Realtime Mine Ventilation Simulation

Book excerpt: This paper describes the development of a Windows based, interactive mine ventilation simulation software program at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). To enhance the operation of the underground ventilation system, Westinghouse Electric Corporation developed the program called WIPPVENT. While WIPPVENT includes most of the functions of the commercially available simulation program VNETPC and uses the same subroutine to calculate airflow distributions, the user interface has been completely rewritten as a Windows application with screen graphics. WIPPVENT is designed to interact with WIPP ventilation monitoring systems through the sitewise Central monitoring System. Data can be continuously collected from the Underground Ventilation Remote Monitoring and Control System (e.g., air quantity and differential pressure) and the Mine Weather Stations (psychrometric data). Furthermore, WIPPVENT incorporates regulator characteristic curves specific to the site. The program utilizes this data to create and continuously update a REAL-TIME ventilation model. This paper discusses the design, key features, and interactive capabilities of WIPPVENT.