Technologies in the field of ventilation of mine workings



New concept of ventilation of mine workings

This concept is developed by results of research conducted by scientists at 200 underground mines of Russia and former USSR. It includes a range of technologies that provide an optimum system of airing of underground mine workings and safety of conducting mining operations. According to preliminary assessments implementation of these technologies (depending on a mine capacity) can reduce the producing costs of ore mining from 20% up to 30%.

For example, at Uchalinsky mine it is managed to avoid the development of two ventilation shafts at the cost of 6 billion roubles. The efficiency of airing its underground workings is confirmed by an air depression survey of the Ural region. 

Technology for stope control over air distribution in mines

Approach: air delivery through the pitshaft like by a “conveyor” from the shaft up to each stope by active means of airing.

The technology enables to a necessary amount of air to the each stope without losses on “leaks”, and when changing the location of stopes the structure of air delivery is adjusted to transformed conditions. The calculation is carried out at the licensed software “vent2cad” approved by Russian Technical Supervisory Authority and Russian Main State Expertise.

Technology for ventilation of end cuts by means of face equipment of active airing

This technology provides the safe supply of required amount of air to a stope without applying air piping and enables not to obstruct the space of blind workings.

Technology of ventilation for applying machines with combustion engines in a mine with the use of gas cleaning as per EURO emission classes

The technology specifies requirements to gas cleaning that must be met within the whole period of machines operation, ensuring environmental EURO classes compulsory for production plants of the mine equipment as a service.

Technology for controlling ventilation of a mine designed on pollutant factors of the mine atmosphere

Principle: Control technique and calculation of air flowrate is developed according to a stope principle of defining demands with consideration of an efficient decrease of factors having impact on atmosphere safety of a face space of each working.

The technology enables to control airflows in the area of mining operations with subsequent and combined air supply depending on a structure of an extraction front. Design solutions provide reliability of controlling airflows in a mine ventilation system.

Currently, new technologies of airing are implemented and show their efficiency at mines of Verkhnekamsky deposit of potash salts, at mine of “Knauf” company and Ozernoye & Novo-Uchalinsky deposits.   Since  2012 an implementation of the new ventilation concept of mine workings has been carried out at mine such as “Aykhal”, “International” & “Mir Vostochny” by “ALROSA”.