7 - Airflow Through Mine Opening and Ducts I

MINE VENTILATION AND SAFETY
Airflow through mine opening and ducts
ASST. PROF. DR. ABDULLAH FİŞNE

Research Assistant Samet Can ÖZER
Research Assistant Olgun ESEN
1. Introduction
At the begining, we introduced some of the basic relationships of

incompressible fluid flow (Turbulent, Laminar etc.). With the exception of
shafts greater than 500m in vertical extent, changes in air density along
individual airways may be ignored for most practical ventilation planning.
Furthermore, in areas that are actively ventilated, airflows are turbulent in
nature, other than in very large openings.
John J. Atkinson introduced certain simplifications in his classical paper of

1854. These simplifications facilitate practical application but were achieved at
the expense of precision. As the resulting "laws of airflow" remain in common
use, they are introduced and discussed in this chapter. The important concept
of airway resistance is further expanded by an examination of the factors that
influence it.
2. Fundamentals of Airflow
The quantity of air that will flow through a “system” (duct, or mine workings) is
dependent upon:
• the difference in pressure at the start of the system and the end of the system,
and
• the size of the opening.
Once something begins to move and the energy remains constant it continues
to move at the same velocity. However if the surface roughness changes it
becomes difficult to continue at the same velocity and more energy is required
to maintain the velocity. The losses in energy due to the roughness of the wall
are termed “frictional pressure losses”.
When something is moving in a straight line at a constant velocity, energy is

required to change the velocity or direction. These changes occur whenever the
airway in which it is flowing changes direction, shape or size. The losses in
energy due to a change in direction of the airflow are termed “shock pressure
losses”.
In a mine there is a constant conversion of energy from potential (static
pressure) to kinetic (velocity pressure) and the energy source must be
maintained to ensure that the air continues to flow. If the energy source is
removed the flow will stop.
Air as we know contains water (humidity) in various quantities. Although not

strictly a fluid, there are some similarities. Lets now consider air as a fluid
described as a substance, which deforms
continuously when subjected to shear stress.
2.1 Laminar Flow
At low fluid velocities the streamlines of flow are

almost parallel to each other. The shear resistance
between these streamlines is caused by friction
between the layers moving at different velocities. If
there is no resistance to movement, the fluid is called
frictionless or ideal. If the shear movement is resisted
then the fluid is called real. In reality ideal fluids do
not exist, however in some cases the resistance is
small enough to be insignificant.
2.2 Turbulent Flow
As the velocity is increased, the

streamlines become randomly arranged
and the flow becomes turbulent with the
additional eddy currents adding to the
shear resistance.
3. Airflow Equation
Investigations undertaken in the 1800’s recognised that if there is no pressure

difference between the start and end of an airway, there will be no flow of air; i.e.
if the pressure was equal to zero, then the quantity of air flowing was also equal
to zero. They also recognised that as the pressure was increased then the
airflow quantity also increased i.e. the pressure is proportional to the quantity of
airflow. This relationship was termed the resistance of the system and was
expressed as
3. Airflow Equation
The pressure required increases as the square of the quantity11 (i.e. Pressure is proportional to the
quantity squared). This relationship has since been called the Ventilation Equation.
4. Resistance (The Friction Factor)
In around 1850 Atkinson hypothesised that the value of R was dependant upon on
certain characteristics of the airway or duct. For example, if one airway has a small
cross sectional area and another a large cross sectional area, and all other factors
(P and Q) remain constant, air will flow more easily through the second airway. In
other words, the larger the cross sectional area (A) of the airway, the lower the
resistance (R) of the airway.
Most of the early work on fluid flow was undertaken on the assumption of circular
pipes and showed that the drag force (resistance = R) of a pipe depends on the
flow velocity (v), the density of the fluid (ρ) and the cross sectional area (A) of the
pipe. We can therefore say that R = f(v, ρ, A) where f is some function of the
variables.
4. Resistance (The Friction Factor)

5. Atkinson Equaiton
Atkinson also noted that if air has to rub against a

larger area of surface in one airway than in another,
the resistance will be higher in the airway with the
largest “rubbing surface”. This rubbing surface is
found by multiplying the perimeter (C) by the length
(L).
The values of ‘k’ are determined from measurement and calculation. The values
below are sighted in texts, and generally hold up to scrutiny. Some mines may
find differing results outside of these values. In practice all mine should measure
and determine their specific factor(s) because there will always be more than
one factor that could be used.
6. Shock Loses
Shock losses are the change in total pressure across all airway elements such as
the entrance to a system, a bend, junction, obstruction, change in section and exit
from the system. In short shock losses are the result of flow separation that
occurs whenever the airflow changes direction. The pressure losses resulting
from a change in direction can be determined from the Shock Loss Equation
6. Shock Loses
The shock loss factor X is a function of the:
1. Configuration and flow through the element.

2. Angle of the change in direction,
3. Degree the abruptness of the change,
4. Radius of curvature,
5. Ratio of the radius to width of the airway
6. Aspect ratio between the height and width,
7. Velocity in the airway
8. Airway roughness
9. Shape of the airway
10. Airways immediately before and immediately after the
change in direction,
11. The number and type of complex elements i.e. two bends,
bend followed by an expansion
6. Shock Loses
WARNING- If airflow and pressure surveys have been used to determine the
resistance of any part of the mine workings these measurements will include
the losses due to shock and any use of additional factors will cause
undetectable errors in the results.
Shock losses are generally “over used” in computer ventilation modelling and
the calculation methods shown below are approximations of the actual
number taken from published texts and suitable for use in most computer
ventilation models. Wherever possible ventilation practitioners should
determine these values by direct measurement.
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses
6. Shock Loses

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MINE VENTILATION AND SAFETY

Airflow through mine opening and ducts

ASST. PROF. DR. ABDULLAH FİŞNE

At the begining, we introduced some of the basic relationships of

John J. Atkinson introduced certain simplifications in his classical paper of

When something is moving in a straight line at a constant velocity, energy is

Air as we know contains water (humidity) in various quantities. Although not

2.1 Laminar Flow

At low fluid velocities the streamlines of flow are

As the velocity is increased, the

Investigations undertaken in the 1800’s recognised that if there is no pressure

4. Resistance (The Friction Factor)

4. Resistance (The Friction Factor)

Atkinson also noted that if air has to rub against a

The shock loss factor X is a function of the:

1. Configuration and flow through the element.

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