Modern Mining September 2024

UNDERGROUND MINING

Mining: Why widespread adoption of ventilation on demand remains elusive

By Hannes Potgieter, Specialist Ventilation Consultant at BBE

Ventilation on Demand (VoD) is an innovative technology designed to optimise airflow within underground mining operations. While this strategy can help to reduce operating costs in existing mines, it holds even greater potential for new mines. Moving air through a mine is expensive, and insufficient air quantities can constrain mining activities and reduce a mine’s ability to extract ore and generate revenue.

Ventilation on Demand (VoD) is an innovative technology designed to optimise airflow within underground mining operations.

P roduction losses alone, however, are is to supply oxygen and protect thousands of miners from inhaling airborne pollutants. Short term high-level exposures can be fatal within minutes, while long-term exposures over a career can lead to lung diseases, cancer, or a reduced quality of life in retirement. Mining companies that value their workers understand that a healthy workforce is a productive one. Health-related litigation claims have far-reaching consequences beyond occasional production losses, including reputational damage, reduced worker productivity, and legal repercussions that can jeopardise the license to mine. So, what’s the big deal - can’t you just send in more air if needed? Ideally, yes, but it is not always that simple. Planning a mine and its insignificant when considering the overall impact of an inadequate ventilation system. The primary purpose of ventilating mines

ventilation system requires careful consideration. Although larger fans are an option and their initial costs are manageable, their operating expenses can be significant. In addition, increasing the volume of air circulated through a mine does not technology is available to measure anything in real-time accurately, the mining world largely still relies on production personnel to ‘choke’ a flexible ventilation duct or to set a damper to an approximate position and measure velocities without considering the actual area of the tunnel. Since miners are primarily production-orientated, they often assume everything is fine as long as temperatures remain within acceptable limits. The ideal ventilation system is one where technology identifies requirements and responds accordingly, with humans overseeing operations and identifying abnormalities. However, always ensure the desired outcome. In today’s world where sophisticated

Hannes Potgieter, Specialist Ventilation Consultant at BBE.

32  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | SEPTEMBER 2024