Alternate solutions for mine ventilation network to keep a preassigned fixed quantity in a working place

In underground constructions, a good ventilation design not only delivers fresh air to establish good working environment, but also provides a scientific and reliable basis to prevent disasters. In emergency cases, unexpected closure of the main airways may occur, providing the workers with alternative airways is substantial. This is important not only to sustain personnel lives, but also to prevent the mine ventilation system from damage. In this research, alternate solutions were introduced in case of failure in the underground construction to keep a pre-assigned fixed quantity in a working place for mine ventilation network. Eight different collapse scenarios were proposed to study their effect on the air quantity distribution among the branches in the ventilation circuit. From these scenarios, it is found that providing a sufficient air quantity in the working places could be achieved through modification of the network topology and adjusting the values of the regulators pressure. It is also indicated that the distance between the collapse and working places has a great effect on the amount of air delivered to it. A reduction in the power consumption could be done by re-arrange the installed regulators and decreasing the number of nodes and branches inside the network. A relationship representing the effect of changing the network topology on the total network power consumption was deduced through regression analysis. It is found that the total network power is quadratic dependent on the number of regulators and number of branches while it is directly dependent on the regulator power.

Analysis of Mine Ventilation Network Using Genetic Algorithm

Aim To determine the global optimal solution for a mine ventilation network under given network topology and airway characteristics. Methods\ The genetic algorithm was used to find the global optimal solution of the network. Results\ A modified genetic algorithm is presented with its characteristics and principle. Instead of working on the conventional bit by bit operation, both the crossover and mutation operators are handled in real values by the proposed algorithms. To prevent the system from turning into a premature problem, the elitists from two groups of possible solutions are selected to reproduce the new populations. Conclusion\ The simulation results show that the method outperforms the conventional nonlinear programming approach whether from the viewpoint of the number of iterations required to find the optimum solutions or from the final solutions obtained.

Optimization of air quantity regulation in mine ventilation networks using the improved differential evolution algorithm and critical path method

In mine ventilation networks, the reasonable airflow distribution is very important for the production safety and economy. Three basic problems of the natural, full-controlled and semi-controlled splitting were reviewed in the paper. Aiming at the high difficulty semi-controlled splitting problem, the general nonlinear multi-objectives optimization mathematical model with constraints was established based on the theory of mine ventilation networks. A new algorithm, which combined the improved differential evaluation and the critical path method （CPM） based on the multivariable separate solution strategy, was put forward to search for the global optimal solution more efficiently. In each step of evolution, the feasible solutions of air quantity distribution are firstly produced by the improved differential evolu- tion algorithm, and then the optimal solutions of regulator pressure drop are obtained by the CPM. Through finite steps iterations, the optimal solution can be given. In this new algorithm, the population of feasible solutions were sorted and grouped for enhancing the global search ability and the individuals in general group were randomly initialized for keeping diversity. Meanwhile, the individual neighbor- hood in the fine group which may be closely to the optimal solutions were searched locally and slightly for achieving a balance between global searching and local searching, thus improving the convergence rate. The computer program was developed based on this method. Finally, the two ventilation networks with single-fan and multi-fans were solved. The results show that this algorithm has advantages of high effectiveness, fast convergence, good robustness and flexibility. This computer program could be used to solve lar^e-scale ~eneralized ventilation networks o^timization problem in the future.

Hybrid genetic algorithm for the optimization of mine ventilation network

Used genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize the network of ventilation in order toavoid artificial convergence and speed up the convergence rate to introduce the Powellalgorithm. The Powell algorithm had been integrated into GA. Powell had the effectivecapacity of solving the local optimal solution. Powell and the cross as a method ofchoice, a variation of the parallel operator, can be a better solution to the prematureconvergence of the GA problem. The two methods will be improved to make it an effective combination of hybrid GA called hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) for the introductionof mine ventilation network optimization and to be used to solve the problem of regulating mine optimization.

