Artificial ground freezing of underground mines in cold regions using thermosyphons with air insulation

Current practice of underground artificial ground freezing(AGF)typically involves huge refrigeration systems of large economic and environmental costs.In this study,a novel AGF technique is proposed deploying available cold wind in cold regions.This is achieved by a static heat transfer device called thermosyphon equipped with an air insulation layer.A refrigeration unit can be optionally integrated to meet additional cooling requirements.The introduction of air insulation isolates the thermosyphon from ground zones where freezing is not needed,resulting in:(1)steering the cooling resources(cold wind or refrigeration)towards zones of interest;and(2)minimizing refrigeration load.This design is demonstrated using well-validated mathematical models from our previous work based on two-phase enthalpy method of the ground coupled with a thermal resistance network for the thermosyphon.Two Canadian mines are considered:the Cigar Lake Mine and the Giant Mine.The results show that our proposed design can speed the freezing time by 30%at the Giant Mine and by two months at the Cigar Lake Mine.Further,a cooling load of 2.4 GWh can be saved at the Cigar Lake Mine.Overall,this study provides mining practitioners with sustainable solutions of underground AGF.

Numerical and experimental analyses of rock failure mechanisms due to microwave treatment

Despite the extensive studies conducted on the effectiveness of microwave treatment as a novel rock preconditioning method,there is yet to find reliable data on the rock failure mechanisms due to microwave heating.In addition,there is no significant discussion on the energy efficiency of the method as one of the important factors among the mining and geotechnical engineers in the industry.This study presents a novel experimental method to evaluate two main rock failure mechanisms due to microwave treatment without applying any mechanical forces,i.e.distributed and concentrated heating.The result shows that the existence of a small and concentrated fraction of a strong microwave absorbing mineral will change the failure mechanism from the distributed heating to the concentrated heating,which can increase the weakening over microwave efficiency(WOME)by more than 10 folds.This observation is further investigated using the developed coupled numerical model.It is shown that at the same input energy,the existence of microwave absorbing minerals can cause major heat concentration inside the rock and increase the maximum temperature by up to three times.

Experimental investigation on the effects of microwave irradiation on kimberlite and granite rocks

This study is a part of an overall research project on the effects of microwave(MW)irradiation on rocks for assisted rock breaking systems as well as mineral processing at McGill University.For the first time,this paper highlights a comprehensive investigation on the effects of microwave irradiation on Canadian kimberlites.Potential contribution to the continuous rock excavation and rock weakening effect prior to implementation of mechanical techniques was explored.Two different kimberlite rocks,i.e.volcaniclastic kimberlite(VK)and hypabyssal kimberlite(HK),and granite samples were studied.Some important physical properties of the rock samples were measured including rock quality designation(RQD),specific gravity,porosity,and specific heat capacity.Rock samples were treated for various exposure times using a multi-mode MWunit at different power levels ranging from 2 kW to 15 kW.The effect of MW irradiation on rock samples was investigated.The results indicate that the mechanical properties including unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and Brazilian tensile strength(BTS)were significantly dropped as a result of MWirradiation.Finally,the effect on rock abrasivity using the Cerchar abrasivity index(CAI)has also been discussed.

Freezing on demand: A new concept for mine safety and energy savings in wet underground mines

The artificial ground freezing(AGF)systems are designed to operate continuously for an extended period of time to control the groundwater seepage and to strengthen the groundwater structure surrounding excavation areas.This mode of operation requires a massive amount of energy to sustain the thickness of the frozen body.Therefore,it is of great interest to propose new concepts to reduce energy consumption while providing sufficient structural stability and safe operation.This paper discusses the principle of the freezing on demand(FoD)by means of experiment and mathematical model.A lab-scale rig that mimics the AGF process is conceived and developed.The setup is equipped with more than 80 thermocouples,flow-meters,and advanced instrumentation system to analyze the performance of the AGF process under the FoD concept.A mathematical model has been derived,validated,and utilized to simulate the transient FoD concept.The results suggest that the overall energy saving notably depends on the coolant’s temperature;the energy saving increases while decreasing the coolant inlet temperature.Moreover,applying the FoD concept in an AGF system leads to a significant drop in energy consumption.

Friction factor correlation for airflow through broken rocks and its applications in mine ventilation

The Atkinson equation along with its friction factor is commonly used to estimate pressure requirement in mine ventilation.However,friction factor correlation of flow through broken rock,typically found in blasted stope,gob,rock pit or block caving rock deposits,etc.,is currently unavailable.Also,it is impractical to conduct direct measurements of flow resistance in an inaccessible broken rock zone.This paper aims to develop a new friction factor correlation of flow through broken rock that can be used directly in Atkinson equation.The proposed correlation is valid for broken rocks with diameter between 0.04 and 1.2 m and porosity ranging from 0.23 to 0.7.

Guest editorial-special issue on advances in mine ventilation in 2019

Ventilation has always been an integral part of underground mining operations.As surface and shallow deposits are depleting,extracting ores from deeper underground levels is becoming more and more common,and is expected to grow in the future[1].Rising environmental awareness,energy cost and implementation of carbon tax in some countries have led the mining industry to look for cleaner alternatives[2].

Evaluation of the heat transfer performance of helical coils of non-circular tubes

This study addresses heat transfer performance of various configurations of coiled non-circular tubes, e.g., in-plane spiral ducts, helical spiral ducts, and conical spiral ducts. The laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid in helical coils made of square cross section tubes is simulated using the computational fluid dynamic approach. The effects of tube Reynolds number, fluid Prandtl number, coil diameter, etc., are quantified and discussed. Both constant wall temperature and constant heat flux conditions are simulated. The effect of in-plane coil versus a cylindrical design of constant coil, as well as a conical coil design is discussed. Results are compared with those for a straight square tube of the same length as that used to form the coils. Advantages and limitations of using coiled tubes are discussed in light of the numerical results.