Question 1 Total 12 Marks

The schematic ventilation circuit (Figure 1) shows the general ventilation distribution for a
conventional coal mine. The main has five mains headings (two intake travel roads, one
intake conveyor belt road, and two returns). To provide for ventilation of the maingate inbye
the face line and for improved gas management the mine employs a bleeder airway.

Bleeder
2’

Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a longwall ventilation circuit

The following details are provided for analysis:
 All development is 3.0 m high x 5.0 m wide.
 For the purposes of this analysis assume that there is no leakage through main or
gate stoppings and that the longwalls are sealed effectively.
 A regulator has been placed in the bleeder airway as shown adjacent to longwall 1’s
tailgate.
 The longwall’s maingate – face – tailgate is the mine’s open ventilation split, all other
panels are regulated.
 Inbye development panels use 200 m3/s.
 The maingate travel and belt roads deliver a total 100 m3/s.
 Bleeder uses 40 m3/s.
 The resistances for the airways are given in Table 1.

Table 1: Airway Resistances

Resistance
Airway Nodes
Ns2/m8
Maingate travel (1 to 2) 0.10
Maingate belt (1 to 2) 0.20
Longwall face line (2 to 3) 0.09
Tailgate (3 to 4) 0.11
Both returns (total) (4 to 6) 0.015
Bleeder airway (total) (2 to 5) 0.25
Bleeder regulator (5 to 6) N/a

Page 1 of 12
a) Calculate the quantity of air in the maingate travel road (1 – 2). (0.5 mark)

b) Calculate the quantity of air in the maingate belt road (1 – 2). (0.5 mark)

c) Calculate the frictional pressure loss in the maingate travel road (1-2). (0.5 mark)

d) Calculate the frictional pressure loss in the maingate belt road (1-2). (0.5 mark)

e) Calculate the total frictional pressure loss in the maingate (travel and belt roads) (1-2).
(0.5 mark)

f) Calculate the frictional pressure drop across the longwall-4 face line (2-3). (0.5 mark)

g) Calculate the frictional pressure drop across the tailgate (3-4). (0.5 mark)

h) Calculate the frictional pressure drop across the travel road behind the longwall-4 (2-2’).
Assume k factor for (2-2’) is the same as that for (1-2). Consider the length of (1-2) to be
2500 m and the length of (2-2’) to be 500 m. Air density is 1.2 kg/m 3. (0.5 mark)

i) If the total resistance of the bleeder (2-5) is 0.25 Ns 2/m8, calculate the frictional pressure
drop across the bleeder (2-5). (0.5 mark)

j) If the total resistance of both returns is 0.015 Ns 2/m8, calculate the frictional pressure
drop across the returns (4-6). (0.5 mark)

k) Draw a sketch for the mesh (2-3-4-6-5-2) and use the Kirchoff’s second law (pressure
balance) to calculate the pressure drop across 1 bleeder regulator? (2 marks)

l) Assume that the theoretical leakage through the goaf is from (5) to (4). What is the
pressure difference between the tailgate (4) and bleeder (5)? (1 mark)

m) Approximately, what is the intake to return pressure differential applied to inbye

panels (1-4)? (1
mark)

n) If there are 24 main intake to return stoppings each with a resistance of 2,000 Ns 2/m8
and the average intake to return pressure differential is in fact 1,500 Pa, what would the
overall leakage rate be ? (2 marks)

o) Complete Table 2.
(1 mark)
Table 2: Mine airway characteristics
Frictional loss/
Resistance Quantity
Airway Nodes Regulator pressure
Ns2/m8 m3/s Pa
Maingate travel (1 to 2) 0.10
Maingate belt (1 to 2) 0.20
Longwall face line (2 to 3) 0.09 60
Tailgate (3 to 4) 0.11
Both returns (total) (4 to 6) 0.06
Bleeder airway (total) (2 to 5) 0.25 40
Bleeder regulator (5 to 6) N/a 40

Page 2 of 12
Question 2 Total 8 Marks
A mine is using two fans in parallel to exhaust 510 m 3/s at 2700 Pa from an upcast shaft. The
Natural Ventilation Pressure in the mine is -100 Pa. The combined characteristic curve
(plotted on the graph) for these two fans in parallel and at a speed of 500 rpm is presented in
Table 3.
Table 3: Combined two fans (in parallel) @ 500 rpm and 1.2 kg/m3
Flow (m3/s) 288 425 510 600 680
Pressure (Pa) 3840 3520 2800 1500 0

Figure 2: Fan characteristic curves and Mine Resistance curve

a) Calculate the mine resistance (Ns2/m8) from the observed operating point? (1 mark)

b) Plot the mine resistance curve in Figure 2 and identify the operating point. (1 mark)

c) If the fan efficiency is 85% and the cost of power is $0.12 per kwh, what is the annual
cost of power for this operating duty. (1 mark)

During maintenance one of the fans is turned off and the other one’s speed is increased to
800 rpm.

