Cold Region Mine Shaft Anti-Freezing Technology Based on Low-Temperature Waste Heat Utilization from Underground Mine Drainage

Abstract

To solve the ground icing problem at the mine wellhead in winter and overcome the high energy consumption of traditional anti-freezing solutions, this paper developed a mine intake air anti-freezing system using underground drainage waste heat. Based on the ANSYS simulation platform, a 3D cold-hot air mixing model of the mine entrance section in the constant-temperature rock-soil layer was established to simulate the airflow temperature field distribution at the wellhead under extreme low temperature and multi-condition heat exchange, and the influence of the rock-soil layer on the heat transfer process was quantitatively analysed. Aiming at near-zero power consumption heat exchange, a finned-tube heat exchanger was developed: key thermal parameters were calculated based on energy conservation and heat transfer theory to optimise fin tube specifications, structure and layout; resistance checks, wall temperature calculation and material selection were completed to improve heat exchange efficiency. The results show that the system can stably heat mine intake air to above 2℃ through non-contact heat exchange with underground drainage as the natural heat source, which meets mine anti-freezing standards. This system can replace traditional high-energy anti-freezing solutions, realising the dual goals of mine safety and energy conservation.