Work

Heat Emissions from Mining Machinery: Implications for Microclimatic Conditions in Underground Workings

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The thermal regime of underground mines, shaped by air temperature, velocity, and relative humidity, is a crucial factor for production and the health and safety of miners. While many aspects of this thermal regime have been thoroughly studied in the literature, local heat sources from mechanized equipment, such as load–haul–dump machines, conveyors, and auxiliary fans, have received comparatively little attention despite their significant impact on the thermal environment in mining development areas and stopes. This paper presents findings from a comprehensive study of the microclimatic air parameters in several nickel–copper and potash mines. We focus specifically on variations in air temperature in areas where mining equipment is operational. The heat output from different types of equipment, including load–haul–dump units, cutter–loaders, drilling rigs, conveyors, and auxiliary fans, has been quantified. We established empirical relationships for heat emissions from these machines and conducted a comparative analysis of their heat outputs. The main advantage of these relationships is their simplicity and the minimal number of input parameters required, making them practical for use in the field.

Source: Mining

DOI: 10.3390/mining4040059

Authors: Artem Zaitsev, Oleg Parshakov, Mikhail Semin

Institution: Mining Institute of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Industrial and Mining Safety

Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,137

Funder: Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation