Methodological framework for designing ventilation control systems for complex mine ventilation networks

As ventilation networks in modern mines expand, airflow distribution control becomes increasingly complicated due to three factors: insufficient control depth combined with unsynchronized operating schedules of individual mine sectors; increasingly complex aerodynamic interactions between working areas and control devices; and growing system inertia. This highlights the need for a unified approach to designing ventilation control systems for complex networks, so that the conditions under which their implementation is technically feasible and economically justified can be assessed in advance. To achieve this objective, two key tasks were addressed: identifying the appropriate spatial depth and temporal scale of ventilation control. The methodology was based on a mathematical framework for analyzing aerodynamic interactions in branched networks with numerous fans, shafts, levels, and diagonal connections. The framework includes the use of aerodynamic influence matrices, their graphical analysis, clustering, and decomposition of the network into subsystems. Dimensional analysis was also applied to estimate the characteristic times of various dynamic processes in mines. As a result, principles for designing control systems were proposed, including the selection of the control level with regard to the number of air consumers and their operating schedules, as well as matching the control time scale to the characteristic times of ventilation and mining processes. It was shown that the duration of production cycles permits ventilation control to be applied at that level, opening a promising direction for further research. It was also established that, in complex ventilation networks, control algorithms should be designed primarily to maintain the required airflow rate, whereas control based on gas concentration is less effective.