Mathematical Modeling for Carbon Dioxide Level Within Confined Spaces

Details

• Personal Author:
  DeGennaro CR ; Fernando RD ; Yan L ; Yantek, David S.
• Description:
  Federal regulations require refuge alternatives (RAs) in underground coal mines to provide a life-sustaining environment for miners trapped underground when escape is impossible. A breathable air supply is among those requirements. For built-in-place (BIP) RAs, a borehole air supply (BAS) is commonly used to supply fresh air from the surface. Federal regulations require that such a BAS must supply fresh air at 12.5 cfm or more per person to maintain the oxygen concentration between 18.5% and 23% and carbon dioxide level below the 1% limit specified. However, it is unclear whether 12.5 cfm is indeed needed to maintain this carbon dioxide level. The minimal fresh air flow (FAF) rate needed to maintain the 1% CO2 level will depend on multiple factors, including the number of people and the volume of the BIP RA. In the past, to predict the interior CO2 concentration in an occupied RA, 96-h tests were performed using a physical human breathing simulator. However, given the infinite possibility of the combinations (number of people, size of the BIP RA), it would be impractical to fully investigate the range of parameters that can affect the CO2concentration using physical tests. In this paper, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a model that can predict how the %CO2 in an occupied confined space changes with time given the number of occupants and the FAF rate. The model was then compared to and validated with test data. The benchmarked model can be used to predict the %CO2 for any number of people and FAF rate without conducting a 96-h test. The methodology used in this model can also be used to estimate other gas levels within a confined space. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Carbon Dioxide Confined Spaces Mining Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Confined Space Boreholes Breathing Air Breathing Atmospheres Carbon Dioxide Confined Spaces Gas Concentration Mathematical Model Mathematical Models Mining Industry Oxygen Levels Refuge Chambers

  More +
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  2332-9017
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  9
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066672
• Citation:
  ASCE ASME J Risk Uncertain Eng Syst Part B Mech Eng 2023 Jun; 9(2):024501
• Email:
  LYan1@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part B. Mechanical Engineering
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4844a2c5679e31dfbe27a89c43ae3cc9af5fbf323401c90a060e0ccdcc1853c06f664bbb30c8e0bdd21f131e18bb7899e70a20b6c6598275939821549e89c671
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215622/cdc_215622_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 642.76 KB ]