3
ventilation monitors. Notice that the chamber is equipped
with two ventilation curtains that can be rearranged to ven-
tilate the chamber area and to allow the mine personnel to
inspect the seal and to complete their weekly examination.
Construction of the First Chamber
The first chamber was located in a mined-out (passive) area.
The chamber was established by constructing a Kennedy
stopping at about 3 m (10 ft) in front of an existing isola-
tion seal. The stopping included two personnel access doors
that would swing the door leaves outwards (into the access
entry) when the doors are open. To reduce leakage, the
stopping was reinforced and sealant foam was applied from
both sides. Once the stopping was installed, the chamber
was equipped with two ventilation curtains, a nitrogen
injection system, flow control valves, pressure and as sam-
pling ports, a set of differential pressure transducers and
oxygen sensors linked to the mine’s AMS.
Figure 2 shows two photographs of the first chamber
depicting construction details of the Kennedy stopping,
Figure 1. Plan view of a pressure chamber
Figure 2. First pressure chamber details. (a) Kennedy stopping with personal doors to open outwards, and
(b) Nitrogen injection pipeline and flow control valves
ventilation monitors. Notice that the chamber is equipped
with two ventilation curtains that can be rearranged to ven-
tilate the chamber area and to allow the mine personnel to
inspect the seal and to complete their weekly examination.
Construction of the First Chamber
The first chamber was located in a mined-out (passive) area.
The chamber was established by constructing a Kennedy
stopping at about 3 m (10 ft) in front of an existing isola-
tion seal. The stopping included two personnel access doors
that would swing the door leaves outwards (into the access
entry) when the doors are open. To reduce leakage, the
stopping was reinforced and sealant foam was applied from
both sides. Once the stopping was installed, the chamber
was equipped with two ventilation curtains, a nitrogen
injection system, flow control valves, pressure and as sam-
pling ports, a set of differential pressure transducers and
oxygen sensors linked to the mine’s AMS.
Figure 2 shows two photographs of the first chamber
depicting construction details of the Kennedy stopping,
Figure 1. Plan view of a pressure chamber
Figure 2. First pressure chamber details. (a) Kennedy stopping with personal doors to open outwards, and
(b) Nitrogen injection pipeline and flow control valves