GB534432A - An improved method of cooling the air in underground mine workings and like places - Google Patents

Abstract

534,432. Ventilating and cooling air in mines. ROWLEY, H. E. G. (Lunt, W. R. F.). Feb. 22, 1940, No. 3366. [Class 137] A suction conduit 1 extends from the surface to the working faces, and is connected with a pump for evacuating the mine air and causing adiabatic expansion into the conduit to cool it thereby utilizing the conduit system as heat exchange means to cool the mine air. One inlet 4 is restricted by a Venturi throat 5 which leads into an expansion chamber 6 having fins 7, or a constricted opening 9 leads to a chamber 8, a blower 10 being arranged in the conduit 1, and a vacuum gauge 11 being provided. Alternatively. a nozzle 50 controlled by a valve 51 may be used. the conduit 1 itself acting as heat exchanging means, or a filtering head 53 controlled by a valve 54 may be employed. The walls of the conduit may be fluted longitudinally to increase their effective area. An expansion chamber such as is shown in Fig. 4 may be connected to the suction duct by pipe 12 with the inlets for mine air at 13 and 14, valves 12a, 13a and 14a controlling the rate of air flow. The rate of air flow may be controlled automatically by a valve opening against a spring in compression, or controlled either thermostatically by a heat sensitive strip, or by electrical means, or by a governor actuated by a wind vane in the conduit.