Optimal Drill and Blast Techniques for Underground Mining

SECTION

BLASTING ACCESSORIES
1
Various equipment is required for correct charging and firing of explosive charges. It is
important that the equipment is in excellent working order and that workers know the
correct manner of use to ensure safety.

10.1 EXPLODERS

Exploders or blasting machines are portable battery units used to generate electrical
charges to initiate detonators. These exploders should be used in accordance with local
laws and only be placed in the care of only authorised persons.

The exploders usually have two terminals to connect the lead wires and a firing button
and interlock. Exploders come in a variety of sizes and the size, which suits the
application, should be chosen.

If a large blasting machine capable of firing 100 detonators is used to fire one detonator
there is a chance of pin-holing a detonator. That is, the energy input into the detonator is
too high and the circuit arcs over to the detonator casing rather than firing the detonator,
causing a misfire.

Too small a blasting machine and the power source may not be sufficient to ensure
reliable detonation of all the detonators again causing misfires.

Exploders should be maintained according to manufacturers recommendation and never

modified or repaired by another party.

10.2 BLASTING CIRCUIT TESTERS

All electric firing circuits should be tested prior to initiation to ensure a continuous
circuit and correct resistance.

Many versions of circuit testers are available from many manufacturers. Multimeters
must never be used for circuit testing as they can generate sufficient current to fire
detonators.

Most units have a LED display, along with two terminals for the lead wires to be
attached.
10.3 NONEL BLASTING MACHINES

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The NONEL starter gun is fairly common in surface operations but little used
underground. They are a very practical way to fire small charges and consist of a shot
shell primer, plunger and NONEL holder. The plunger hits the shell sending a flame front
to the NONEL tube which then initiates.

10.4 DYNOSTART

A new blasting machine for NONEL is the DYNOSTART, which utilises a spark
generator to initiate the NONEL tube. The unit is battery operated, with a replaceable
sparking unit good for over 500 shots.

10.5 MAINS FIRING

Firing electric detonators off a mains firing line is frequently used in underground
operations that have a permanent firing system. Power lines are a satisfactory source of
current for firing electric detonators, providing that consideration is given to ensuring
that:

1. There is adequate power to fire the detonators

2. Arcing is prevented.

The transformer that supplies the power line must be able to supply sufficient power to
fire all detonators in the blast and is usually located close to the blast site. To avoid
fluctuations in voltage or current, it is important that the power line be dedicated to
blasting and not supply current to any electrical equipment or lighting. To help minimise
the possibility of current leakages the power line should be ungrounded.

When the magnitude and duration of the firing current are such that the resulting energy
delivered to an electric detonator cannot be easily dissipated, arcing malfunctions will
occur. These are defined as:

1. Erratic timing (both fast and slow) of delay detonators

2. Shell rupture, hole burned in shell or ejection on the

sealing plug which can result in misfires.

Required safety features include a fuse box into the main switch, a firing box and also a
short circuiting box.

When the firing switch is in the off position there must be a total absence of current
between the firing point and the blasting location and no current leakage into the firing
main.

All switches must be placed in fixed, locked boxes, which are constructed so that they
cannot be shut unless the switches are in the safety position. There should be only one
key for each box.

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The firing cable leading to the blasting location should be short circuited while the lead
wires from the detonators are being connected. This short circuit shall be located so that
a premature explosion would be harmless to the person opening the short circuit. The
short circuit shall not be removed until the blasting area has been cleared and shall be
immediately replaced after the firing switch has been opened, the firing cable removed
from the power source and the firing box closed and locked.

REMOTE BLAST INIATION SYSTEMS

BLAST PED

The BlastPED system allows remote, centralised blasting by using the mines leaky feeder
radio system or PED Operating System (depending on mine site installation). BlastPED
has been developed to eliminate the high cost of maintaining the integrity of underground
blasting cables. By eliminating these cables, the cost of maintenance and lost production
due to misfires, is reduced.

Each BlastPED Receiver is supplied with a disk (Floppy or CD) containing codes of the
ARM and BLAST commands for a particular unit. Without the disk, the PEDCALL
operator will not be able to transmit commands to the BlastPED. The disk therefore
should be kept in a very secure location.

