Publications

Design of a large ‘off the shelf’ air cooled mine refrigeration plant

Mine refrigeration is a significant capital and operating cost for underground mines at depth or in adverse climates, traditionally consuming significant quantities of electrical power and water. Cost pressures due to inflation, skilled labour scarcity, and power generation have changed the balance to be struck between capital efficient cooling plant designs and operational cost efficiency. Layered over this is a change in technology and performance for chilled water plants with respect to both power and water efficiency predominantly driven by the rise of green building certification schemes and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements.

Ventilation contaminant characterisation for a greenfield project

This paper presents a case study of characterisation work undertaken at a greenfield exploration project to provide engineering and OH&S inputs for the design of a ventilation system. The paper discusses how comprehensive early characterisation of the ambient surface and underground environment including aspects related to heat, dusts, strata gas, and geologic/mineralogical factors enables incorporation of the right ventilation and non-ventilation controls at a study level to mitigate the risks identified.

Modelling and Simulation of Multiple Underground Mine Fire Scenarios at Freeport Indonesia

Mine fires remain one of the most potentially devastating underground incidents due to the prospect of multiple fatalities from the toxic products of combustion, the costly and time-consuming damage to critical underground infrastructure, and the damage to corporate standing and the ‘social license’ to operate. The behavior of mine fires is difficult to predict and often counter-intuitive, especially for intense fires where the amount of energy released by the fire in terms of natural ventilation pressures can dramatically change the volume and direction of airflow in ventilation circuits. This can have major and unexpected impacts on egress and entrapment, firefighting strategies, and the need for and design of fire protection systems.

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