The use of computer programs to solve ventilation issues in Vietnamese coal mines

Abstract

Having enjoyed an economic upsurge in recent years, Vietnam is
now recording increased demand for electrical energy. Its production, for
the most part, relies on the coal mining industry, thus resulting in a strong
upward trend in mining volumes. Being geologically complex, Vietnamese
mines are characterised by a complicated structure of their headings. The
local ventilation systems are also affected by there being very few automatic
dams and an by increases in airflows delivered to the mine. For this reason,
in order to analyse airflows and maintain the proper control of ventilation
systems, computer software is required. The article offers a comparison of
computer programs – Kazemaru, VentGraph and VentSim – as employed
for use in Vietnamese mines. The assessment covered the manner in which
these programs are used and how their output data are presented, as well as
their range of applications in the conditions of Vietnamese coal mines.