MINE CLIMATE AND ITS CONTROL

1. Measurement of Air Cooling Power

Formulas to calculate The Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature Index

t wg ,

(Vutukuri & Lama, 1986):

a. Indoor

t wg=0.7 t w +0.3 t g
b. Outdoor

t wg=0.7 t w +0.2 t g +0.1 t d

t w = wet-bulb temperature
t g =black-globe temperature
t d =dry-bulb temperature of air
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has
adopted the following threshold limit values for

t wg

for moderate work

load in hot environments (ACGIH, 1978):

Work Rest (%)

Temperature

Continuous Work

26.7 C (80.0
F)

75 % Work 25% Rest Each Hour

28.0 C (82.4
F)

50 % Work 50% Rest Each Hour

29.4 C (84.9
F)

25 % Work 75% Rest Each Hour

31.1 C (88.0
F)

2. Sources of Heat in Mines

a. Exposed Rock
The heat flow from exposed rock is major sources of heat in deep
underground mines. The rock temperature varies seasonally with the air
temperature variations at the earths surface and below this level, the rock
temperature rises at a rate called the geothermal gradient.

W
)
m2
( C /m)=
thermal conductivity (W /m. C)
0.05(

It can also calculated from the measured temperatures at various depths.

The rock temperature,

t r , in

C , at a depth

D1

is calculated from

this equation:

t r =tc+ ( D1D )
Where:

tr

= Constant temperature near surface ( C )

= Depth of the constant temperature (m)

= geothermal gradient ( C /m )

b. Adiabatic Compression
If the vapor content of the air remains constant, the air flow is considered
frictionless and there is no heat transfer between the shaft walls and the air,
the process is known as adiabatic compression. The increase in dry-bulb
temperatures due to adiabatic compression per 100 m depth is calculated
as follows:

increseheat content of 1 kg of air

spesific heat of air

mass gravitational acceleration distance

spesific heat of air

(1 9.81 100/1000)(kJ /kg)

0.996(kJ /kg . )

0.99
c. Machinery
All machines contribute to the heat load of the mine. Whether the machines
are run by diesel and electric.
In this caseof diesel locomotives, these consume about 0.24 kg of fuel per
kW hour. Since the colorifiic value of the fuel is about 44 Mj/kg, the total
energy in the quantity of fuel used becomes:

total energy=0.24 44 103 kJ /h per kW

= 176 kJ/minute per kW
= approximately 3 kJ/s per kW = 3 kW/kW
1 kW converted into mechanical energy, another 2 becomes heat in the
exhaust gas.
3. Heat Transfer in Mine Airways
The rate of heat transfer across a unit area at the air-rock interface is given
by (Starfield and Dickson, 1997):

Heat Flux =h ( t std ) +fLE ( p sp )+ K (tst )

Where :

: surface heat transfer (W/m2 . C)

ts

: rock temperature (C)

td

: dry bulb temperature of air (C)

: wetness factors

: latent heat evaporation of water (J/kg)

: coefficient of mass transfer (kPa)

ps

: saturated vapour pressure (C, kPa)

: partial pressure of water vapour in air (kPa)

: overall transfer coefficient for radiation from dry surface to wet

surface

: average temperature which is radiating (C)