Diesel Particulate Filter Underground Trial at Brunswick Mining and Smelting's No. 12 Mine

An underground demonstration of prototype diesel particulate filters (DPF's) for heavy duty production vehicles was undertaken from 1987 through 1989 at Brunswick Mining and Smelting No. 12 mine in Bathurst, New Brunswick. The trial has indicated that the DPF's substantially improved the underground air quality and can reduce nuisance maintenance due to engine smoke.

The trial included load-haul-dump vehicles equipped with both Caterpillar and Deutz engines, underground dump trucks with Deutz engines and bulldozers with Caterpillar engines. One filter logged over 4,000 hours of operation and it appears that the durability is adequate.

Details of the demonstration are presented within this paper.