A parametric study of a longwall district climatic prediction and planning model

Abstract

The present paper reports the results of a series of parametric and correlation studies that have been conducted on a longwall coal district climatic prediction planning model developed at the University of Nottingham. The results of these simulation exercises have been correlated against continuously recorded climatic survey data collected from longwall coal districts at two representative deep UK coal mines. The survey data used was continuously measured to record the climate across the longwall districts during both weekday production periods and weekend non-production periods. An analysis of the measured data was able to establish average dry and wet bulb temperatures, which characterised the climate within the workings during weekday production and weekend non-production periods. To determine the major contribution that the geothermal properties of the surrounding rock mass have on the heat transfer to the ventilating air stream, a series of climatic simulation and correlation exercises were conducted to establish a base line data set for these parameters during non-production periods. A second series of parametric and correlation exercises were conducted on the longwall climatic simulation model to identify the range of values to be taken by the parameters governing the contribution of heat transfer from the installed electrical machinery and cut mineral during the weekday production periods. It is concluded that these exercises were able to identify a base set of values for the model input parameters that enabled the longwall climatic models to satisfactorily replicate the climatic conditions experienced across two representative UK deep mine longwall districts during production and non-production periods.