Integrated Simulation and Network Analysis of Battery Fire Risk in Underground Mining Systems

Details

• Journal Article:
  Reliability Engineering and System Safety
• Personal Author:
  Elcin Eroglu, Sultan ; Kahraman, Muhammed ; Duzgun, H. Sebnem
• Description:
  The global mining industry is increasingly adopting battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to meet sustainability goals and reduce emissions; however, their integration introduces new risks, lithium-ion battery fires in confined underground environments. These fires, often triggered by mechanical, thermal, or electrical abuse, escalate rapidly and release toxic gases. This study evaluates BEV fire risks in underground mines using a system safety perspective within a dynamic reliability modeling framework. An integrated framework combining system dynamics modeling (SDM) with HaulSim and VentSim simulations captures interactions among operational practices, environmental stressors, and feedback loops. Simulation outputs feed a regression-based fused model to predict fire probability and assess prevention strategies. Applied to a real-world case at the Turquoise Ridge Underground Mine in Nevada, the SDM comprised 68 components linked by 17,360 feedback loops. Network analysis revealed removing five critical nodes drastically reduced system connectivity. HaulSim results showed cycle times of 13-40 min and depth of discharge above 0.80, indicating short-circuit potential, while VentSim analysis demonstrated lower thermal stress in fully electrified fleets. Annual battery fire probability ranged from 0.10 to 0.29, depending on fleet composition. A five-tier prevention framework reduced risks by up to 99%, emphasizing scenario-dependent strategies to enhance system resilience and mitigate cascading failures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Fires Mining Motor Vehicles Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Battery-electric Vehicles; Underground Mining; Fire Risk; System Dynamics; Reliability Modeling; Network Analysis; Safety Systems Batteries; Motor Vehicles; Underground Mining; Simulation Methods; Fire Safety; Fires; Safety Engineering;
• Source:
  Reliab Eng Syst Saf 2026 Aug; 272:112668
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  0951-8320
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Denver Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  23 pdf pages
• Volume:
  272
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071612
• Contact Point Address:
  Sultan Elcin Eroglu, Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, CO 80401, United States
• Email:
  eroglu@mines.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fb6c770291550550fac40ae343842c0a3e85aca4c169da093e0dce9a7561e05ee6894f7c6d29b3b581e8a0d1b76b2c2cfa7161b6edbabe68fc673eb1fad3d9b4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259387/cdc_259387_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 16.56 MB ]