Ensuring ventilation for TKV's underground mines

Under the tunnels of the Coal Industry, where natural light cannot reach, the safety of thousands of miners working day and night is maintained thanks to the wind from high-tech fan stations. In recent years, the underground mines of the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group have invested in and operated the most modern fan technology, synchronized with centralized and automated mine gas control systems; ensuring a microclimate environment and safety for workers.

Underground mine ventilation technology is understood as a system that provides clean air to underground works of the mine, with enough volume to dilute and remove explosive dust, toxic gas as well as to regulate the temperature in the underground mine. Therefore, ventilation is one of the mandatory requirements for underground coal mines in the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group to ensure safety for production areas as well as protect human health. Over the past years, especially when production areas are increasingly deep, TKV has invested thousands of billions of VND in ventilation systems, automatic mine gas warning. In particular, the operation of high-tech main fan stations is prominent.

Fan systems are installed at Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin.

Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin is currently maintaining the stable operation of 7 main ventilation fan stations with a total air flow of over 600m ³ /s. Each fan station includes 1 operating fan and 1 backup fan; capable of providing enough air for all production areas of the Company. In addition, Vang Danh Coal is also operating 14 automatic air doors, helping to improve the stability of the air network and reduce manpower in the air door opening/closing department under the furnace.

These are air conditioning devices that use pneumatic pistons and electric motors to open and close the doors. When a person or vehicle comes before or behind the air vent, the status of the air vent is notified by light and sound; then the door is closed and opened completely automatically. This project has replaced the manual opening and closing of air vents as before; at the same time, reducing the number of direct workers at the air vents.

Mr. Ngo Van Cu, Head of the Company's Mining Technology and Engineering Department, said: To improve safety and save manpower, in the first 6 months of 2025, the Company has invested in and put into operation a remote local fan monitoring and operation system (currently applied to Zone III and Zone IV at -175/+105 GVD) with 10 local fans. The overhead tunnels no longer have to arrange workers to come in early and leave late to operate the pillow fans between shifts. In addition, the Company has also invested in installing single-wing automatic air vents for the ventilation shafts of small-section tunnels to limit air leakage and improve the efficiency of air network regulation.

Ensuring ventilation is an important condition to maintain labor safety in underground coal production shifts.

In addition to investment in equipment and human resources, an equally important issue in ventilation work is the application of ventilation methods, calculation work, and wind network auditing in a way that is appropriate for each resource area.

Uong Bi Coal Company - TKV is applying Ventsim 5.4 software - the most modern software today to serve the detailed calculation, 3D image simulation of wind direction, wind path, wind flow. For wind flow regulation, the Company is managing and operating 13 main wind fan stations in the areas of Dong Vong, Ha My, Trang Khe - Trang Bach, Hong Thai, Dong Trang Bach.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Party Secretary and Director of the Company, said: Uong Bi Coal's production area is scattered and spread out; the geological conditions are very complex, the slope is large and often fluctuates, making the implementation of production measures and safety work quite difficult. However, thanks to good calculation and regulation of the wind network, the unit basically ensures good working conditions for workers, maintains the microclimate environment at a satisfactory level, thereby doing a good job of labor safety.

Mine ventilation network is a complex system with interrelated qualitative and quantitative parameters such as ventilation diagram and method, air export, tunnel resistance, wind distribution, coal mining output in a day and night, mining technology, etc.

Ventilation and mine gas control systems at coal industry units are increasingly invested in modern and automated.

Therefore, to ensure ventilation efficiency and meet production requirements, TKV will continue to research and invest in ventilation technology in a more modern, synchronous and suitable direction for the actual conditions of the mines. In addition, the mines will also continue to strengthen the training of ventilation staff, improve their internal calculation skills and proficiently use wind network management software, calculate and improve wind network. This is an important factor to help mines improve the efficiency of ventilation work, improve working conditions for workers in a more modern and safer direction in the future.

Hoang Yen

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/dam-bao-cong-tac-thong-gio-cho-cac-mo-ham-lo-cua-tkv-3367814.html