Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry –

Dessureault, Ganguli, Kecojevic & Dwyer (eds)

© 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 04 1537 449 9

Validation of the effectiveness of time series data for control of a mine

ventilation environment

Y. Tominaga
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

S. Bandopadhyay
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT: This paper will demonstrate the applicability of time series data for the automatic control of
mine ventilation. In order to control mine ventilation equipment, it is necessary to have several sets of time series
data. In addition, it is necessary that the reliability of the data be relatively high. Values of the control parameters
derived from multiple time series data sets are presented in this paper. Furthermore, it is shown that examining
the correlation trend curve of sensor data can identify unusual sensor behavior. It is also demonstrated that the
carbon monoxide concentration at the location of a defective sensor, which is not functioning properly at a given
location, can be estimated from the measured value of other normal-functioning sensors at different locations.

1 INTRODUCTION from monitoring system and applied statistical corre-

Automatic control of a mine ventilation system in a
modern coalmine typically consists several sensors
and controllable entities such as regulators, door and
regulation of the main fan operating modes. Because
of its significance, development of sensors for moni-
toring and algorithms to control mine ventilation sys-
tems received considerable attention in the past three
decades (Alridge, et al. 1976; Kocic, 1979; Mahadi and
McPherson, 1971; Meriluoto, 1983, and Ching, 1987).
Most of the efforts have been on monitoring of vari-
ous flow parameters and concentration of gases. The
ventilation control processes, however, have not been
studied in a significant way to allow for the control of
ventilation facilities (Bloshteyn and Filimonov, 1979).
In order to develop an effective ventilation control
system, careful analyses are necessary to recognize
and evaluate the dynamic properties of the ventilation
flow phenomena and algorithms to quickly process
the information in the system for monitoring and con-
trol of mine ventilation parameters. The ventilation
flow phenomena are typically described by continuous
functions of flow parameters. A series of discrete data
are generated, measured and recorded, and often trans-
mitted about the flow parameters at the monitoring
sensor locations in discrete time interval. These time
series data can be used to develop control algorithms.
Commonly used methods of time series data process-
ing are statistical, correlation and spectrum analysis.
Wasilewski (1991) and Trutwin and Wasilewski (1991)
have presented the use of such time series data obtained
lation and frequency method to estimate the dynamic
properties of ventilation process. By using the Fast
Fourier Transformation algorithm, the parameters of
the control process have been identified for mine
ventilation system control.
The automatic control of mine ventilation systems is
an important goal in the coalmines of Japan. A number
of deaths have happened due to preventable mine fires
in the past fifty years alone. Of all the safety hazards,
detection of fire is critically important in providing
miners adequate warning time to evacuate the mine.
Automatic control of ventilation systems would allow
for the safe evacuation of mine workers in case of fire.
In order to control mine ventilation equipment, how-
ever, it is necessary to have several sets of time series
data for the reliability of the data be relatively high as
the data feeds back to the equipment.
In earlier works, Tominaga and Bandopadhyay
(2002, 2004) reported the applicability of trend curves
and the local peak values of time series data for
effective monitoring and control of mine ventilation
environment. Validation of these results for real-time
control of the mine environment, however, was not
demonstrated.
Recent work by Tominaga and Bandopadhyay has
attempted to address these issues. Included in their
work is the measurement of carbon monoxide in the
Taiheiyo Coal Mine in Hokkaido, Japan. Three differ-
ent locations were measured to determine whether the
results derived from the estimated values of the trend
curve were validated by the measured field data.