The stability indexes of branched airflow of ventilation network in coal mine

The stability of branched airflow of ventilation network is guarantee of safety in production of coal mine. Two indexes which stand for the stability of branches of ventilation network in coal mine were put forward in this paper, that are airflow intensity and sta- bility index of branched airflow, The airflow stability of working place was divided into different grade according to the stability index. The conclusion has great significance for safety in production of coal mine.

GIS-Based Mine Ventilation Network and Safety Analysis

This paper constructed the mine ventilation network model using the powerful function of attribute management and display of GIS based on the study of GIS and mine ventilation network. In a mine ventilation network, a specified result can be obtained by defining weight values for attribute fields as the constraint condition. It is of great importance for mines to determine the best rescue and leaving route by the analyses of mine ventilation network routes, nodes and loops when a mine accident happens.

Influence of longwall gateroad convergence on the process of mine ventilation network-model tests

Hard coal mines are required to constantly ventilate mine workings to ensure that the air composition is at a certain humidity and temperature level that is comfortable for underground mine workers,especially in deep deposits.All underground workings,which are part of the mine ventilation network,should be ventilated in a way that allows maintaining proper oxygen concentration not lower than 19%(by volume),and limits concentration of gases in the air such as methane,carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.The air flow in the mine ventilation network may be disturbed due to the natural convergence(deformation)and lead to change in its original cross-section.Reducing the cross-sectional area of the mining excavation causes local resistances in the air flow and changes in aerodynamic potentials,which leads to emergency states in the mine ventilation network.This paper presents the results of numerical simulations of the influence of gateroad convergence on the ventilation process of a selected part of the mine ventilation network.The gateroad convergence was modelled with the finite element software PHASE 2.The influence of changes in the cross-sectional area of the gateroad on the ventilation process was carried out using the computational fluid dynamics software Ansys-Fluent.

Airflow adjustment and minimization of the air power of ventilation network

It is often required to know which roadway （adjustment roadway） resistances and how much values of the resis- tances should be changed to make the airflow rates in roadways （target roadways） to certain required values in the practice of mine ventilation. In this case, the airflow rates of the target roadways and the resistances of the roadways other than the ad- justment roadways are the given conditions and the resistances of the adjustment roadways are the solutions to be found. No straightforward method to solve the problem has been found up to now. Therefore, trial and error method using the ventilation network analysis program is utilized to solve the problem so far. The method takes long calculation time and the best answer is not necessarily obtained. The authors newly defined ＂airflow element＂ as an element of the ventilation network analysis. The resistances that satisfy the airflow requirements can be calculated straight forwardly by putting the function of the airflow element into the ventilation network analysis. The air power required for the ventilation can be minimized while meeting the airflow requirements by the advanced application of the method. The authors made the computer program fulfill the method. The program was applied to actual ventilation network and it was found that the method is very practical and the time required for the analysis is short.

Stability of multiple fans in mine ventilation networks

In large mines,single fan is usually not enough to ventilate all the working areas.Single mine-fan approach cannot be directly applied to multiple-fan networks because the present of multiple pressures and air quantities associated with each fan in the network.Accordingly,each fan in a multiple-fan system has its own mine characteristic curve,or a subsystem curve.Under some consideration,the conventional concept of a mine characteristic curve of a single-fan system can be directly extended to that of a particular fan within a multiple-fan system.In this paper the mutual effect of the fans on each other and their effect on the stability of the ventilation network were investigated by Hardy Cross algorithm combined with a switching-parameters technique.To show the validity and reliability of this algorithm,the stability of the ventilation system of Abu-Tartur Mine(one of the largest underground mine in Egypt)has been studied.

Automation in detection of recirculation in a booster fan ventilation network

Recirculation is prohibited in many coal mining countries because of the fear that the re-use of return air would allow the build-up of air contaminants at the workings. The incorrect design and location of a booster fan in any ventilation network can create unsafe condition due to recirculation. The current approach to investigating recirculation using simulation software requires manual effort which becomes tedious in a complex and a large network. An algorithm-based C++ program was designed to detect the recirculation in a booster fan ventilation networks. This program needed an input file prepared from output file generated by any ventilation simulator. This program created an output file for recirculation. This program demonstrated the strong capability to detect the recirculation in a sample network and a coal mine ventilation network. The outcomes of this program were documented in this paper.

