Vol. 337 No. 4 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/4/5248
Temperature conditions at a shallow mine in the Far North during the reversal of a fan unit in winter period of the year
Relevance. In mines, in the cold season, the air supplied to ventilate underground mining workings is heated by air heaters. Currently, the main air heater installations are mainly used for heating the air in normal ventilation mode, while auxiliary installations used for reversing the ventilation flow are not widely used. When reversing the ventilation flow, cold atmospheric air will enter the underground mine workings, which leads to a violation of the requirements of paragraph 151 of Federal Norms and Regulations in the Field of Industrial Safety no. 505, and can also significantly affect the conduct of emergency rescue operations. Aim. Determining and maintaining the minimum permissible air temperature in underground mine workings is particularly important when considering emergency ventilation modes, since the air temperature will affect the process of mine rescue operations. Determining these air temperatures requires taking into account many factors that depend on the specific geographic and geological conditions of the site. This assessment should be based on comprehensive studies, including experimental measurements and mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer processes during mine ventilation. The aim of this study is to determine the range of the minimum possible air temperature entering the mine in the winter period of the year when reversing the ventilation flow reversal in a shallow mine in the Far North. Methods. Field measurements of changes in the microclimatic parameters of the mine air during the ventilation flow reversal, as well as mathematical modeling. Results and conclusions. When the ventilation flow is reversed at an outer atmosphere air temperature of –23°C, cold air spreads across the western part of the mine field. At the same time, the presence of moisture in the mine workings in combination with cold air leads to icing of the surface of the mine workings, which creates serious obstacles for miners to evacuate and conduct emergency rescue operations, since the transportation of people is carried out without the use of mechanized transport. Based on the data obtained, the authors built a mathematical model of the air and heat distribution of the considered mine. The resulting model was used to determine the air distribution zones with negative temperature values during the reversal of the ventilation flow, as well as to calculate the integral indicator of cooling conditions (frostbite). For the considered object, under the current conditions, the minimum allowable air temperature was determined when reversing the ventilation flow. A lower calculated value of the minimum allowable air temperature in reverse mode is possible in the case of measures to drain the mine workings, as well as the organization of transportation of people.
For citation: Aleksandrova M.A., Maltsev S.V., Kuzminykh E.G. Temperature conditions at a shallow mine in the Far North during the reversal of a fan unit in winter period of the year. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 4, pp. 192-206.
Keywords:
mine ventilation, reversible ventilation mode, experimental research, temperature conditions, ventilation model, thermophysical model, modeling, minimum allowable air temperature
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