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 Figure 1. A schematic of the mine development network in
the Taiheiyo coal mine.
Figure 2. A chart of measured carbon monoxide concentra-
tion under normal mine ventilation environment.
The results of experimentation show that the air
velocity between sensors can be calculated from the
peak value of the correlation function. Furthermore,
unusual behavior of a sensor can be judged from the
data generated to form the correlation trend curve.
2 CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATION
TIME CHART
Figure 1 shows the location of three sensors (A, B
and C) in the Taiheiyo Coal Mine. In the figure, the
bold line represents a mine working face, which can
produce over two million tones of clean coal annually.
Figure 2 is a time chart of the carbon monoxide
concentration (in ppm) collected over a period of 24
hours at sensor location A under normal mine environ-
ment. To correlate with the start of a mining cycle, the
elapsed time of the figure begins at five am.
3 CROSS CORRELATION BETWEEN TWO
CHARTS
A sensor measures the concentration of carbon monox-
ide gas approximately every 2.7 minutes. The empty
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Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group plc, London, UK
Figure 3. Measured values (empty circles) and fitted curves
with three-sigma range.
circles shown in figure 3-a correspond to this time
interval over a time spanning from 16.4 mark to 17.4
hours.
The middle curve depicted in figure 3-a matches
the experimental formula, shown below (equation 1),
for fitting the time series data shown in empty circles.
COA , t, ai , bj and ck are concentrations in ppm, elapsed
time (day/day: for non-dimensional procedure) and
coefficients in ppm, respectively.
The maximum values of l, m, and n in this equation
are chosen in order to obtain a correlation coefficient
value of 0.99.
The upper and the lower curves in figure 3-a
show a three-sigma range for the difference between
the measured data and the experimental formula.
The algorithm used in estimating three-sigma values
was reported by Tominaga and Bandopadhyay (2002
a). The implementation of the algorithm for estima-
tion of the three-sigma values was done in BASIC
programming language.
Figures 3-b and 3-c show measured values for time
series data and the curves derived by experimental
formula for sensor B and C, respectively.
As sensorsA, B and C are located along the direction
of air flow, it is shown in the figure that the peak of
the curves shifted according to the sensor’s location.
A cross correlation value Rpq(τ) between two sets
of elapsed time concentration curves COp(t) and
COq(t + τ) at sensor p and q is given by equation 2.
 Figure 4. The relation between time lag and cross correla-
tion value between two sets of elapsed time–concentration
curve.
p and q are the sensors to combine as a pair from
sensor A, B and C. Air flow direction is from p to q.
The variable, τ is the time lag. COmaxp and COmaxq
are the maximum value on the curve for sensor p and
sensor q, respectively.
For convenience of calculation, the digital cross cor-
relation value given by equation 3 is applied in this
study.
N is the number of total sections when the elapsed time
range is divided equally.  is a digital number for time
lag instead of τ in the case of a continuous function.
Figure 4 shows a relation between time lag and cross
correlation value between two sets of elapsed time-
concentration curve.
Time lag, τpq , between a sensor p and a sensor q is
given by the coordinate value at the maximum value
of the cross correlation value in the figure.
The distance between sensor A and sensor B is
445 m, the distance between sensor B to sensor C is
490 m, and the distance between sensor A and sensor
C is 935 m. Air velocity can be estimated from both
the distance and the time lag, τpq , between any two
sensors p and q.
In order to examine the relationship between the
measured values of sensor A and the measured
value with sensor B, the concentration COA (t) and
COB (t + τAB ) were calculated from the experimental
formula such as given in equation 1.
Figure 5-a shows distribution of set (COA (t),
COB (t + τAB )), which is composed of carbon monox-
ide concentration measurements at sensor A and B.
Air flow direction is from A to B and τAB is the time
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Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group plc, London, UK
Figure 5. Distribution of set (COp (t), COq (t + τpq )) com-
posed of carbon monoxide concentration at sensor p and q.
Where, p and q are the sensors to combine as a pair from
sensor A, B and C.
lag between sensor A and sensor B. A straight line
in the figure represents the correlation line given by
equation 4.
In equation 4, d and e are coefficients and their values
are estimated by a least square fitting. Upper and lower
dotted straight lines show the three-sigma range for
the difference between COB (t + τAB ) calculated from
the experimental formula and COB (t + τAB ) calculated
from equation 4.
The potential cases of a combination of sensor A
and sensor C, or of sensor B and sensor C, are shown
in the figure 5-b, and 5-c, respectively. Since the values
of all the correlation coefficients relating the vari-
ables COp (t) and COq (t + τpq ) exceed a value of 0.9,
it can be concluded that COp (t) and COq (t + τpq ) have
a linear correlation.
In order to ascertain the validity of this relation,
the COA (t) of equation 1 is substituted into equa-
tion 4 and COB (t + τAB ) is estimated. The estimated
COB (t + τAB ) is shown with the dotted line curve in the
figure 6-a. Because the elapsing time range of equa-
tion 1 starts at 16.4 hours, the dotted line starts at
16.4 + τAB hours in the figure. Circles in the figure
show the measured value at the sensor B.
By using the same procedure mentioned above, esti-
mated COC (t + τAC ) and estimated COC (t + τBC ) are
shown in the figure 6-b and b-c for a combination of
sensors. It can be seen that the dotted curve line almost
conforms to the distribution of measured value shown
by empty circle. From this result, it is to be concluded
that estimated value of COq (t + τpq ) can be used to
monitor the condition of the sensor q under the condi-
tion of a normally working sensor p, and that there is
a linear relation between a sensor p and a sensor q.
 Figure 6. Estimated value of COq (t + τpq ) by substituting Figure 7. The typical example of time series data increasing
COp (t) the linear relation between p and q. CO concentration with elapsed time and fitted curve with
three-sigma range.

