Transient-state simulation of mine ventilation systems

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6182307

Chang, X

A mine ventilation system is a complex network of airways in which natural ventilation drafts of a certain strength are usually present. A thermal disturbance such as a mine fire can significantly change the distribution of natural ventilation pressures and affect the ventilation in the whole system accordingly, causing fumes to propagate in a pattern difficult to predict, especially when a quantitative analysis is pursued. The goal of the dissertation is to perform a theoretical analysis on transient mine ventilation under the influence of thermal disturbances. Mathematical models of heat transfer are set up for the energy balance of airflow along airways. The processes of water evaporation and vapor condensation are also analytically evaluated. Together with suitable ventilation network calculation techniques, they are integrated into computer simulation program MFIRE, which can predict temperature, airflow, fume/methane concentration, humidity distributions throughout a mining system at any moment of time based on a set of user specified initial conditions. A theoretical model for mine fires is also completed, leading to the development of computer program PIPEFIRE that reveals effect of the interactions among significant factors in mine fires. The achievement from this research showed its practical significance. The resulted computer programs are powerful tools for emergency planning of mine ventilation, fire fighting and ventilation analyses on difficult problems.

• Research Organization: Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6182307
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012033* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Underground Mining-- Mine Environment-- (1987-)
AIR FLOW
ALKANES
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONVECTION
DISTRIBUTION
EMERGENCY PLANS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVAPORATION
FIRE FIGHTING
FIRES
FLUID FLOW
FORECASTING
GAS FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
HUMIDITY
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
M CODES
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANE
MINING
NATURAL CONVECTION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
P CODES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SIMULATION
TRANSIENTS
UNDERGROUND MINING
VAPOR CONDENSATION
VENTILATION
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
WATER