Analysis of Heat Stress in an Underground Coal Mine using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Coal mining plays a significant role in the economy of India. The health and safety of miners working in underground mines is a serious concern. One of the risk factors is with regard to the ventilation systems. Computational fluid dynamics is one of the major tools used to study the air-flow distribution. It helps in understanding the blind galleries which may need adequate ventilation. It also helps suppress the spontaneous heating of poorly ventilated workings and in generating heat-stress plots inside the galleries to ensure the safety of mine workers.