Managing Heat in Underground Mines: The Importance of Incorporating the Thermal Flywheel Effect into Climatic Modeling

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kocsis K ; Scalise KA ; Teixeira MB
• Description:
  Understanding the effects of various ventilation and climatic parameters on the work conditions and comfort in underground mines is critical for efficient ventilation system design and cost savings and to ensure the health and safety of mine workers. To understand the effects that the thermal damping effect (TDE) and the thermal flywheel effect (TFE) have on the ventilation system design and potential cooling system, this paper compares and analyzes the wet and dry-bulb temperatures at the bottom of an intake shaft using two modeling software packages, Ventsim(TM) and Climsim(TM). The comparison shows the consequences and importance of taking into account the TDE/TFE when predicting the climatic conditions in future underground mines, especially when deciding on whether a cooling system should be employed in order to provide adequate climatic conditions in the production stopes, dead-end development headings, and throughout the mine. Ventsim(TM) is able to account for the TFE, while Climsim(TM) does not. Both software packages have their uses and are used within the mining industry, but it is useful to understand their limitations and where the future of underground climatic modeling will lead. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hot Temperature Mining Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Air Temperature Author Keywords: Climatic Modeling Climatic Conditions Health And Safety Heat Hot Environments Mining Engineering Models Thermal Flywheel Effect Underground Mines
• ISSN:
  2524-3462
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; Nevada ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  38
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068203
• Citation:
  Min Metall Explor 2021 Feb; 38(1):575-579
• Contact Point Address:
  Kyle A. Scalise, Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
• Email:
  kscalise@nevada.unr.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Nevada, Reno
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20140901
• Source Full Name:
  Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
• End Date:
  20190831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:db7b0f513ac3bc768af158a0b89ea2a83142b74ccb7151a087e3034ba1909e302407fa08c5fa321dfbf75e3bb8ccfed0db662d88e7a7e04e99545e6331461ece
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230409/cdc_230409_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 515.64 KB ]