Layout of underground cooling equipment
There are three ways to arrange the cooling system in mines:
(1) The refrigeration unit and cooling water tower are installed on the ground to cool the total air intake of the mine. This is an early cooling method, but the cooling effect is not good, and it is only used for auxiliary cooling in summer.
(2) The refrigeration unit and cooling water tower are located on the ground, and the refrigerant is sent to the underground through insulated pipes. The air cooler is located at the air inlet of each working face, only cooling the incoming airflow of the working face. This method has a good cooling effect on the working face, but there is a significant loss of refrigerant during transportation, making it suitable for mines that are not too deep.
(3) All refrigeration and cooling systems are installed underground, with the central refrigeration unit station located near the return air shaft, the cooling water tower located in the mine return air flow, and the air cooler located at the inlet air flow of the working face. This method is widely used, with good cooling effect on the working surface, low cooling loss, and low cost, but it is difficult to manage and requires a large amount of copper chamber excavation work. In addition, a small refrigeration and cooling device can be used to cool the incoming airflow by placing it near the work surface. This type of refrigeration device is often used for dispersed and distant work surfaces.