Sensitivity analysis of relevant parameters in complicated mine ventilation network by numerical test

Depending on the numerical test approach on a computer, the relationships among relevant parameters, eg branch number, node number, mesh number, computation accuracy, preliminary value of airflow rate, iteration number, computation time and convergence in a mine ventilation network analysis, were investigated based on 5 mine ventilation systems. The results show that a higher computation accuracy greatly influences the iteration number. When the accuracy reaches 10-6m3·s-1 for solving a complicated mine ventilation network, the running time is too long though a high-speed computer is used. The preliminary value of airflow rate in the range of 1100m3·s-1 has little effects the iteration number. The structure of network also has some effect on the iteration number.

Junction Pressure Composing MethodCalculating the Total Resistance of Mine Ventilation Network

In mine ventilation network calculation, the total ventilatiou perameters, such as total specific resistance and total natural veutilatiou pressure of an overall mine ventilation system, play an important role on selecting main fan and regulating its operating point. This paper explains the critical effect of network’ s total parameter calculation on the above two aspects and presents a new method, the junction pressure composing method(JPC method), which can be applied to calculate the total resistance.of an overall, complex and multi-fan ventilation network. Based on the total ressistance and airflow rate of main fan, total specific resistance of a natwork is easily calculated. This method gets rid of those shortcomings in the route airflow working mathod(RAW method), greatly improves computing speed and adaptability, and can calculate the total parameters of a mine ventilation network rapidly and conveniently. This method is proved to be correct and reliable by example tests.

NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS IN MINE VENTILATION NETWORKS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS

Converting the balance equation of the branch of a mine ventilation network into an equivalent nonlinearprogramming problem,this paper proves that the total sum of the energy loss in every branch will be a minimumwhen the airflow distribution in the networks is in a balanced state.The energy means of solving the networkequations by nodal methods is also noted,and a theorem for the unique existence of the solution for a networkbalance equation is give.An example is used to explain these conclusions.

An optimized control of ventilation in coal mines based on artificial neural network

According to the nonlinear and time dependent features of the ventilation systems for coal mines, a neural network method is applied to control the ventilator for coal mines in real time. The technical processes of coal mine ventilation system are introduced, and the principle of controlling a ventilation fan is also explained in detail. The artificial neutral network method is used to calculate the wind quantity needed by work spots in coal mine on the basis of the data collected by the system, including ventilation conditions, environmental temperatures, humidity, coal dust and the contents of all kinds of poisonous and harmful gases. Then the speed of ventilation fan is controlled according to the required wind which is determined by an overall integration of data. A neural network method is presented for overall optimized solution or the genetic algorithm of simulated annealing.

Effects of acetylcysteine on micro-inflammation and pulmonary ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)is a serious complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,often characterized by increased morbidity and mortality.In traditional Chinese medicine,AECOPD is linked to phlegm-heat and blood-stasis,presenting symptoms like thick sputum,fever,and chest pain.It has been shown that acetylcysteine inhalation in conjunction with conventional therapy significantly reduced inflammatory markers and improved lung function parameters in patients with AECOPD,suggesting that acetylcysteine may be an important adjunctive therapy for patients with phlegm-heat-blood stasis type AECOPD.AIM To investigate the effect of acetylcysteine on microinflammation and lung ventilation in patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis-type AECOPD.METHODS One hundred patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis-type AECOPD were randomly assigned to two groups.The treatment group received acetylcysteine inhalation(10%solution,5 mL,twice daily)along with conventional therapy,whereas the control group received only conventional therapy.The treatment duration was 14 d.Inflammatory markers(C-reactive protein,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-alpha)in the serum and sputum as well as lung function parameters(forced expiratory volume in one second,forced vital capacity,and peak expiratory flow)were assessed pre-and post-treatment.Acetylcysteine inhalation led to significant reductions in inflammatory markers and improvements in lung function parameters compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).This suggests that acetylcysteine could serve as an effective adjunct therapy for patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis-type AECOPD.RESULTS Acetylcysteine inhalation significantly reduced inflammatory markers in the serum and sputum and improved lung ventilation function parameters in patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis type AECOPD compared with the control group.These differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The study concluded that acetylcysteine inhalation had a positive effect on microinflammation and lung ventilation function in patients with this type of AECOPD,suggesting its potential as an adjuvant therapy for such cases.CONCLUSION Acetylcysteine inhalation demonstrated significant improvements in reducing inflammatory markers in the serum and sputum,as well as enhancing lung ventilation function parameters in patients with phlegm-heat and bloodstasis type AECOPD.These findings suggest that acetylcysteine could serve as a valuable adjuvant therapy for individuals with this specific type of AECOPD,offering benefits for managing microinflammation and optimizing lung function.

