The utilisation of air scoops for the improvement of ventilation in a coal mine heading

Abstract

Methane gas is emitted when coal is broken at the face of a coal mine. To prevent a situation where a methane gas explosion can occur, the face and heading must be ventilated effectively. In this paper an investigation is conducted to determine if the ventilation in the heading of a coal mine can be increased by the utilisation of air scoops. Two scoops are investigated, one upstream of the heading and one downstream of the heading. The influence of the air scoops on the flow field in the heading is determined numerically. The results show that based on penetration depth and absolute average air velocity, ventilation can be improved by the utilisation of air scoops and that it is better to locate these scoops downstream of the heading.