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WBGT Prediction and Improvement in Hot Underground Coal Mines Using Field Investigations and VentSim Models

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Abstract

Heat stress in underground coal mines is a major threat to the health and safety of the miners. Hence, managing heat and prediction of heat stress in advance is essential for maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive underground mine environment. In this study, an extensive ventilation survey has been carried out in three different deep and mechanized underground coal mines. The ventilation survey data are used to develop 3D simulation models with the VentSim™ software to predict the conditions that could cause heat stress in underground mine workings. The developed 3D models predicted well the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a recognized indicator of potential heat stress, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.986, 0.994, and 0.993 for Mine-A, Mine-B, and Mine-C, respectively. Moreover, through 3D modelling, the applications of auxiliary ventilation and spot coolers to reduce the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) for improving the underground workplace environment have been explored. The study demonstrated that auxiliary ventilation and spot coolers can help in significant reduction of heat stress conditions in an underground mine environment. By application of auxiliary ventilation, to increase air volumes, and spot coolers, the WBGT index in mining faces is reduced by 1.2–1.4 °C and 3.9–5.4 °C, respectively. Therefore, it is concluded that the spot coolers are more effective in reducing the heat stress conditions in hot and humid underground mine environments in comparison with auxiliary fan that is used to increase the air volume and velocity. This study opens up a new horizon of 3D simulations for heat stress management in underground mines. The outcome of this study will be useful for the researchers, mine operators, and environmentalists understanding the heat stress contributors and their control in underground mine environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere thanks to the mine management of Coal India Limited for cooperating in the field data collection. The authors are also thankful to the editor and four anonymous reviewers for their constructive valuable comments and suggestions, which helped in improving the quality and presentation of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, 826 004, India

    Siddhartha Roy, Devi Prasad Mishra & Ram Madhab Bhattacharjee

  2. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd., Ranchi, 834 008, India

    Siddhartha Roy & Hemant Agrawal

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Roy, S., Mishra, D.P., Agrawal, H. et al. WBGT Prediction and Improvement in Hot Underground Coal Mines Using Field Investigations and VentSim Models. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 40, 985–1005 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-023-00770-w

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