Overview
Description
Theory and practice of mine ventilation systems’ design to create safe, healthy, and efficient working environments underground. Course covers the mechanics of fluid flow, underground mine ventilation network analysis, planning, and design.
Requirements
Prerequisites
MINE 350CEE 360
Corequisites
ME 311
Original catalog text
Prerequisites
MINE 350 OR CEE 360
Corequisites
ME 311
Units
Lecture2
Laboratory Studio1
Catalog Details
Offering
Offered: Every Spring
Terms
spring
Attributes
Standard
Learning Outcomes
- describe the behavior of the mine air flowing through underground mine openings (e.g. vertical, horizontal) and auxiliary ventilation ducts.
- assess and size primary and auxiliary ventilation fans, explore fan arrangements (e.g. series & parallel) and determine their operating duties.
- perform ventilation system optimization exercises to reduce underground energy consumption, while delivering the required air volumes to the development and production workings, equipment maintenance shops, crushing and refueling stations.
- describe gases and contaminants which are generated in the production workings (e.g. diesel exhaust), classification of gases, gas detection and monitoring systems.
- explain the importance of primary and auxiliary ventilation systems to dilute and control contaminants below their threshold limit values (TLV).
- assess the climatic conditions in the stopes and throughout a mine.
- predict the underground climatic conditions of future underground mines based on their combined heat load and independent contribution of various heat sources.
- predict the climatic conditions in underground mines as a function of mining depth and the combined heat load by means of climatic simulation methods and techniques (Climsim, Ventsim).
- describe the thermoregulation process of the human body, the metabolic heat balance and identify the most appropriate heat stress index that can protect mine workers in hot and humid underground mines.
- perform emergency response procedures and protocols in case of underground fires and other underground emergency situations.
- describe the concept of “ventilation-on-demand” (VOD) control; list the main components of typical VOD systems.