4 TIME SERIES DATA UNDER INCREASING

CONCENTRATION OF CARBON
MONOXIDE WITH ELAPSED TIME

Signs of spontaneous combustion were indicated in the

carbon monoxide measuring chart in the mine. One of
the signs, an increasing trend on the carbon monoxide
measuring chart, is shown in figure 7. The start day of
the elapsed time is the day where measurements were
started for the three sensors.
In order to examine the relations between the mea-
sured values of sensor p and the measured values of
sensor q, the concentration COp (t) and COq (t + τpq )
were calculated from the experimental formula given
in equation 1.
Figure 8 shows the distribution of the set (COp (t),
COq (t + τpq )), composed of carbon monoxide concen- Figure 8. Distribution of set (COp (t), COq (t + τpq )) com-
tration at sensor p and q, where p and q are the sensors posed of carbon monoxide concentration at sensor p and q,
combined as a pair from the sample group of sensors where p and q are the sensors to combine as a pair from sensor
A, B and C. A straight line in the figure represents the A, B and C.
correlation line given by equation 5.

In equation 5, d and e are coefficients and their

values are estimated by a least square fitting. Upper
and lower dotted straight lines show the three-sigma
range for the difference between COq (t + τpq ) calcu-
lated from the experimental formula and COq (t + τpq )
given from the equation 5.
Since the value of all the correlation coefficients
relating the variables COp (t) and COq (t + τpq ) exceed
a value of 0.99, it can be concluded that COp (t) and
COq (t + τpq ) have a strong linear correlation.
Figure 9 shows the CO concentration chart for 0.15
days past the elapsed time of figure 7. Continuous solid
lines in the figure show the measured value at each sen- Figure 9. The typical example of time series data increasing
sor. The middle curve depicted for each sensor in the CO concentration with elapsed time and fitted curve with
figure shows an experimental formula represented the three sigma range in inferior state at either one of the sensor
equation 1. Upper and lower dotted line curves show A, B and C.

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Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group plc, London, UK

 Figure 10. Distribution of set (COp (t), COq (t + τpq )) com- Figure 11. Discrimination of a defective sensor in three
posed of carbon monoxide concentration at sensor p and q, sensor A, B and C from the correlation straight line with
where p and q are the sensors to combine as a pair from sensor three-sigma range derived from the normally operating
A, B and C in inferior state at either one of the three sensors. condition of the three sensors.

the three-sigma range for the difference between the

measured data and the experimental formula. Upper
and lower dotted line curves show the three-sigma
range for the difference between the measured data
and the experimental formula.
Figure 10 shows the distribution of set (COp (t),
COq (t + τpq )) by same procedure done in figure 8 for
the elapsed time of figure 9. Here, p and q are the sen-
sors combined as a pair from possible sensors A, B and
C in figure 9. The three-sigma range of linear relations
shown in both (a) and (b) of figure 10 is wider than
the range shown in figure 8. Some circles are located
outside the three-sigma range.
If all the sensors are normal operation mode, both Figure 12. Estimated value of COp (t − τpq ) by substituting
the linear relation and three-sigma range should be COq (t) the linear relation between p and q derived from the
the same in figures 8 and 10. From the linear relation normally operating condition of the three sensors.
shown in figure 8, it can be seen that all the sensors
work normally until the last time interval of data indi- from 12 to 12.95 days. τAp is time lag from a sensor A
cated in the figure 7. Therefore, the straight lines with to a sensor p. Coefficients dAp and eAp are the same as
the three-sigma range shown in figure 8 are depicted in equation 5 under normal working of all the sensors.
in the figure 11, where the circles are the same sets Dotted lines in figure 12-a and 12-b show the esti-
shown in the figure 10. mated value at sensor A at both the normal working
It is also shown that both sensor B and C are work- condition and defective or abnormal state by using
ing normally, as all the sets shown by circles in figure both equations 1 and 6 at sensor B and sensor C,
11-c are included in the three-sigma range. However, respectively. The solid line in the figure shows the
in cases relating to sensor A, several circles are out value outputted as a measurement value from sensor
of the three-sigma range under normal working condi- A. It is shown that both values estimated from sensor
tions. From figure 11, it is concluded that sensor A did B and sensor C are almost the same for the time range
not function normally in elapsed time range of 12.8 to where there is an inferior state of sensor A.
12.9 days. To check this technique, a combination with a nor-
As both sensors B and C are working normally, mally working sensor B and sensor C is indicated in
the CO concentration at the defective sensor can be figure 12-c.
estimated from equation 6.

5 CONCLUSION

COp (t) is the value estimated from the experimental By placing multiple sensors at different locations
formula given by equation 1 for the elapsed time range along the air flow direction and monitoring sensor

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Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group plc, London, UK

 operation, it was possible to validate the results from
the estimated values of the trend curve to those from
measured data. It is further shown that air veloc-
ity between the sensors can be calculated from the
peak value of the correlation function. Furthermore,
unusual behavior of a sensor can be judged from the
data generated from the correlation trend curve.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the Taiheiyo Coal
Mine for permission to use the carbon monoxide
concentration data used in this paper.
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