cast mine at the foot of the Ore Mountains, an extensive engineering geological and hydrogeological investigation of the open-cast mine forefield was carried out in the 1980s and 1990s. Hundreds of monitoring wells were drilled as part of this investigation. Some of these are still of use today.

Ervěnice Corridor - 40 years since the start of operation

Ing. Roman Bauer, Ing. Pavel Kounovský, Ph.D., Ing. Vít Sládek, Ing. David Paus, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(1)

The Ervěnice Corridor (hereinafter referred to as the EC) was built between 1957 and 1984 in the form of a landfill body with a maximum elevation of up to 170 m and a length of approximately 5 200 m long. Its main significance was to release the foreground for brown coal mining and the subsequent road and railway connection of the industrial agglomerations the cities of Most and Chomutov.This year marks exactly 40 years since the corridor was put into operation. Very important communication relocations were put into operation on its top: the Most-Chomutov railway, the I/13 road and the Bílina river relocation.An integral part of the paper is also the...

Comparison of the results of element analysis in biomass samples between two laboratories

Ing. Zuzana Strolená, Ing. Eva Čechová, Ing. Lukáš Anděl

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(1)

The article describes the procedure of treatment, mineralization and analysis of a biomass sample, carried out by two independent laboratories in order to perform an inter-laboratory comparison of the determination of selected metals in a biomass sample. The comparison of analysis results served as a so-called small inter-laboratory comparison in order to compare the correctness of the procedures of individual laboratories.

Uncertainty estimation and compliance test with the reference method of Fidas 200 E analysers in the measurement of suspended particles PM10

Ing. David Hirman

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(1)

FIDAS 200 E optoelectronic analysers are newly used in the measurement network of VúHU a.s. Before their inclusion in the measurement network, a compliance test was performed with the reference gravimetric method according to ČSN EN 12341. When evaluating the results, the statistical method specified in ČSN EN 16450 was applied. The determination results of the uncertainties were in accordance with the requirements of Decree No. 330/2012 Coll., on the method of evaluating the level of pollution, the extent of informing the public about the level of pollution and, in smog situations, the uncertainty for measuring PM10 particles.

History of VÚHU a.s. cooperation with Czech museums in the field of mineralogy and paleontology

RNDr. Michal Řehoř, Ph.D.

Zpravodaj Hnědé uhlí 2024, 64(1)

The cooperation of the Research Institute for Brown Coal j. s. c. (VúHU a.s.) with Czech, especially regional, museums has been going on for decades and and has long been part of the corporate culture. Part of it is participation in museum exhibitions, including the loan of samples, lectures at museum seminars, mineralogical analyses and publication in bulletins. Rescue research carried out as part of grant projects is also of great importance. A brief history of this cooperation is summarized in the presented article.