The results of air treatment process modeling at the location of the air curtain in the air suppliers and ventilation shafts

In the existing shaft air heater installations (AHI), that heat the air for air suppliers in cold seasons, a heater channel is used. Some parts of the air from the heater go to the channel, other parts are sucked through a pithead by the general shaft pressure drawdown formed by the main ventilation installation (MVI). When this happens, a mix of two air flows leads to a shaft heat regime violation that can break pressurization of intertubular sealers. The problem of energy saving while airing underground mining enterprises is also very important. The proposed solution of both tasks due to the application of an air curtain is described in the article. In cold seasons the air treatment process should be used and it is offered to place an air curtain in the air suppliers shaft above the place of interface of the calorifer channel to a trunk in order to avoid an infiltration (suction) of air through the pithead. It’s recommended to use an air curtain in a ventilation shaft because it reduces external air leaks thereby improving energy efficiency of the MVI work. During the mathematical modeling of ventilation and air preparation process (in SolidWorks Flowsimulation software package) it was found out that the use of the air curtain in the air supply shaft can increase the efficiency of the AHI, and reduce the electricity consumption for ventilation in the ventilation shaft.