d) Calculate the characteristic curve for a single fan at 500 rpm and plot on the graph?
(2 marks)
e) Calculate the characteristic curve for a single fan at 800 rpm and plot on the graph?
(2 marks)
f) Identify the operating point (m3/s and Pa) when the single unit is operating at 800rpm
assuming the mine resistance remains the same. (1 mark)

Page 3 of 12
 Question 3 Total 8 Marks
a) In an underground airway, humid air with a quantity of 250 m 3/s of flows over a diesel
unit, which is operating with 33% efficiency at 45 % engine load. The average conditions
upstream of the diesel unit are 20C wet bulb / 24C dry bulb and the average conditions
downstream of the diesel unit are 25C wet bulb / 26C dry bulb (Figure 3).

i. Calculate the air mass flow rate in the airway ( kga/s). (1 mark)

ii. Calculate the heat exchange taking place in the airway (kW)? (1 mark)

iii. Calculate the moisture exchange taking place in the mine workings (gv/s)? (1 mark)

iv. Calculate the refrigeration capacity which is required to reduce the wet bulb
temperature at the end of the airway to 23C. (1 mark)

b) Draw the schematic diagrams and explain three air cooling systems for underground
mine ventilation systems and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. (1.5 marks)

c) An inclined conveyor draws 750 kW when off-loaded and 1000 kW when loaded over an
elevation change of 180 m. The belt operates for 6 hours of an 8 hour shift and runs
loaded for 5 hours. The drive head motor efficiency is 90%. The total shift production is
5,000 tonnes.

i. Calculate the real work done by the conveyor (kW). (0.5

mark)

ii. Calculate the average power consumption by the conveyor (kW). (0.5
mark)

iii. Calculate the average heat generated by the conveyor (kW). (0.5
mark)

d) Name and explain two processes by which human bodies lose heat.
(1 mark)

Page 4 of 12
Figure 3: Psychrometry chart

Page 5 of 12
Question 4 Total 8 Marks
a) Name two potential gas hazards associated with mining sulphide ore bodies? (1 mark)

b) What is meant by the terms TLV-TWA, TLV-STEL, and TLV-C limits when dealing with
toxic mine gases? (1.5 marks)

c) In a mining area the gases concentrations are: SO 2 2.6 ppm; NO2 2.5 ppm. Is it permitted
for miners to work in this area? (TLV-TWA for each gas is 3 ppm, and TLV-C for each gas
is 5 ppm) (1 mark)

d) Name two methods that can be used for controlling dust in underground mines that do
not involve the use of water? (1 mark)

e) A loading operation has been sampled and found to have a downwind concentration of
1.8 mg/m3 of respirable dust. Because of the quartz content of the dust, the mine
ventilation engineer wishes to reduce the concentration to 0.5 mg/m 3 using and
increased ventilation quantity. If the air entering the loading location has an airflow
of 3.5 m3/s of air containing 0.2 mg/m 3 respirable dust, how much more air must be
provided to meet the new dust concentration objective? Assume that the dust
concentration of the intake air does not change. (1.5 marks)

f) Gas samples contains the following gas composition shown in Table 3. The Coward’s
triangle is shown in Figure 4. (2 marks)

I. What is the meaning of the term LEL? Identify it in Figure 4. (0.5 mark)
II. What is the meaning of the term UEL? Identify it in Figure 4. (0.5 mark)
III. Plot sample A and B in Figure 4. (0.5 mark)
IV. Comment on the potential explosibility of sample A, B, C and D. (if not explosive,
can it become explosive, explain)(0.5 mark)

Table 3: Gas sample data

Sample Methane % Oxygen %
A 10 17
B 20 15
C 2 20
D 6 8

Figure 4: Coward diagram for methane

Page 6 of 12
 Question 5 Total 4 Marks

a) Name two physiological hazards due to dust and identify two sources for each of these
hazards. (1mark)

b) Present an advantage and a disadvantage of using booster fans for controlling main
airflow distribution. (1mark)

c) Present four (4) properties of coal that affect the propensity for spontaneous
combustion. (1mark)

d) Briefly describe the R70 test procedure for spontaneous combustion. (1mark)

Page 7 of 12
 Exam Data
2
P =RQ
Square law f
(Pf = frictional pressure, Pa Q = Air quantity, m3/s R = Resistance, Ns2/m8)

k.C.L r
  R= 3
Atkinson’s equation A 1.2
r = density, kg/m3 k = Atkinson’s friction factor,Ns2/m8 L = length, m
C = circumference, m A = cross sectional area, m2
  Q2
Ps =0.5XrV 2 Ps =0.5Xr
Shock Losses OR A2

Ps = shock loss, Pa V = velocity, m/s X = shock loss factor

   

Series Airways Rtot =R1 +R2 +..... +Rn

Rtot .Qtot2
1 1 1 1 Qn =
= + + ....+ Rn
Rtot R1 R2 Rn Qtot
Parallel Airways  

R
Rtot =  
Resistance for n identical airways n2
To calculate  
quantity in each path, pressure common to all airways.

