Mine Ventilation

Masahiro INOUE
Department of Mineral Resources Engineering
Kyushu University, 2002/7

Contents

1.Importance of mine ventilation

Disasters related to mine ventilation
2.Human tolerance to toxic gases and regulations
Human tolerance to toxic gases
Requirement of underground air
3.Fundamentals of mine ventilation
General ventilation system
Local ventilation system
4.Auxiliary ventilation at heading face by a fan
5.Ventilation surveys
6.Ventilation network analysis
Elements of ventilation
Theory of ventilation network analysis
Kirhihof’s first and second law
Atokinson’s formula
Resistance
Equivalent resistance
Fan
Mesh method
Nodal method
“Kazemaru” system for Ventilation Network Analysis
Examples of application of Kazemaru
Natural ventilation
A mine fire
7. Practice to use Kazemaru
1.Importance of mine ventilation

The purpose of mine

ventilation is to supply
required air in both quantity
and quality to required
places in underground to
maintain safe and healthy
environment for workers.
Table 1 shows serous
disasters related to mine
ventilation in Japan from
1963 to 1995. It is clear that
once an accident occurs
related to mine ventilation
there will be a lot of victims
caused by the accident.

Table 1. Serous disasters related to mine ventilation in Japan

Date Mine Category Cause Fatalities
63/11/9 Miike Dust explosion ? ４５８
64/6/1 Yamano Gas explosion ? ２３７
65/2/22 Yuubari Gas explosion Spontaneous ６２
combustion
66/3/22 Sorachi Gas dust explosion Blasting １２
66/11/1 Honbatsu Gas dust explosion Blasting １６
68/1/20 Bibai Gas explosion Blasting １６
68/5/12 Bibai Mine fire ? １３
68/7/30 Heiwa Mine fire ? ３１
69/4/2 Mojiri Gas explosion Blasting １９
70/12/1 Sunagawa Gas explosion ? １９
5
72/11/2 Ishikari Gas explosion Blasting ３１
73/12/1 Sunagawa Gas explosion ? １５
9
75/11/2 Horonai Gas explosion Blasting ２４
7
77/5/11 Ashibetu Gas explosion Blasting ２５
79/5/16 Minami Gas explosion Static electricity １１
ooyuubari
81/10/1 Yuubari Gas explosion Static electricity １０
6 sinkou
84/1/18 Ariake Mine fire Belt conveyor ８３
85/4/24 Takashima Gas explosion Static electricity １１
85/5/17 Minami Gas explosion Static electricity ６２
ooyuubari
2.Human tolerance to toxic gases and regulations

Several kinds of toxic gases are generated when a mine fire or an

explosion occurred. Figure 1 shows an example of concentrations of gases
 downwind of a mine fire. Carbon monoxide is the most typical gases
generated in such cases. Human body do not tolerate more than several
minutes if the concentration is about 0.3%. However, carbon monoxide
concentration often exceeds more than 1% during mine fire. This is the
reason why the accident related to mine ventilation liable to be serious
disasters. Table 2 shows human tolerance to various toxic gases.
Human body do not also tolerate to oxygen deficiency. Table 3 shows
the human tolerance to oxygen deficiency. Airflow down wind a mine fire
is still very dangerous even if there is no generation of carbon monoxide
as the oxygen in the air was consumed by the fire.
8 25
H2(%) O2(%)
7
CH4(%) 20
6 CO2(%
CO(%) )

Concentration(%)
Concentration(%)

5
15
4
3 10

2
5
1
0 0
0 20 40 60 0 20 40 60
Time(min) Time(min)
(a) (b)
Fig.1 An example of concentrations of gases downwind of a fire
* Saiko to Hoan vol.24,No7,1977

Table 2. Human tolerance to toxic gases

ppm minutes 30min 1-2 hours 8hours
ＣＯ　 3000 1600 800 100
ＣＯ 2 50000 40000 35000 32000
ＳＯ 2 400 150 50 8
ＮＯ 2 240 100 50 30
Ｈ2Ｓ 1000 700 500 100
* Birch, N.,Passenger Protection Technology in Aircraft Accident Fires. Gower Technical Press, 1988
Table 3. Human tolerance to oxygen deficiency
Oxygen Effects on Human Body
(%)
　21 None
　17 Impaired muscular co-ordination
　14 Danger level of self-escape
　12 Dizziness, headache, rapid fatigue
　9 Unconsiousness
　6 Death in 6-8 minutes
* Birch, N.(ditto)

Table 4 shows the human tolerance to ambient temperature. The

maximum ambient temperature near a mine fire usually exceeds more
than 1000 C. However, airflow temperature decreases rapidly as the air
moves to down wind from the fire as shown in Figure 2. There is almost no
need to consider the hazards of ambient temperature compared to that of
toxic gases generated by the fire.

Table 4. Human tolerance to ambient temperature

Temperature 　60 70 80 100 120 140 150
(C)
Time (minutes) 120 65 45 15 10 5 1
Source : Birch (ditto)

1000
v=3m/s
800
Temperature(℃)

v=1m/s
600

400

200

0
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Distance(m)
Fig.2 Air temperature downwind of a mine fire.

