Working Environment and Ventilation - 2021 entry

Module content covers subjective & theoretical elements (ventilation words & concepts, underground hazards & ventilation economics) and mathematical elements (airflow, ventilation thermodynamics & psychometry. This is an essential topic for all mining engineers and is the real life application of engineering science subjects such as fluid mechanics studied in years one and two.

The module extends understanding of engineering principles in relation to the environmental conditions that are encountered in the workplace and the application of these principles to the ventilation of underground excavations and surface facilities.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1 recall or recognise most of the facts, concepts and techniques of the syllabus plan;

2 analyse data within contexts covered in the syllabus with some guidance, using the majority of techniques covered in the syllabus plan;

3 transform data and concepts towards a clearly specified purpose and produce designs to problems within contexts explained within the syllabus plan;

4 conduct observations of the condition of the working environment or a ventilation system with minimal guidance;

5 understand the factors that influence the condition of the working environment or the operation of ventilation systems;

6 recognise that there are inconsistencies or errors in data and methods;

7 identify solutions to complex problems that are similar to those covered in the syllabus plan.
 

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

8 make use of the majority of resources that support the syllabus plan;

9 choose a design method from the syllabus plan;

10 conduct calculations correctly, neatly and be able to comment whether the answers make sense.
 

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

11 use independent learning skills for the solution of worksheet problems;

12 demonstrate group working skills;

13 show data-handling skills through critically evaluation of a design problem and produce, to a strict deadline, detailed recommendations/reasoned arguments for an appropriate solution;

14 illustrate report-writing skills;

15 display IT skills and become familiar with specialist mine ventilation software.

- review of steady flow energy equation, thermodynamic diagrams and polytropic processes; UK statutory requirements for mine ventilation;

- mine thermodynamic cycles, natural ventilation energy, thermodynamic efficiency, psychrometric relations for moist air; frictional energy losses, shock losses, Atkinsons equation, friction factors and airway resistances;

- ventilation networks, equivalent resistances, Hardy Cross iterative solutions to complex networks, computer aided design of ventilation systems;

- fans, types of fan and fan performance characteristics, definition of fan design pressures;

- fan performance connected to ventilation systems (series, parallel, semi-series, semi-parallel), fan laws; ventilation layouts for mining systems, auxillary ventilation and controlled recirculation; ventilation economics;

- gases : types (CH ₄, CO, O₂, CO₂, H₂S, N₂), explosive limits and allowable concentrations; sources: (strata gas, explosives, equipment, oxidation, fires); detection, measurement and control (equipment, methods, methane drainage, dilution);

- dust : anatomy of the respiratory system, biological effects & allowable concentrations;

- sources: (excavation, movement of ore & waste, traffic); measurement and control (equipment, methods, measures to prevent coal dust explosions);

- heat : sources of heat in mines and physiological effects of heat.

If a student is referred or deferred, the failed / non-completed component(s) will be re-assessed at the same weighting as the original assessment.

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module: