Development of Multi-Scale and Multi-physics Mathematical Model for Energy-Efficient Underground Mine Ventilation Design

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Underground mining environments are dangerous due to the risk of cave-ins, explosions, lack of breathable air, heat, fog and the presence of hazardous gases and dust. Mine ventilation, heating and cooling consumes significant amount of energy. With increase of energy costs, and implementation of carbon tax, an energy-efficient ventilation system together with the use of renewable energy in mine has become highly desirable for sustainability in mining industry.***Mathematical modeling in recent years has play important role to complement experimental data and assist engineer on designing ventilation, heating and cooling. However, due to the vast range of geometrical length and time scales for various transport phenomena found in a mine, these models are usually simplified to only consider zero or one dimensional networks and thus only loosely represent the behaviour of the field variables on a local level.***The research program described in this proposal aims to produce novel and innovative approaches to develop a mathematical and numerical framework for mine ventilation and total air-conditioning that serves two main objectives: the first involves the study of the fundamental aspects of the multi-scale and multi-physics ventilation and the associated transport of turbulent heat, mass, momentum, species and particulate transfer including multiphase flow for both local (small part of mine) and global (the whole mine) levels. Three-dimensional ventilation model which is able to capture essential physics and transport phenomena at all scales will be derived, calibrated, verified and validated. In-house user-defined subroutine will be developed to enhance and modify the default capability of the software. The second objective concerns the development and integration of applied research for mine ventilation, including novel designs and addressing management issues (gas, dust, diesel particulate matters, fire, fog, radon and so forth). With more accurate model prediction as compared to existing mine-ventilation-planning software, the goal is to plan, design innovate and optimize the mining infrastructure to maximize safety, minimize energy consumptions including use of renewable energy to reduce carbon footprint and costs. ***The program will be carried out through HQP training of two PhD and two MEng students under close supervision of the applicant. One PhD and one MEng will work on the first objective, and one PhD and one MEng will work on the 2nd objective.***The proposed research is important in mining industry as several mining in Canada are planning to go for ultra-deep, eg Thompson mine in Manitoba and Laronde mine in Quebec. They are facing problem of insufficient air, heat stroke and high energy consumption. Thus, the proposed program will assist them as the end users to re-design and improve their ventilation system including heating/cooling for optimum performance, energy saving and cost.**