Abstract:
The FutureMine Collaborative Research Initiative has
been successfully completed after three years of activity.
The main objective of this initiative was to provide
applications of research previously undertaken in the
DeepMine initiative in terms of realistic solutions to
problems facing gold mining operations as they reach
for depths beyond 3500m below surface.
The FutureMine initiative was sub-divided into four
broad streams of technological expertise: rock engineering
and seismicity; mining engineering and orebody
management; software and communications and
ventilation, cooling and refrigeration. This paper presents
a summary of research output in this last area of
expertise. Broadly, research in mine ventilation, cooling
and refrigeration was directed in areas related to the
re-circulation of air, cyclical use of ventilation and cooling
systems, air scrubbing technology, optimization of
chilled water reticulation, obtaining direct cooling at
the work-face, improving underground refrigeration
system through dry air-cooling and water heat rejection
systems and a number of software simulation programs
to be used in specific applications and as a tool
assisting real-time monitoring of underground environmental
conditions.
This paper describes in broad terms the outcomes
from this section of the research programme and proposes ways in which some of these technologies may
be combined synergistically in novel systems aimed at
maintaining acceptable environmental conditions while
reducing the impact on the profitability of operations.
