Investigation of the Effects of Unsymmetrical Fires in Underground Mines Using CFD Method: Case Study

Fires in underground metal mines pose significant risks to worker safety and operational continuity. This study analyses the performance of the ventilation system after a fire in an underground metal mine using the Computa-tional Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. Three different fire scenarios were modelled, examining temperature distri-bution, toxic gas dispersion, and airflow dynamics during the fire. Simulation results reveal how the fire spreads in other areas and assess the efficiency of the existing ventilation system. Findings indicate that the ventilation system is insufficient in certain areas for smoke extraction, and the post-fire gas clearance process varies across different locations. In particular, the positioning of auxiliary fans and the airflow direction are key factors in determining the spread of smoke after a fire. Based on these analyses, optimising post-fire ventilation strategies and enhancing emergency action plans are recommended. This study highlights the critical role of CFD analyses in the mining in-dustry in improving safety and efficiency and contributes to developing safer underground mine ventilation sys-tems. Furthermore, this study stands to make a substantial impact on the practical implementation of the "ventila-tion on demand" concept, advancing our understanding and application of this critical approach. On the other hand, the most important result of this study is that an underground mine with a very large volume is subject to cdf analysis as a whole. Because it is the first study to reveal that the direction of air flow changes as a fire in any part of the mine changes the thermodynamic conditions of the entire mine.