Confirmed Workshops

Primary Mine Fan System and Noise Considerations (4 hours)

Instructors: Glenn Savage, Howden Australia

Summary: This short course will provide a practical approach to the design and selection of primary mine ventilation fan systems, focusing on the design, selection, and performance of fan system components for all available primary fan types, including axial, centrifugal & mixed flow and will cover both surface and underground primary ventilation fan installations. A detailed assessment on noise specifications and their implications on fan system component selection and performance will also be analyzed. The course will provide an overview of critical fan system components including the fans themselves, silencers, dampers, self-closing doors, inlet cones, diffusers, turning vanes, ductwork, and bends. Each element’s function, influence on airflow behavior, and contribution to system performance will be analyzed. The impact of noise specifications on fan selection will also be discussed. Participants will learn how occupational noise limits and project specific surface noise restrictions can influence the choice between fan types and how noise control measures can be incorporated into system design.

The workshop will cover performance guarantees and how to ensure fans meet design requirements. This includes understanding contractual duty points, allowable tolerances, and how to carry out performance testing. A review of all major fan types will highlight their performance characteristics, advantages, and limitations in different mining applications. This session is ideal for engineers, ventilation officers, and technical personnel involved in ventilation planning, equipment procurement, or system optimization.

Underground Cooling Plant Design Fundamentals and Primary Fan System Environmental Controls (4 hours)

Instructors: Darryl Witow, Mine Ventilation Systems Lead and Katrina Macdonald, Ventilation Specialist, Hatch

Summary: Underground refrigeration plants have several specific advantages for achieving productive underground workplace temperatures. This type of plant can present unique design and execution challenges in comparison to traditional surface plants. This workshop aims to discuss key fundamentals for underground refrigeration plant design including high temperature condenser cooling, layout/excavation optimization and water treatment considerations. Application to hard rock mine case studies will be discussed. Mine primary fan systems are significant potential sources of emissions including noise and airborne pollution. Regulatory, environmental, workplace safety, and community acceptance pressures are driving a demand to incorporate controls into primary mine fan systems. This course is intended to be an introduction to available and emerging control systems for primary mine fans. Examples from both greenfield and brownfield mines will be given relating to noise control, water droplet capture & handling, scrubbing, and stack systems.

The format is intended to be interactive and audience questions and participation will be facilitated. This is a two-part session that will provide practical perspectives for ventilation professionals working in both brownfield and greenfield applications. 

Fan Application in Auxiliary and Main Ventilation
(4 hours)

Instructor: John Almgren, Engineering Manager, Spendrup Fan Company

Summary: This short course will explore the application of fans in mine ventilation systems. It will begin with an overview of different fan types and their appropriate uses. The course will then focus on the specific application of fans for auxiliary and main ventilation, with a particular emphasis on vane axial fans. Typical underground fan installations will be examined, and the course will conclude with a discussion on key system considerations when planning ventilation solutions. Topics will include fan system losses, the impact of blade wear, the use of fans in series and parallel configurations, and speed control through Variable Frequency Drives (VFD).

Mine Cooling and Maintaining Suitable Thermal Working Environment (3-4 hours)

Instructor: Stephen Hardcastle, Ph.D., Technical Director (BBE Group, Canada)

Summary: This short course will take attendees through determining the need for mine cooling supported by case studies. It will cover what are unsuitable environments, their cause and assessment methods. Once the concern is defined, it will go through the countermeasures that can be applied, modifying the environment, the limitations of ventilation or the introduction of refrigeration. The course will introduce the different types of both conventional and unconventional cooling and their purpose. In regard to mechanical cooling, the course will walk you through a system selection process considering climate, cost, logistics, operability, and applicability of the various cooling options using surface, underground or split system cooling.

Ventilation pressure-quantity (PQ) surveys (4 hours)

Instructors: John Bowling and Nathan Wineinger, SRK Consulting

Summary: This short course will cover different strategies for conducting ventilation pressure-quantity (PQ) surveys for the purposes of creating and calibrating models and regulatory reporting. The workshop will include practical examples of planning and conducting PQ ventilation surveys and data reduction. The workshop will consider the resources, access, and desired goals of conducting PQ surveys for various applications and desired accuracy. Emphasis will be placed on identifying key elements of the ventilation system to quantify, selection of instruments and methods, and application of Kirchoff’s laws for field data validation, and comparison of results with ventilation simulation software.

Calibration of Ventilation and Heat Models and On-site Data Integration (4 hours)

Instructor: Daniel Sepulveda Fuentes, Palaris

Summary: This workshop provides a hands-on approach to calibrating mine ventilation and heat models using on-site data. Participants will learn how to collect, analyze, and integrate measured data into Ventsim and VentLog for accurate calibration of ventilation and thermal models, ensuring simulations reflect actual underground conditions.

The session will focus on accurately representing the true performance of critical ventilation infrastructure in models, such as main and auxiliary fans, conveyor belts, refrigeration plants, diesel equipment, ventilation control devices’ resistances, regulators, and roadways’ parameters, among others. Instead of relying solely on theoretical values or manufacturer data, attendees will learn how to incorporate on-site operating conditions and measured performance data to refine model accuracy and develop more calibrated airflow and heat models.

This workshop is designed for ventilation engineers and mine planners looking to enhance the reliability of their, improve their ability to assess ventilation system performance under different environmental conditions, and develop calibrated models that provide greater certainty for long-term planning.

Dust Control in Mining (3 hours)

Instructors: Guang Xu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mining Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology,
Ping Chang, Ph.D, Lecturer of Mining Engineering, Curtin University,
Ashish Karoria, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Summary: Dust generation is a major source of air pollution generated in various activities of the mining process. The related dust pollution causes a series of negative impacts on the environment, as well as occupational and public health concerns. This workshop will cover three key aspects of technologies that are essential for helping the mining industry manage and reduce dust generation. The three aspects to be covered include sensing, prevention, and suppression. Specific topics will include real-time monitoring of coal and silica dust, surfactant-aided water sprays, haul road dust stabilization, and novel filtration techniques. The audience for this workshop includes industry professionals, chemical suppliers, government agencies, and researchers.