New approaches to mine-face ventilation
Mining Engineering
, 2003, Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 15-20
Wala, A.; Jacob, J.; Brown, J.; Huang, G.
ABSTRACT:
The enhancement of continuous-miner technology in underground coal mines in the United States, including the use of remotecontrol miners, deep cuts and continuous haulage, has led to highly productive and efficient operations. However, this high production presents environmental problems in that, on a per-unit-of-time basis, more dust is generated and higher levels of methane are liberated at the face during the extraction of the coal. These conditions require the supply of more air into the face of the excavation heading for dilution. Several ventilation techniques have been used in conjunction with this modern mining methods (Goodman et al., 1990). These include machine-mounted scrubbers, extensible line curtains/flexible tubing, jet fans and combinations of these techniques. Implementation of these techniques has had an influence on the airflow distribution (flow patterns) in the mining heading and the design of their air-handling capacities.