Table 5 shows the lower and upper explosive limit of some combustible
gases. The concentration of the gases between lower and upper limit
should be avoided to prevent gas explosions.
Table 5. Lower and upper explosive limit of some combustible gases
Limits of explosibility, volume
(%)
Combustible gas Lower limit 　Upper
　Methane 5.0 15.0
　Ethane 3.0 12.5
　Propane 2.3 9.5
　Carbon monoxide 12.5 74.2
　Hydrogen 4.1 74.2
　Hydrogen sulfide 4.3 46.0
Source:Hartman

Human performance decreases as the ambient temperature increases.

This phenomenon depends also on air velocity and humidity. Figure 3
shows the relationship between human performance and wet-bulb
temperature and effective temperature.

Figure 3. Human Performance and Thermal Environment

Dust
There is a health risk due to the inhalation of fine dust particles. The
term "pneumoconiosis" is used to describe all lung diseases caused by
accumulation of insoluble dust in the lungs. The properties of dust
affecting the development and severity of lung diseases are: composition,
size, and concentration.
Free silica (also called crystalline silica comprising quartz, tridymite and
cristobalite) is the most dangerous component of dust. Particles within
the size ranging from about 0.25 to 10 μm (called respirable dust) enter
the lung. It has been determined that pneumoconiosis is caused by dust
particles below 5μm. There is some evidence that the greatest danger is
from particles ranging from 1 to 2 μm in size. The mass concentration of
respirable dust is the most important parameter to measure for
assessment of the risk of pneumoconiosis from dust.

Threshold limit values

The TLVs (time-weighted average) are given for various countries as
shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Threshold limit (time-weighted average) values for various dusts

in different countries (after Major, 1978, and Walton, 1978)
Coal dust Quartz-containing dust (mg/m3) Asbestos (fibres/ml)
(mg/m3)
Australia
5;respirable dust 25 ／ (% respirable free silica + 4;for chrysotile and amosite;
containing <= 5 5) 2;long-term average for other
% free silica than crocidolite
UK
8;longwall faces 3- drivages if quartz >0.45 0.2;for crocidolite when
mg/m3 measured over a 10 minute
6- if quartz <0.45 mg/m3 period;
6 - other places 2; for other types of asbestos
averaged over a 4 hour
period
USA
2;respirable dust 10／(% respirable quartz + 2) 2; >5μm long(8 hour time-
containing <=5 weighted average)
% quartz
Requirements of underground air in quantity and quality

There are several articles in Coal Mine Safety Regulations of Japan

related to the requirements of underground air in quantity and quality .

Section 2 Underground Air

(Oxygen and carbon dioxide)

Article 86
Mine air underground where mine workers work or pass shall contain 19%
or more oxygen and 1% or less carbon dioxide. However, this shall not be
applied in cases where oxygen concentration is 19% or more and carbon
dioxide is 2% or less with permission by the Director-General of MSIB or
MSID.
2. The provision of the preceding Clause shall not be applied the working
place where human life rescue or the activity regarding safety is
conducted in a safe way.

(Inflammable gas content in the main return air)

Article 87
The inflammable gas content in the main return air shall be kept at 1.5%
or less. However, this Article shall not apply to cases where inflammable
gas from gas drainage holes or exclusive galleries for drainage gas is
released into the main exhaust, under the condition that the ventilation
quantity is sufficient to dilute the inflammable gas concentration to 2.5%
or less and that permission is given by the Director-General of MSIB or
MSID, neither does it apply to cases which are stipulated by Article 104-2
and
Article 124.

(Inflammable gas content in working places and roadways)

Article 88
The inflammable gas content shall be kept at 1.5% or less in underground
working places and at 2% or less in underground roadways. However, this
Article shall not be applied to cases stipulated in Item 2 and Item 4 in
Article 124.

(Underground temperature)
Article 89
The temperature of the working place shall be 37 C or less. However, this
provision shall not be applied to the working place where there is activity
due to a special reason such as a gush out of hot spring with permission
of the Director-General of MSIB or MSID or human life rescue regarding
safety is conducted in a safe way.

(Ventilation quantity)
Article 90
The ventilation quantity of underground working places shall be decided
based on the number of mine workers, the quantity of inflammable gas or
harmful gas produced, the possibility of spontaneous combustion,
temperature and humidity.
2. Air current and flow volume in underground working place shall
maintain adequate speed and volume which is sufficient to dilute and
sweep away inflammable gas or harmful gas and fumes of blasting.

Article 91
In all Class-A pits, the ventilation quantity at the entrance of intake shall
be 3 m3 per minute per person or more and this is based on the
maximum number of workers engaging in underground working at the
same time. However, when it is required to restrict the ventilation
quantity for prevention of spontaneous combustion etc. and with the
permission of the Director-General of MSIB or MSID, the ventilation
quantity may be reduced.

(Ventilation speed)
Article 92
Ventilation speed underground shall be 450 m/min. or less (except an
exclusive gallery for ventilation). However, in a shaft the speed may
increase up to 600 m/min.
2. The ventilation speed in the preceding Clause may be increased due to
a special reason with the permission of the Director-General of MSIB or
MSID.

Section 3 Ventilation Facilities

(General ventilation facilities)

Article 93
In order to supply a sufficient quantity of air for the safety of underground
working places, ventilation facilities shall be installed in all coal pits.

Article 94
In a mine having a coal pit where 50 mine workers or more are working, a
barometer and a thermometer shall be installed in a proper place.