Predictive value of diaphragm ultrasound for mechanical ventilation outcome in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)is often combined with respiratory failure,which increases the patient's morbidity and mortality.Diaphragm ultrasound(DUS)has developed rapidly in the field of critical care in recent years.Studies with DUS monitoring diaphragm-related rapid shallow breathing index have demonstrated important results in guiding intensive care unit patients out of the ventilator.Early prediction of the indications for withdrawal of non-invasive ventilator and early evaluation of patients to avoid or reduce disease progression are very important.AIM To explore the predictive value of DUS indexes for non-invasive ventilation outcome in patients with AECOPD.METHODS Ninety-four patients with AECOPD who received mechanical ventilation in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into a successful ventilation group(68 cases)and a failed ventilation group(26 cases)according to the outcome of ventilation.The clinical data of patients with successful and failed noninvasive ventilation were compared,and the independent predictors of noninvasive ventilation outcomes in AECOPD patients were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gender,age,body mass index,complications,systolic pressure,heart rate,mean arterial pressure,respiratory rate,oxygen saturation,partial pressure of oxygen,oxygenation index,or time of inspiration between patients with successful and failed mechanical ventilation(P>0.05).The patients with successful noninvasive ventilation had shorter hospital stays and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO_(2))than those with failed treatment,while potential of hydrogen(pH),diaphragm thickening fraction(DTF),diaphragm activity,and diaphragm movement time were significantly higher than those with failed treatment(P<0.05).pH[odds ratio(OR)=0.005,P<0.05],PaCO_(2)(OR=0.430,P<0.05),and DTF(OR=0.570,P<0.05)were identified to be independent factors influencing the outcome of mechanical ventilation in AECOPD patients.CONCLUSION The DUS index DTF can better predict the outcome of non-invasive ventilation in AECOPD patients.

Driving pressure in mechanical ventilation:A review

Driving pressure(ΔP)is a core therapeutic component of mechanical ventilation(MV).Varying levels ofΔP have been employed during MV depending on the type of underlying pathology and severity of injury.However,ΔP levels have also been shown to closely impact hard endpoints such as mortality.Considering this,conducting an in-depth review ofΔP as a unique,outcome-impacting therapeutic modality is extremely important.There is a need to understand the subtleties involved in making sureΔP levels are optimized to enhance outcomes and minimize harm.We performed this narrative review to further explore the various uses ofΔP,the different parameters that can affect its use,and how outcomes vary in different patient populations at different pressure levels.To better utilizeΔP in MV-requiring patients,additional large-scale clinical studies are needed.

A hybrid ventilation scheme applied to bidirectional excavation tunnel construction with a long inclined shaft

The breakage and bending of ducts result in a difficulty to cope with ventilation issues in bidirectional excavation tunnels with a long inclined shaft using a single ventilation method based on ducts.To discuss the hybrid ventilation system applied in bidirectional excavation tunnels with a long inclined shaft,this study has established a full-scale computational fluid dynamics model based on field tests,the Poly-Hexcore method,and the sliding mesh technique.The distribution of wind speed,temperature field,and CO in the tunnel are taken as indices to compare the ventilation efficiency of three ventilation systems(duct,duct-ventilation shaft,duct–ventilated shaft-axial fan).The results show that the hybrid ventilation scheme based on duct-ventilation shaft–axial fan performs the best among the three ventilation systems.Compared to the duct,the wind speed and cooling rate in the tunnel are enhanced by 7.5%–30.6%and 14.1%–17.7%,respectively,for the duct-vent shaft-axial fan condition,and the volume fractions of CO are reduced by 26.9%–73.9%.This contributes to the effective design of combined ventilation for bidirectional excavation tunnels with an inclined shaft,ultimately improving the air quality within the tunnel.

