Numerical Simulation to improve underground room and pillar coal mine ventilation using stoppings and brattice

Mine ventilation is one of the important functions in mining. The purpose of mine ventilation is providing enough oxygen to breath, create comfortable working conditions and dilute and remove the gases and dust from mine. Methane gas released from minerals while extraction in coal mines. To prevent the accumulation of this gas and intense explosions, the use of auxiliary ventilation beside main ventilation is essential. Auxiliary ventilation in room and pillar coal mining is used generally two methods of stopping and brattice.In this study, the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, species and energy is discrete by using computational fluid dynamics and the results have been validated with experimental work and then several scenarios have been predicted to improve mine ventilation. Results show that concentration of methane decreases 47 % using stoppings, but the concentration is still higher than the standard level. By using brattice the level of methane concentration decreased to 74.2%, but methane concentration in side walls of coal face is 3.4% that is still higher than the level of standard. Optimized case was simulated by using stoppings and brattice simultaneously and quality of air improved 88.8% and concentration of methane has been fully respected and mine safety and explosive gas concentration are desirable.