Pressure Relationships:  Ptotal =Pstatic +Pvelocity

V12 V2
P1 + r + rgh1 + Pfan =P2 + r 2 + rgh2 + Pfric
2 2
(V12 - V22 )
P2 =P1 + r   + rg(h1 - h2 ) + Pfan - Pfric
2
  End Pstatic = Start Pstatic + change Pvelocity + Phead - Pfric + Pfan

 
Column Pressure P =rgh

h = height of column, m
g = gravity, m/s2
 
Approximate equation for Regulator Areas

Friction Factor Values for Mining Applications

Lim it of square law Mining
0.016
applications
0.014 Turbulent
Friction Factor K Ns2/m4

0.012
e/D
0.010 Transitional 0.05

0.008 0.025
0.006 0.01
0.004 0.004
Lam inar 0.001
0.002 0.0001
Smooth
0.000
1.0E+03 1.0E+04 1.0E+05 1.0E+06 1.0E+07

Page 8 of
Reynolds 12r
Numbe
 Fan laws
Q1 S1
=
Speed change Q2 S2 Air quantity directly proportional.
2
P1 æ S1 ö
=ç ÷
  P2 è S2 ø Pressure proportional to square of speed.
3
kW1 æ S1 ö
=ç ÷
  kW2 è S2 ø Power proportional to cube of speed.

Density change
P1 r1
  =
Q1 =Q2 P2 r2 Pressure proportional to density.

Fan Total pressure = Fan static pressure + Velocity pressure at discharge area.
   
Fan Efficiency

Air Power PQ
Fan Efficiency = = ´100%
Absorbed Power 1000.E
P = Pressure (Pa) Q = Quantity (m3/s) E = Electrical Power (kW)

   
3V.I.cos f V.I
E= kw AC E= kw DC
1000 1000
Gas Laws
Average Exposure
C1t1 + C2 t2 +...... 
+ Cntn
  E av =
T
Eav = Average Exposure Ci = Concentration for period i
ti = Duration of exposure period, hours T = Total exposure time, hours

(Eeq)
  Equivalent exposure
T
E eq =E av .
8
TLV - TWA for CO = 30 ppm

Graham’s Ratio
(CO o−CO i)
  GR=100 × (%)
(O2 i−O 2 o )

Page 9 of 12
 Approximate Net Gas Make

G =Q ´(Cout - Cin ) ´0.01 m3/s or G =Q ´(Cout - Cin ) ´10 l/s

G = Gas flow rate, m3/s or l/s C = Concentration, % Q = Total quantity, m3/s

    Heat Relationships

Mass flow rate of air Q m = mass flow, kg/s Q = quantity, m3/s

m=
ASV ASV = apparent specific volume,
m3/kg

Heat Exchange
  q =m(S2 - S1)kW
6.5

WB Increase per 1000 m

6.0

Moisture Exchange R =m(r1 - r2 )g/s 5.5

5.0
  4.5
q = heat, kW S = sigma heat, kJ/kg 4.0
r = moisture content (apparent specific humidity) g/kg 3.5
3.0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Rule of Thumb: Approximately 50 kW heat Surface Wet Bulb C
  temperature of 10 m3/s by 1.0˚C
raises the
wet bulb in warm conditions.

Work against gravity

(Z2 - Z1 )
qgrav =mg
Work to raise a mass 1000 qgrav = diesel heat load, kW, m =
mass, kg/s or l/s for water, g = gravity (9.8 m/s2), Z2, Z1 = start and end elevation, m

Diesel Unit Heat

  RP
qdiesel = .Ptav.Ptut
Average heat from diesel units h
qdiesel = diesel heat load, kW Ptzv = percent time available, % η = diesel efficiency
RP = rated power of unit, kW Ptu = percent utilization, %

  Qf .Df .C f
qdiesel =
Average heat from fuel consumed
top
qdiesel = diesel heat load, kW Cf = calorific value of diesel fuel, (typical = 45.6 x
103 kJ/kg)
Qf = quantity of fuel used, litres top = total operating time during which fuel is
consumed, s
Df = fuel density, typical 845 kg/m 3 (use 0.845 kg/l)

Page 10 of 12
Psychrometric Equations

287.045 ´(tdb + 273.15) 3

ASV = m /kg air
Apparent specific volume: (P - e)
287.045 ´(tdb + 273.15) 3
TSV = m /kg v air
True specific volume: (P - 0.378e)
1
rtrue = kg/m3 v air
True density: TSV
 r = 1 (1 + ASH ) kg/m3 v
true air
ASV 1000
True density:
where, P = Barometric Pressure, tdb = Dry bulb temperature, e = Actual vapour pressure
 
Coal mine legislation regarding auxiliary fan

New South Wales coal mine safety legislation states that the minimum quantity of
primary airflow in a development panel is the sum of:
a. The open circuit capacity of each auxiliary fan in use in the panel; and
b. 30% of the open circuit capacity of all auxiliary fans in use in the panel.

Queensland coal mine safety legislation states that the minimum quantity of primary
airflow in a development panel is the sum of:
a. The open circuit capacity of each auxiliary fan in use in the panel; and
b. 30% of the open circuit capacity of the largest auxiliary fan in use in the panel.

Periodic Table of Elements

Page 11 of 12
END OF EXAMINATION

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