Experimental and numerical simulation study on forced ventilation and dust removal of coal mine heading surface

In order to study the problems of unreasonable airflow distribution and serious dust pollution in a heading surface,an experimental platform for forced ventilation and dust removal was built based on the similar principles.Through the similar experiment and numerical simulation,the distribution of airflow field in the roadway and the spatial and temporal evolution of dust pollution under the conditions of forced ventilation were determined.The airflow field in the roadway can be divided into three zones:jet zone,vortex zone and reflux zone.The dust concentration gradually decreases from the head to the rear of the roadway.Under the forced ventilation conditions,there is a unilateral accumulation of dust,with higher dust concentrations away from the ducts.The position of the equipment has an interception effect on the dust.The maximum error between the test value and the simulation result is 12.9%,which verifies the accuracy of the experimental results.The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the application of dust removal technology in coal mine.

Lung ultrasound score evaluation of the effect of pressure-controlled ventilation volume-guaranteed on patients undergoing laparoscopicassisted radical gastrectomy

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy(LARG)is the standard treatment for early-stage gastric carcinoma(GC).However,the negative impact of this proce-dure on respiratory function requires the optimized intraoperative management of patients in terms of ventilation.AIM To investigate the influence of pressure-controlled ventilation volume-guaranteed(PCV-VG)and volume-controlled ventilation(VCV)on blood gas analysis and pulmonary ventilation in patients undergoing LARG for GC based on the lung ultrasound score(LUS).METHODS The study included 103 patients with GC undergoing LARG from May 2020 to May 2023,with 52 cases undergoing PCV-VG(research group)and 51 cases undergoing VCV(control group).LUS were recorded at the time of entering the operating room(T0),20 minutes after anesthesia with endotracheal intubation(T1),30 minutes after artificial pneumoperitoneum(PP)establishment(T2),and 15 minutes after endotracheal tube removal(T5).For blood gas analysis,arterial partial pressure of oxygen(PaO_(2))and partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO_(2))were observed.Peak airway pressure(P_(peak)),plateau pressure(Pplat),mean airway pressure(P_(mean)),and dynamic pulmonary compliance(C_(dyn))were recorded at T1 and T2,1 hour after PP establishment(T3),and at the end of the operation(T4).Postoperative pulmonary complications(PPCs)were recorded.Pre-and postoperative serum interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS Compared with those at T0,the whole,anterior,lateral,posterior,upper,lower,left,and right lung LUS of the research group were significantly reduced at T1,T2,and T5;in the control group,the LUS of the whole and partial lung regions(posterior,lower,and right lung)decreased significantly at T2,while at T5,the LUS of the whole and some regions(lateral,lower,and left lung)increased significantly.In comparison with the control group,the whole and regional LUS of the research group were reduced at T1,T2,and T5,with an increase in PaO_(2),decrease in PaCO_(2),reduction in P_(peak) at T1 to T4,increase in P_(mean) and C_(dyn),and decrease in Pplat at T4,all significant.The research group showed a significantly lower incidence of PPCs than the control group within 3 days postoperatively.Postoperative IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αsignificantly increased in both groups,with even higher levels in the control group.CONCLUSION LUS can indicate intraoperative non-uniformity and postural changes in pulmonary ventilation under PCV-VG and VCV.Under the lung protective ventilation strategy,the PCV-VG mode more significantly improved intraop-erative lung ventilation in patients undergoing LARG for GC and reduced lung injury-related cytokine production,thereby alleviating lung injury.