A transient model to predict the weekly temperatures of the ventilation air in a partially wetted airway

Summary

Most theoretical methods for the prediction of strata heat flow in an underground airway assume that the air temperature remains constant or that only small changes take place over the ventilated age of the airway. This assumption is clearly not correct; air temperature (especially those measured in British coal mines) display variation of up to 5° C during any one week at any one point. These variations are periodic in nature and relate to both the daily and weekly production cycle. In order to predict the transient heat flow from strata the Duhamel Theorem is used. Details of the theorem incorporating the air temperature history to calculate the surface temperature of a partially wetted airway are derived. An algorithm is presented for the calculation of surface temperatures and hence the heat flux from the rock. The algorithm is used in the computation of heat and moisture transfer rates from the rock to the ventilating air in the airway. Finally, the air temperatures at the end of the airway are predicted due to the heat flows from the strata and they are compared to the measured data supplied by British Coal, United Kingdom.