Fuzzy logic-based determination of ventilation parameters in active mining areas

The airflow rate in active mining areas is determined from the direct measurement of air quality parameters at the specific moment of time. This conventional approach to calculation of air volume required for mine ventilation features the indirectness of air quality evaluation on the assumption of the most unfavorable situation upon condition of simultaneous activity in all operating zones, which results in excessive airing and, as a consequence, in extra operating expenditures. The automated ventilation control enables flexible adjustment of mine air volume and airflow distribution as consistent with the current needs per mining areas, while the instrumentation for the continuous measurement of air temperature and gas concentration allows determining appropriate ventilation parameters for the air quality to meet the safety standards. The fuzzy logic application to evaluation of the current air quality ensures well-balanced mine ventilation in terms of safety and energy efficiency, owing to ranging the air quality criteria as consistent with regulatory documents. The mine testing data on ventilation monitoring in an active mining zone of Belaruskali’s Mine 4 using automated airflow control facilities demonstrate that the proposed approach to the required air volume calculation effectively provides the routine ventilation mode and ensures a real-time response to gas concentration build-up in mine air to prevent accidents in active mining zones in advance.

Kashnikov A. V., Kruglov Yu. V. Fuzzy logic-based determination of ventilation parameters in active mining areas. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2023;(5):68-82. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2023_5_0_68.

The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation under State Contract No. 075-03-2021-374 dated 29 December 2020, Registration Number 1021062110595-3-1.5.7.

A.V. Kashnikov¹, Junior Researcher, e-mail: alexey.kashnikov@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3872-5862,
Yu.V. Kruglov¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Project and Innovation Center, e-mail: aerolog@list.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0977-7484,
¹ Mining Institute of Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 614007, Perm, Russia.

A.V. Kashnikov, e-mail: alexey.kashnikov@gmail.com.

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