Heat

Introduction
• Human beings are capable of working efficiently within a
certain range of temperatures.

• Temperature is concerned with degree of hotness.

• Temperature of a substance or body is liable to change when

we have a source of heat.

• Heat always flow from high temperature to low temperature

body.

• This flow can take place in any one of the three ways of
transferring heat- conduction, convection and radiation
Introduction
 Introduction
• In underground mines, there are many sources of heat which cause
rise of temperature of air during its travel in mine airways.

• The condition may worsen if the temperature of the air increases

beyond a certain limit.

• The situation becomes more critical especially when humidity of air

also increases simultaneously

• In such situation, air conditioning of mine air is required.

Refrigeration plants, spot coolers, etc should be set up to ensure
comfort, safety and high working efficiency of workers in mines.

• On the other hand, in areas with extreme cold climatic conditions,

heat treatment of the air is carried out at the surface before
sending it to underground mines.
 Sources of Heat in Underground Mines
There are various
sources of heat in
underground
mines.
 Major Sources
• The major sources of heat in underground mines are:

– Strata heat / Geothermal gradient

– Auto-compression

– Machinery and lights

– Underground water
 Minor Sources
• The minor sources of heat in mines include

– Human metabolism

– Oxidation

– Blasting

– Rock movement

– Pipelines

– Energy losses in airflow

 Strata Heat
• Heat flows out of the core of the earth at almost a constant
rate of 0.05 W/m2
• As a result, rock strata temperature rises with respect to
depth
• The rate of increase of temperature with depth is known as
Geothermic gradient
• The Geothermal gradient is mainly dependant on the thermal
conductivity, specific heat and density of the rock strata
• The minor factors, such as, Age of the rock formation and the
presence of dykes, sulphide ore bodies, may also affect the
geothermal gradient
 Strata Heat
• Geothermal gradient is determined by observing the rock
temperature at various depth in a borehole column.
• The depth of borehole usually varies from 5-30 m.
• The USBM uses different method for measuring rock
temperature by inserting 250 mm long psychrometric
thermometer into a 1.5 – 1.8 m deep drillhole
• Heat transfer from the rock to mine air is mainly through
direct heat transfer from exposed rock surface
• When the rock surface is dry, the heat transfer is mainly
through the convection and raises the sensible heat of the air
 Strata Heat
• When rock strata is wet, substantial amount of water is
evaporates into the air thus leading to both sensible and
latent heat transfer
• Direct heat transfer from the rock to the mine air is govern
by the rate of heat transfer within the rock mass and heat
transfer from the rock wall of the excavation to the mine
air.
• The heat transfer from rock wall to the air is a linear
function of the difference between temperature of the rock
wall and mean air temperature as well as the coefficient of
heat transfer
 Strata Heat

– q = Rate of heat transfer

– α = Co-efficient of heat transfer
– Ts = Rock wall temperature
– Ta = Air temperature

• The coefficient of heat transfer or thermal emissivity is a

complex function of the properties of the rock surface,
moisture content, temperature and velocity of air as well as
the size of the airway
 Strata Heat

• f = Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient of

mine airways
• Cp= Specific heat of air
• Ρa = Air density
• ν = Velocity of air
 Air Auto-Compression
• As the air descends the downcast shaft, it gets compressed by
the weight of shaft air column approximately at a rate of 1.1 kPa
per 100 m depth.
• Considering the downward air flow, frictionless and non-
accelerative, and isothermal (no heat or moisture gained or loss
by the air), the air compression will be reversible adiabactic,

• When air or any other fluid flows downward, some its potential
energy converted to enthalpy, producing increase in pressure
and internal energy, hence temperature
 Air Auto-Compression
• Due to autocompression, temperature increases upto
10 oC per km vertically downward
• As autocompression combines with surface air
temparatures resulting in a very significant source of
heat as mines go deeper and deeper