Abstract
The possible application of underground gasification in Japan and some problems connected with it are now discussed by investigation committee of underground gasification. As well known this underground gasification techniques were mainly developed in Russia and now they produced gasified gas about 2500 million cubic meters per year.
They gasify coal seam by boring from the surface and their first aim is to eliminate underground heavy works in coal mines. Today many coal mines in Japan are scraped for ecconomic reasons. We discuss and propose the underground gasification of coal in scraped mines. Many scraped mines contain sufficient coal seams in which we can carry out trials of gasification. The underground gasification of coal in scraped mine requires some underground works but has also many advantages. We may call this method “underground method” compared with “surface method” in Russia.
Underground method, we are now discuss in committee, has the following advantages.
1. The boring from the surface to coal seam is not necessary and we can use the gallaries and many roads in scraped mine.
2. It is very eassy to make channel of gasification in coal seam. We can bore from the gate road to coal Seam.
3. It is eassy to transport gasified gas to the surface. We can use the pipe lines in gallaries.
We can use many technical data which obtained in Russia and we believe the und-erground gasification of coal in scraped mines in Japan will be success.
