Concentration Of The Diesel Exhaust Gases In Cross Cuts - Introduction

Constantly increasing demand for energy materials and metal ores brought about tremendous progress in mining techniques which are characterised by a high degree of mechanization and concentration of works. One of the recent trends in underground mining mechanization is connected with an application of heavy machines with diesel engines [l],[2]. The introduction of diesel engines in mining all over world caused not only improvement in economic conditions but also the necessity to prevent contamination of air in the mine by toxic agents in diesel exhaust emissions. A generally used way of eliminating exhaust gases is proper ventilation of the cross cut by means of providing permanent exchange of air that would guarantee in every point of the cross cut and in every moment the decay in concentration of exhaust gases beyond threshold limit [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The present paper is an attempt to define a mathematical model describing the changes of concentration in cross cut face to which fresh air is distributed by ventilators and tubes in a forcing way. Obtained model should offer its practical adaptability to engineering calculation of the amount of fresh air needed for diluting and eliminating exhaust gases beyond threshold limit. Justness of these models has been confirmed by investigation of the growth of nitrogen dioxide concentration in air environment in some cross cut faces of Kiirunavaara iron ore mine in Kiruna (Sweden).