Safe suction ventilation design for blind stopes in potash mines with respect to explosive gas limits

Potash mining using the mechanized method involves intensive dusting, as a rule, particularly, in limited spaces of blind stopes. The major sources of dusting are the ore rehandling zones and the shearer drums. Increased dusting in a work area affects the health and safety of mine personnel, and the overall efficiency of mining equipment. A promising way to normalize dust content is the change-over from blowing to suction ventilation method. Implementation of these activities requires not only technical re-equipment of a ventilation system but also development of a set of engineering and managerial solutions. These solutions should be included in the safety evaluation of a hazardous production facility. The introduction of these solutions aims to ensure safe and reliable operation of working objects, in particular, deep potash mines. This study carries out three-dimensional numerical modeling of flammable gas concentration in a blind shearer stope equipped with the proposed suction ventilation system. The modeling scenarios embraced different angles of bedding and different gaps between the suction ventilation duct and the shield of the shearer. As a result of calculations, the allowable design of a ventilation system is proposed for a blind shearer stope. The research implications allow studying further the issues connected with normalization of air quality in work areas of deep potash mines.

Levin L. Y., Sukhanov A. E., Maltsev S. V. Safe suction ventilation design for blind stopes in potash mines with respect to explosive gas limits. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(9):117-134. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_9_0_117.

The study was carried out in the framework of a big science project and was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, Agreement No. 075-15-2024-535 as of April 23, 2024.

L.Y. Levin¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of Department, e-mail: aerolog_lev@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0767-9207,
A.E. Sukhanov¹, Junior Researcher, e-mail: asukhanov@aerologist.ru, ORCID ID: 0009-0002-7960-8344,
S.V. Maltsev¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Head of Sector, e-mail: stasmalcev32@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0009-0002-9887-1455,
¹ Mining Institute of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 614007, Perm, Russia.

A.E. Sukhanov, e-mail: asukhanov@aerologist.ru.

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