Numerical simulation of methane distribution in development zones of underground coal mines equipped with auxiliary ventilation

摘要

This paper numerically examines the ventilation performance of the working coal face section of an underground mine exposed to methane gas under the influence of an auxiliary ventilation system. The auxiliary ventilation system consists of a brattice and an exhaust ducted fan. A computational model using the commercial software package (ANSYS) is developed, validated and used in the analysis. Detailed data related to the flow field, the air velocity and the concentration of methane are obtained from the numerical simulations. Several ventilation scenarios have been examined under constant methane emission from the working coal face. The results show the distribution of methane for various flow conditions and designs of the auxiliary ventilation system. The results also show the effects of the distance between the duct inlet and the working coal face, the brattice settings, and the air velocity on the ventilation performance. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the behavior of auxiliary ventilation systems needed to efficiently remove gas and contaminants from the dead-end and polluted areas such as the working coal face section of underground coal mines, where the risk of methane explosion is high.