Prediction of Mine Face Ventilation Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brown JT
• Description:
  This report includes results from analyses performed using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for the purpose of predicting the flow within an open face mine. Several scenarios are explored to compare the CFD results to experimental data taken with PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry). Up to this point, only one commercial CFD program, Fluent, has been utilized but other commercial and non-commercial codes should be tested. If a CFD program is found to effectively predict the flow in the mine face, then the program can be used to make advancements in mine ventilation technology. New products could be developed faster and cheaper by minimizing the amount of required experimentation. There were four major scenarios examined with PIV by Wala and Jacob at the University of Kentucky. These scenarios were then analyzed using the commercial CFD software package, Fluent. The objective was to fully utilize the software's many features to obtain an accurate prediction of the onset separation that occurs during three of the four scenarios. This separation of the flow prevents proper ventilation near the face and allows for methane build-up at cutting face. The build-up of methane at the cutting face increases the probability that an explosion will occur and should be prevented by proper ventilation. If CFD can predict the onset separation that occurs, new ways of preventing the separation can be developed on the computer instead of making expensive prototypes and using expensive test equipment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mining Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal-mining Computer-models Mining-equipment Mining-industry Models Simulation-methods Underground-mining Ventilation Ventilation-systems
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20026744
• Citation:
  NIOSH 2002 Jun; :1-19
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2002
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19990701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20030630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8a3e7b7a5b7188a88e28058f1ce56714f936a33de9d428d20a8c1ceb65a1269a3984f64d642f8861895966090f38f70f1bdfdbc59ebb2e3f30e293010bd2ee65
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197373/cdc_197373_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.18 MB ]