Selection of fan(s) to dilute DPM for multi-seam board and pillar coal mines using Hardy Cross and CPM methods

Multi-seam coal mining comprises of a large number of working sections. A well-organized ventilation system is necessary to supply adequate air quantities to all working sections and to dilute diesel particulate matter (DPM) within the statutory limits. In this paper, an attempt has been made to optimize fan(s) operating points in a multi-seam mine using a combination of Hardy-Cross and critical path methods. Selection of parallel fan sizes was further explored using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Simulation results show that operating two surface parallel fans results in low total air power and low fans pressure