Currently booster fans are used in mines in almost all foreign major coal mining countries requiring this form of ventilating air motivation including the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, South Africa and China. A booster fan is an underground main fan which is installed in series with a main surface fan and used to boost the air pressure of the ventilation to overcome mine resistance. In the United States booster fans are prohibited in coal mines although they are used in many metal and non-metal mines. A detailed study has been undertaken of the usage of booster fans in three coal mines each in Australia and the United Kingdom. The study focused on issues in each mine such as the need for use of booster fans rather than use of additional surface fans, use of gas and airflow quantity and pressure monitoring, potential for air recirculation, reducing leakage, lock out systems in use to handle the situation when some mine fans fail and economic considerations. Regulations in use and the views of mine inspectors have been sought. The approaches in use in Australia and the United Kingdom have been compared in a general way with the situation pertaining in the United States.
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