Integration of strategic ventilation and heat management planning with 3D virtual reality simulation of underground mines

摘要

This paper describes methods employed to integrate strategic ventilation and heat management planning into a virtual reality (VR) simulation tool to enable various scheduling scenarios to be investigated. This can be performed even when infrastructure details are unknown or not yet finalised. The approach taken is to apply conventional activity based determination of ventilation requirements for each stage of the project. In addition, the spatial location of each element of the model, combined with allocated ventilation rates, geothermal properties of the ore body and surface climatic profiles, are used to predict wet and dry bulb temperatures in all intake airways and working locations. Consequently, both the nature of, and schedule for, heat management strategies can be determined.