Optimization of the Ventilation Circuit under Ventsim Software 4.8.6.1: Application to the Kinsenda Underground Mine

The study includes the estimation of the need for fresh air, the determination of the optimal design, the numerical simulation of the ventilation parameters of the project. The first step, the air requirement estimate, was based on data on the category of gear used in the mine. Using the Turgis mining consultant standard, this estimate gave a flow rate of 325 m3 / s. The second step consisted of a strategic analysis on the one hand and an optimization of the ventilation circuit on the other hand, in order to detect a technically feasible and faster strategy for carrying out this optimization. As a result, the numerical method of optimization selected airway graph optimization has been adopted. This method not only optimizes the ventilation circuit, but also gives a graph that represents the point of intersection of the different ventilation costs (cost of acquisition of fan, cost of consumption of electrical energy as well as operating costs) based on the airflow required by the Kinsenda mine. An optimal diameter of 5 meters is then obtained after optimization of the new well. Finally, the study focused on the simulation of ventilation parameters using the Ventsim 4.8.6.1 software, after which the dynamic simulation showed us that after 32 minutes when we assume that all the size fronts were mined at same time; stale air is diluted and no longer poses a toxic threat to personnel.