12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION OF VENTILATION SIMULATION TOOLS
FOR COLLIERY VENTILATION PRACTICE
Leon van den Berg, Kobus van Zyl, Wynand MarxBBE Consulting, South Africa
Andrew ThomsonAnglo Coal Operations Limited - Anglo Coal, South Africa
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Presentation Overview
• Background • Mine ventilation software developed• Mine ventilation simulation integration
– Current practices– Typical design and modeling approach – Simulation as part of the planning process
• Case study• Questions
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Background
• Mine ventilation simulation software not new • Faster and improved mine vent assessment• Improved health and safety• Mine vent optimization and LoM planning
– Energy efficient– Cost effective ventilation design
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Network
• Windows based software• Network graphically constructed• Consist of branches and nodes• Input data for branches and nodes• Steady state environmental conditions• Aero, contaminant and thermo solutions• Results:
– Reporter– 3D Viewer
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal
• Coal mine specific terminology• Vent wall leakage control• New graphic model construction methods
– Main development branch – Integrated leakage components– Air crossing
• No thermo solution• Maximum depth of 500 m
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Leakage Calculation
• Based on work done by Martinson in 1985– Modeling of parallel leakage paths– Use fixed resistance factor per wall [ΔP based]
• Cannot model every vent wall in a coal mine• Equivalent leakage for “path length”• Based on
– Combined cross sectional wall area for path length – Wall resistance
• Path length specified by user• Calibrated and verified in the field
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Field Trials - Leakage
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Main Development Branch
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Main Development Branch
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Main Development Branch
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Main Development Branch
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Main Development Branch
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Air Crossing
• Added resistance in system• Use control manager to add resistance into
system• Field verified• Air Crossing graphic input component
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
VUMA-Coal Air Crossing
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Simulation as Part of The Planning Process
OPERATIONAL
LoM PLANNING
SIM
ULA
TIO
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12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Mine Ventilation System and Design Process
– Obtain mine ventilation network layout and standards
– Construct an operational simulation model– Calibrate operational model with actual vent
data– Determine critical “snap-shots” over LoM– Solve and optimize airflow – Determine airflow profiles over LoM– Liaise with mine planning team– Document inputs and results
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Case Study
• Anglo Coal Greenside Colliery• 3 sections in the north and 1 in the south• North mining far away from infra-structure• Need to move all sections north• This will require 45 m3/s more air in the north• Proposed actions
– Seal off abandoned areas in the South– Seal off workings of old section in the south
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Case Study
Sealing Area 1 10 m3/s
Sealing Area 2 20 m3/s
Sealing Area 3 25 m3/s
Section to be moved 50 m3/s
Total 110 m3/s
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Case Study Results
Sealingstrategy
Cumulative Air Available
for North [m3/s]
Total Up Cast Volume
[m3/s]
Cumulative Leakage [m3/s]
Base 0 515 125
Area 1 15 510 125
Area 2 25 505 135
Area 3 30 495 142
Move Section
45 475 150
40 m3/s 25 m3/s65 m3/s =110 m3/s
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
General Benefits Using Mine Vent Simulation
• Benefits achieved by Anglo Coal– A number of considered RBH with fan stations not
required [$ 3 million saving in 2006].– Improved LoM vent capital scheduling– Indicated new ventilation infrastructure requirements
[and scheduling]. Production losses avoided– VUMA-coal models specified all future fan station
aerodynamic design criteria– Documented reviews allow continuity in future as LoM
OPEX and CAPEX schedules
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Conclusions
• VUMA-coal proven to be necessary design tool• VUMA-coal successfully integrated into mine
planning process
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Anglo Coal for their support of VUMA-coal and for allowing the examples and case study to be published in this paper.
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation SymposiumJune 9 – 11, 2008, Reno, Nevada, USA
Questions ?
