Track: Modeling and Simulation

Abstract

Mine ventilation aircrossing is one of the most important equipments which is used in a mine ventilation system, especially in coal mining. When designing any mine ventilation system or network, it is important to estimate the local resistances of the ventilation system to plan for an effective and well-designed ventilation system. Currently, no mathematical models or empirical formulas are available to estimate the shock loss effect associated with the aircrossings. The aircrossing analysis performed in this study was done through numerical analysis using commercial software ANSYS Fluent 2019 R1. Shock loss factors on an aircrossing were investigated numerically on various geometries. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model proposed, was validated using numerical results reported previously. The study indicates that the ANSYS numerical code is appropriate to evaluate shock losses in mine ventilation aircrossings. The research, therefore, has the potential to provide an important step towards, understanding flow patterns and shock losses effect at the aircrossing. This will assist in improving the design and selection of mine ventilation aircrossings, ventilation planning, and improve the working environment for underground mineworkers.