Current developments and challenges of underground mine ventilation and cooling methods

The mining industry has experienced a dramatic change over the past 20 years in terms of methods and equipment as well as human resource policies. These changes have had impacts on the design of mine ventilation systems. Although feasible developments have been implemented to some extent, in some other areas ventilation planning still requires further improvements to provide a healthy work environment at a reasonable cost. The boom in energy costs has also encouraged mine ventilation designers to seek for efficient use of energy and optimization strategies. The electricity consumption by mine refrigeration plants should be reduced possibly without any adverse effects on the safety of workers. This study presents an overview of the latest techniques used by the experts to address these issues. A revision of the novel ventilation strategies and mine refrigeration methods, and their ultimate effect on efficiency and mining costs would be identified. Finally, likely future developments in the area of mine cooling are outlined