Mine Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Catalog description

The objective of this course is to develop for students a thorough understanding and working knowledge of the health, safety, legal, economic, and reliability aspects of mine ventilation and air conditioning systems and their design and analysis. Strong emphasis is placed on engineering design of mine ventilation systems for underground mines. Mining Engineers working in underground mines must have the skills to design, implement, monitor and maintain the ventilation systems in place to ensure a comfortable working environment. The course provides you with the knowledge necessary to do so. This course also includes an overview of basics of thermodynamics. After completing this course, you will be able to decide on fan size, airway geometry, monitor ventilation performance, determine heat loads and design future ventilation plans. The following topics are covered in this course: (1) The Mechanics of Mine Ventilation: Introduction and history of the subject; airflow systems, forcing, exhausting and push-pull configuration; determination of air quantity requirements and measurement of airflow in mine openings; laws of airflow; airway and circuit resistance; ventilation economics; (2) Airflow Planning: Air quantity surveys; pressure surveys, gauge and tube, barometer techniques; ventilation network analysis, numerical methods; simulation programs; (3) Thermodynamics of Mine Ventilation: Basics of thermodynamics, steady-flow relationships; laws of thermodynamics; frictional flow, isothermal, isentropic and polytropic processes; thermodynamics cycles in mine circuits, downcast and upcast shafts, workings, natural ventilation and natural/fan ventilation combined.