Using a Mine Dewatering System to Increase Cooling Capacity and Energy Recovery of Underground Refrigeration Plant: A Case Study

Dariusz Obracaj (), Nikodem Szlązak and Marek Korzec
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Dariusz Obracaj: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Nikodem Szlązak: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Marek Korzec: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Kraków, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Heat stress in deep hot mines is a factor that often determines the possibility of technical mining of natural resources. One of the solutions enabling miners to work in such mines is air cooling. Cooling systems vary, and their selection depends on the type of mine and the mining methods used. Limited air cooling capabilities exist in electric-powered coal mines. The main solution for air cooling is based on movable spot air coolers. Such systems commonly use surface or underground refrigeration plants. An underground refrigeration plant (URP) equipped with compressor chillers does not achieve more than 2.5–3.0 MW of cooling capacity due to the limited heat rejection capacity of return air streams in a typical coal mine. The method discussed in this paper, using mine water to discharge waste heat from the underground refrigeration plant, provides a measurable benefit for optimizing the mine air cooling system. The main purpose of this research is to study the feasibility and effect of water diversion from the actual mine drainage system to the underground refrigeration plant. The water drainage system in an underground mine is called the dewatering system of the mine. The heated water in the condensers of the chillers is directed back to the mine’s central dewatering system. The recovery from water discharged to the surface contributes to optimising energy consumption for a mine air cooling and the sustainable discharge of wastewater. In addition, using the total water flow from the mine dewatering system to reject heat in compressor chillers, compared with the traditional solution, can improve the cooling capacity of URP. These findings may provide beneficial guidance for practical applications in deep hot mines with small natural water inflow.

Keywords: mine air cooling systems; underground refrigeration plant; mine dewatering system; waste heat recovery; heat pumps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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