Comparison of measured underground air velocities and air flows simulated by computational fluid dynamics

A series of underground ventilation survey measurements was conducted in th ree drivage headings at Wistow colliery, England. Two of the surveyed headi ngs were advance developments to create access to future retreat shortwall production faces; these headings were ventilated by conventional auxiliary, force-exhaust, overlap systems. The third heading was in a room-and-pillar operation. The general now characteristics observed during these surveys a re outlined and the observations are then compared with the now patterns pr edicted by a series of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, which were constructed to simulate the air-now pattern in each heading. It is conclud ed that the CFD models employed were able to reproduce the overall now char acteristics observed underground satisfactorily.