Advances in smart controls, sensors and IoT-enabled devices are providing new tools for miners tackling the ever-increasing challenge of ventilating their underground operations
By Carly Leonida, European Editor
Ventilation systems are the largest consumers of power in underground mines, accounting for upward of 50% of energy use.
Saving on energy costs and ensuring personnel receive clean air where and when they need it is now a business imperative for mine operators, who are employing a new generation of smart digital technologies to monitor and optimize ventilation systems and ensure a safe working environment.
While digital tools are relatively new to the mining industry, the key components of mine ventilation systems have not changed significantly in the past 20 to 30 years, and their primary role remains unchanged: to remove buildup of harmful gases and contaminants from underground workings, and to provide and circulate a source of clean, breathable air to miners working deep underground.
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