The management of heat flow in deep mines / Management von Wärmeströmen in tiefliegenden Bergwerken

With the ever-increasing depth of mines, the management of heat has become a key issue for their design and operation. There are two main sources of heat: heat transfer from the rock mass into the mine workings and heat associated with mining operations. The principles of heat transfer from the rock mass are discussed and basic relationships presented. Sources of heat linked to mining operations are discussed. It is shown that in deep-level mines, heat transfer from the rock mass accounts more than 75 % of total mine heat load. In highly mechanized coal mines, heat from the use of mining machinery is also significant. Some models of heat flow prediction for deep gold mines are presented. It is shown that in the case of deep mines, control of heat flow is more important than increasing refrigeration capacity. Examples of heat flow management methods are given.