Booster Fans

Booster Fans – Some Considerations for their Usage in Underground Coal Mines
S. Gillies & C. Slaughter
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA

13th United States/North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, 2010 – Hardcastle & McKinnon (Eds.) © 2010, MIRARCO - Mining Innovation

F. Calizaya
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Hsin Wei Wu
Gillies Wu MiningTechnology Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
ABSTRACT: A booster fan is an underground fan installed in series with a main surface fan and used to boost the air pressure of the ventilation air passing through it. Currently booster fans are used in several coal mining countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and China. In the US they are used in several metal andnon-metal mines however, due to concerns of uncontrolled recirculation, coal mine operators have not been allowed to use them. This paper presents some design considerations pertaining to installations where booster fans are in use in non-US underground coal mines and which are achieving safe and efficient atmospheric conditions. They are found in high and low gas conditions and on occasions whereworkings are located at great depths (greater than 1000 m below surface). Booster fan installations may be found in Mains ventilation headings where they influence flow throughout the mine, in Section headings where influence is principally on one working face or where they allow for recirculation of uncontaminated return air into the intake. Booster fans are designed with interlocking systems tocontrol, for instance, underground fans and avoid recirculation when surface fans are unexpectedly turned off. Mine atmospheric monitoring systems are in common use. A study is described that has objectives to investigate considerations relevant to operation of booster fans safely and efficiently in underground coal mines within the context of US mining. The study is current and details and someresults from the work plan are discussed. 1 Introduction
efficiently in underground coal mines. Specifically, the study is directed at: • when booster fans become a more attractive and economically viable solution in coal mines due to increases in air requirements at higher production rates, increases in extent and depth of workings and the situation where mines are being developed underenvironmentally sensitive areas, • collecting reliable information on airway resistances and flow requirements typical in large US coal mines, • collecting fan performance data typical in US coal mines where the use of booster fans could be contemplated, • monitoring the performance of booster fans in a laboratory model and an experimental mine, • developing a booster fan selection method to assist theventilation engineer at the planning stage. The utilization of modern booster fans started in the United Kingdom in the early 1900’s when it was reported that booster fans were used to ventilate three separate coal seams at the Hulton Colliery. The UK Coal Mine Act of

In some western U.S. mines, coal is extracted from seams covered with more than 1,000 m of overburden. At these depths coal mininghas encountered challenges from ground control and ventilation. The development of three or more entries has resulted in intersection failures, rib falls, and frequent bumps. These problems have contributed to reductions in the cross-sectional area of main airways, with a consequent increase in resistance to air flow. At the same time, with increased depth, the gas emission and heat flow rates havealso increased, requiring larger quantities of fresh air. In some mines, belt air entries have been used to supply additional amounts of air to active workings. However in many cases as described by Calizaya (2009) high pressure booster fans are used to supply these quantities. Higher pressure fans often induce large losses through leakage of fresh air and create unsafe conditions. Booster fans...