Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Bowling, John Robert Reid
Author's Email Address	john.bowling@vt.edu
URN	etd-05102011-171841
Title	Design of an Experimental Mine Simulator for the Development of a Procedure for Utilization Multiple Tracer Gases in Underground Mines
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Mining and Minerals Engineering
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Luxbacher, Kramer Davis Committee Chair Ragab, Saad A. Committee Member Westman, Erik Christian Committee Member
Keywords	mine scale model tracer gas mine ventilation
Date of Defense	2011-04-26
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract An experimental mine simulator was constructed which will be used to conduct tracer gas experiments in the laboratory. The test apparatus simulates a mine in a tabular deposit and is modular and simple and can be easily rearranged to represent a variety of mine geometries. The apparatus is appropriate for the use of tracer gases by being both airtight and open-circuit (exhausting to the atmosphere) and by maintaining turbulent flow throughout the model, ensuring the tracer gas is fully dispersed. The model features ports for injection and sampling of tracer gases, which represent boreholes present in an actual mine. The model is designed, in part, for the practice of tracer gas release and sampling methods in the laboratory. Valves on the apparatus represent ventilation controls, such as stoppings or regulators, or changing resistances in a mine, such an increase in resistance due to a roof fall or a decrease in resistance due to stoppings being destroyed. The relative resistances of airways can be changed by changing the status of the valves to represent different states of the ventilation controls. The mine simulator should serve as a tool for identifying and investigating novel tracer gases, developing a procedure for performing ventilation surveys using multiple tracer gases, and eventually developing a method for remotely inferring ventilation changes using tracer gases.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    Bowling_JRR_T_2011_1.pdf 2.58 Mb 00:11:55 00:06:07 00:05:21 00:02:40 00:00:13

If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA.