Effect of ventilation air velocities on diesel particulate matter dispersion in underground coal mines

Morla, Ramakrishna; Karekal, Shivakumar; Godbole, Ajit; Bhattacharjee, Ram Madhab; Nasina, Balasubrahmanyam; Inumula, Satyanarayana

doi:10.22059/ijmge.2019.264023.594755

Effect of ventilation air velocities on diesel particulate matter dispersion in underground coal mines

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ramakrishna Morla ¹

Shivakumar Karekal ²

Ajit Godbole ²

Ram Madhab Bhattacharjee ³

Balasubrahmanyam Nasina ⁴

Satyanarayana Inumula ⁴

¹ 5/160, Michael Street

² University of Wollongong, Australia

³ IIT Dhanbad, India

⁴ Directorate General of Mine Safety (DGMS), India

10.22059/ijmge.2019.264023.594755

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed account of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations undertaken to investigate the influence of intake (ventilation) air velocities on the flow patterns of diesel particulate matter (DPM) generated by a man-riding vehicle operating in a straight rectangular cross section tunnel in an underground coal mine. The simulation results are validated against an earlier experimental study. At a sampling station 10 m downstream of the vehicle, the DPM concentration was seen to decrease rapidly with increasing intake air velocity. For air velocities of 0.5 m/s, 1 m/s, 2 m/s and 3 m/s, the DPM concentration was estimated to be 233 µg/m³, 131 µg/m³, 116 µg/m³ and 1 µg/m³ respectively. At 10 m downstream of the vehicle, if the intake air velocity is reduced from a base value of 1.26 m/s by 40% and 60% of the base value, the average DPM concentration increased to 58% and 123% respectively. If the intake air velocity is increased by 58% and 98% of the base case value, the average DPM concentration decreased to 44% and 78% respectively.

Keywords

Coal mines

DPM

Air velocity

CFD

Man-riding vehicle