Sensitivity analysis on parameter changes in underground mine ventilation systems

A more efficient mine ventilation system, the ventilation-on-demand (VOD) system, has been proposed and tested in Canadian mines recently. In order to supply the required air volumes to the production areas of a mine, operators need to know the cause and effect of any changes requested from the VOD system. The sensitivity analysis is developed through generating a cause and effect matrix of sensitivity factors on given parameter changes in a ventilation system. This new utility, which was incorporated in the 3D-CANVENT mine ventilation simulator, is able to predict the airflow distributions in a ventilation network when underground conditions and ventilation controls are changed. For a primary ventilation system, the software can determine the optimal operating speed of the main fans to satisfy the airflow requirements in underground workings without necessarily using booster fans and regulators locally. An optimized fan operating speed time-table would assure variable demand-based fresh air delivery to the production areas effectively, while generating significant savings in energy consumption and operating cost.