Effect of single dead end entry inclination on DPM plume dispersion

Abstract

Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is a by-product from operating diesel engines. Since diesel powers are one of the major sources of energy for mobile underground mining equipment, the adverse health effects of DPM are of a great concern. This paper used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to study the effect of entry inclination on DPM plume distribution in a dead end entry. An upward mining face and a downward mining face were built with a truck and a loader in loading operation close to the face area. A species transport model with incorporated buoyancy effect was used to examine the DPM dispersion pattern for the above steady-state scenarios. High DPM and temperature regions were identified for the two different faces. The model was used to assess the role of auxiliary ventilation in reducing DPM exposures of underground miners working in those entries. In this study, it is suggested to provide local ventilation at least three times of the diesel exhaust rate to be able to lower the average DPM level for the mining upward face. The requirement for local ventilation is much less for the mining downward face. This can provide guidelines for good working practices and selection of diesel emission reduction technologies underground. Keywords: Entry inclination, Diesel particulate matter, Computational fluid dynamics, Ventilation