Scholarly record

OPTIMIZING THE UNDERGROUND ENVIRONMENT OF MINING UNITS USING SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS

Marius Simion Morar

Abstract

At national and world wide level, raw materials consumption is steadily increasing due to industrial development and population growth. In this context, production of basic raw materials, and in particular of fossil fuels, natural gas and coal, is constantly increasing. For underground coal mining are used a complex network of horizontal, vertical and inclined mine workings with the purpose of extraction, transportation and evacuation of coal. Associated with the system of mine workings, there is a ventilation network used for ensuring the oxygen required for workers, for diluting explosive and toxic gases and for preparations to exhaust heat and humidity from the underground. Surface fans located in main ventilation stations are used for exhausting air from mining operations, from fresh air inlet points to the point of exhaust air. For pumping air flows there are used special fans with high capacity. Knowing precisely the aerodynamic parameters specific to the ventilation networks leads to the optimization of the air flow distribution at each branch, respectively to the provision of safety and health conditions in underground workplaces. Mining ventilation is an extremely complex area and ventilation networks solving using specialized programs is represents a major step, as it enables experts to view real-time changes in the ventilation network and, more importantly, they can anticipate potential disturbances.

Publication details

Back to publication list