Abstract

Numerical simulations of a 2D turbulent airflow and transfer of gas pollutants during the ventilation of blind headings in mines are the subject of the present study. The process develops in a cavity with no auxiliary ventilation systems and is generated by the main airflow along the mining gallery. Additionally, the influence of a solid barrier placed in the flow domain on the ventilation efficiency is investigated. The study consists of two parts. In the flrst part the  k—ε turbulence model suggested by Abe et al. (1994) is employed to predict the main velocity distribution in the region enclosing the blind heading and some portions of the adjacent gallery. The second stage involves the digital simulation of time-dependent gas concentration fields inside the cavity. The Controi Volume Method was applied to solve the differential equations of mass and momentum transfer. The POWER-LAW scheme proposed by Patankar (1981) was employed to approximate the terms of equations describing the transfer processes by way of convection and diffusion simultaneously. Simulation results for flows with and without the barrier are presented in a graphical form.