The Thermal Insulation Of Mine Airways
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Date
2015-01-09
Authors
Bottomley, Paul
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Abstract
The application of insulation material to the surfaces of airways has
the potential of reducing the heat load on the ventilation air of deep
mi ne s. This study aims at assessing the viability of this technique.
Previous investigations on heat transfer from insulated airways are
reviewed and are found to be flawed or out of date. A more reliable
thermal analysis is presented This shows that reductions in heat load
of 50 to 70 percent can be achieved in fully insulated tunnels, 20 to
40 per cent with partial insulation (footwall uninsulated) and less
than 20 per cent with the footwall both uninsulated and Net. Nomograms
are presented which predict the reduction in heat load for a wide range
of conditions
An experimental study on tunnel insulation in a deep gold mine is
reported The reductions in heat load were 57 per cent with full
insulation, and 30 per cent with partial insulation. These values are
lower than those predicted, namely 71 and 50 per cent respectively,
largely because of the uneven thickness of the insulation layer
Guidelines are provided for the selection of insulation systems.
Estimates of the financial benefits accruing from the insulation of
airways are presented.