Abstracts Archive

This paper presents a success story in which diligent engineering design and equipment selection has produced a successful temporary spot cooling installation to support underground shaft sinking that has been in operation for the last 12 months. The need for cooling was apparent due to the depth of...

Blasting produce pollutants such as toxic fumes and dust. In underground development operations, these pollutants are diluted using the auxiliary ventilation system, which can account for up to 50% of the total electricity usage. Accurate prediction of post-blast dilution is critical as overestimati...

Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIB) have dominated the energy market for several of decades due to their high energy density and long-life cycle. However, several fire accidents in electric vehicles have raised questions about their safety concerns. Researchers have identified thermal runaways to be the maj...

A stable and well-maintained mine ventilation system is the key to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for miners. A sudden, unplanned, and significant change in airflow termed as abnormal airflow is frequently observed in mine ventilation. Some abnormal airflows can return to normal witho...

The ventilation of mines and underground works has been studied for more than 100 years, with extensive and rigorous results that currently aid in safely performing underground operations of different kinds and characteristics. However, the study of underground ventilation in large volumes such as c...

Respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) are hazardous materials that may highly impact underground coal miners' health. Continuous monitoring of respirable silica dust levels in mining environments is crucial to ensure the safety of mine workers. RingIR Company utilizes patented cavity ringdown optical spe...

The introduction of diesel particulate filters (DPF) technology has been an important step towards controlling diesel emission from heavy-duty diesel -powered underground mining vehicles. The Johnson Matthey CRT® (Continuously Regenerating Trap) technology that combines a diesel oxidation catalyst ...

Reducing Diesel Particulate Matter has a direct impact on improving air quality and thus workforce health and safety. PT Freeport Indonesia has selected a multi-stage reduction strategy to reduce DPM emissions in its underground operations. This paper provides an update on challenges, success and le...

This paper uses vortex flow modelling to find the optimal length of eddy airflow in dead-end gallery using air velocity, pressure and diesel particulate matter (DPM) simulations and field investigations. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling conducted for four different dead-end crosscut leng...

As part of its strategic transformation, Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) is currently evaluating an expansion of activities at four of its sites located in northern Sweden, encompassing production rate and depth increases at its existing underground mines, a surface to underground transition, as ...

In an underground ventilation system where there is a change in the moisture content of air, sigma heat is useful to identify and quantify the heat transfer processes. The literature on psychrometry suggests that the sigma heat is a function of barometric pressure and wet-bulb temperature. However,...

The optimization and planning of the mine ventilation system is a key component of mine operation given that ventilation related costs can range between 20% and 50% of the total operating cost of the mine. In large opening mines (LOMs) utilizing perimeter ventilation schemes minimal guidance is avai...

Longwall-induced deformation could compromise the stability of shale gas wells positioned in the abutment pillars of current and future coal reserves. Consequently, gas from the casing(s) could flow towards the mine increasing the risk of explosive gas accumulation beyond the mandated limits. To ass...

Deep mines often require cooling to comply with local heat stress regulations. Attempts to mitigate heat strain via improved heat indices are well documented. However, the impact of heat-stress index on refrigeration capacity is less explored. The paper examines the refrigeration capacity necessary ...

Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen and has been linked to several negative health outcomes, yet it is commonly used in industrial settings such as underground mining. Alternative fuels such as GDiesel® (GD), a natural gas/diesel blend, have the potential to reduce health exposures and associated ...

Longwall mining is the safest and most economical way to mine coal in underground mines. At present 37 longwall panels in 11 states are mining more than 50% of underground mined coal. Proper degasification of the panels prior to mining and post mining promotes mine health and safety and improves pro...

As relatively hot mineral deposits are being developed to considerable depth, the issue of mitigating heat will require monumental cooling capacity in some cases. For deep deposits to be mined at increasing depths, mechanical cooling systems used to maintain an ac-ceptable underground climate will m...

Control of dust in underground coal mines is critical for mitigating both explosibility and respiratory hazards. For decades, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) has led research to evaluate the effectiveness of various dust control technologies in coal mines. In recent ...

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are finding more use as power sources in the mining industry. However, they are known to pose significant fire and explosion hazards. When a Li-ion battery is exposed to excessive operating conditions, its internal temperature may exceed a normal operating range, allow...

An experimental investigation of temperature decay and maximum smoke temperature beneath an underground mine drift (54 m long, 2.6 m wide, and a height of 3.2 m) was carried out to examine the effect of ceiling smoke extraction on fire evolution in an underground mine. A single non-centralized smoke...

Mirza Muhammad Zaid, Nana Kobina Amoako Amoah, Guang Xu* Increased exposure of the respirable coal dust leads to irreversible lung diseases in mine workers. MSHA mandates a maximum dust concentration of 1.5 mg/m3 in underground coal operations. Current ways of monitoring concentrations using filter...

Shock loss occurs when there is a change in the area of a drift or airflow direction. These shock losses accumulate throughout the ventilation system and will increase the mine resistance as underground development deepens or becomes more complex. Hence, shock losses should be carefully considered w...

Spontaneous combustion is a serious safety hazard in underground coal mines, particularly in mined-out areas (e.g., gob). It is estimated to be the cause of more than 20% of coal mine fires. Pressure balancing is a ventilation technique that can be used to reduce or eliminate the ingress of oxygen t...

Large-opening stone mines are characterized by entry sizes twice or thrice the size of typical underground coal or metal/nonmetal mines. Due to the large openings, the volume of air needed to ventilate these mines is significantly higher than in coal or metal/nonmetal mines. This leads to low air ve...

In environments where excavation is used to break rock, airborne rock dusts pose respiratory health threats to workers. This includes mining with mechanical excavators which are common in industrial minerals as well as some tunneling operations. The purpose of this study is to compare characteristic...

The 4 Shaft Project represents a step change for ventilation capacity at Agnico Eagle's Macassa Mine in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. This paper outlines the process design, equipment selection, and experience in procuring new primary ventilation equipment for this project. Equipment includes new 64 MMBtu...

This paper details the development of an immersive simulation tool that can be used to provide enhanced 3D visualization of monitoring and computational modeling datasets of dust and ventilation flow in an interactive, virtual environment, and clearly demonstrate the exposure impact of certain worki...

Dust control using a horizontally installed air-blocking shelf inside a drill shroud was shown to be effective by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). However, when a medium-sized drilling machine lowers its mast, material deposited on the shelf can produ...

Coal dust causes a range of diseases and health problems worldwide, such as Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis. Numbers of static studies showed that surfactants could increase the coal dust wettability effectively in water spraying. However, coal dust does not remain in a static state in underground mine...

Gauge and Tube (also known as Trailing Hose or P-Q) Surveys have been widely used in underground mine ventilation for frictional pressure loss surveys and ventilation model calibrations for a very long time. They are one of the most basic types of underground ventilation measurement. However, there ...