The output firing terminals are short-circuited whilst the safety key is in the SAFE
position. The output terminals are still short circuited when the unit is switched to the
ON position. The short circuit is only removed when the ARM command is received.
The safety key can only be removed while in the SAFE position.

BlastPED is a capacitor type exploder suitable for simple series firing. The rated output
capacity is up to 75 Ohm (to comply with Australian Standards it must be capable of
firing a 160 ohm circuit), 1.6 amps at 250 volts DC for 4 ms.

BlastPED is to be used for firing simple series circuits only. Series-in-parallel

circuits are not to be fired using BlastPED. The output terminals can accept all cables,
up to a maximum of 4.0mm diameter. The BlastPED is fitted with an Ohmmeter that
automatically displays the line resistance whenever the unit is switched ON. Normal
readout should not exceed 75 Ohms. If the line resistance reading exceeds that value,
check the circuit to determine the cause.

The electrical energy necessary to initiate the detonators is made available from an
internal capacitor. When the ARM command is received, the capacitor will charge. The
BLAST command will release that charge into the firing line. After blasting, a short
circuit is again automatically re-applied across the output terminals and firing capacitor.

The BlastPED Exploder should be set up in a safe position where it will not be hit by fly
rock, or exposed to excessive concussion. The operator should place the Exploder:

 Out of line of sight of the face.

 In a position where the operator would be prepared to hand fire from.
 Within range of the PED system signal.

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Ensure all personnel authorised to set up a blast site with a BlastPED understand that the
circuit must be a pure (simple) series circuit. The use of Parallel, Series-in-Parallel, or
Parallel-in-Series can result in a misfire. Using a series circuit is relatively straight
forward with a single face, but if firing two or more faces from one BlastPED then care
must be taken to ensure all the faces are wired in a simple series circuit.

As shot firers may be pressed for time at the end of shift, errors may be made that could
result in misfires. Therefore it is recommended that before leaving a site the BlastPED
must have the ON LED on, and the Receiving LED on (see below):

 The key is to be in the ON position (Green ON LED is lit),

 Receiving LED will come on after 3-5 minutes when the PED signal is
detected.
 If the PED signal is not being transmitted until end of shift the Receiving
LED will be off.

The battery chargers must be operated correctly and the BlastPED exploders taken for
use must be fully charged. Battery power supply is checked by turning the exploder
ON and noting the ON LED, which should flash and come on fully after 20 seconds.
During these 20 seconds the unit has done a circuit and battery self test. If there is any
doubt about the battery’s capacity or reliability it should be replaced with one that is fully
charged.

To connect the BlastPED exploder (located in a place safe from potential blast effects),
proceed as follows:

1. Make sure the BlastPED key is in the SAFE position.

2. Turn the key to the ON position. The ON LED will flash and the Ohmeter Liquid
Crystal
Display (LCD) will be activated, and, after 20 seconds, the green ON LED will
light, indicating the unit has self tested, and is ready for use.

3. If the PED signal is present, after 2 to 5 minutes the RECEIVING LED will
come on indicating the system is ready for remote signaling (i.e. it has
synchronised with the PED signal).

4. Connect the firing cables to the output terminals. Also, ensure the firing lines are
not near any transmitting radios if radios are in use at the mine.

5. The Line Resistance is continuously shown in ohms on the LCD. It should read
less than the rated 75 ohms, and if more, the circuit should be checked.

The unit is now ready to receive PED commands through the PED System.
Before leaving the site; both GREEN LEDs must be on, which indicates that
the unit is ready for firing.

6. After firing, the firing cables should be removed and shorted. The key should be
returned to the SAFE position and the key removed. If the unit has not fired, turn
the key to SAFE and report the event.

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The BlastPED is powered by a rechargeable battery. The battery is internal to the unit
and is recharged via the charging port. A battery charger is included with each unit. If
required, the battery pack is easily exchanged, enabling a fully charged battery to be
placed in the unit so it is ready for immediate use. A battery charging holder is available
for recharging the battery pack only.

The Charger has three indicator lights.

1. Power ON – RED Light.
2. Charging – AMBER light.
3. Charge Complete – GREEN light, steady glow.
If the GREEN Charge light is blinking, it indicates the charger is not connected to
the battery, and may indicate the charger is not connected to the BlastPED properly.

A complete charging cycle takes about 2hours. Proper and adequate charging is the
single most important factor in obtaining optimum life from a battery.

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