Announced at the 2008 symposium in Reno, Nevada by the Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers underground ventilation committee, it is expected to draw an extensive international presence from June 13 to 17.
The event is sponsored by Laurentian University’s Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) in partnership with Natural Resources Canada’s CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories, and will be held at the Laurentian University campus.
Dale McKinnon, MIRARCO’s Clean Air Engineering Program Manager and symposium co-ordinator, said the event will attract between 200 and 300 people not only from Canada, but also from South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and possibly Russia.
The symposium provides forums and networking opportunities for professionals, suppliers, academics and industrial and government representatives to share knowledge and studies about the underground mine environment and its challenges.
As mines go deeper, the ventilation challenges increase due to a geothermal gradient. Regulatory requirements may affect productivity as well as operating costs.
"You want to respect the temperature requirements without having rest periods," McKinnon said. "You may have to install refrigeration to cool the air coming in."
Ventilation can account for between 30 and 50 per cent of a mine’s operating costs, he said. Therefore, employing strategies that make efficient use of the air becomes more important the deeper the mine.
Recently, more emphasis has been placed on MIRARCO’s mine ventilation research program, according to McKinnon.
As one of the world’s largest integrated mining complexes, Sudbury is the perfect place to host the conference, McKinnon said
"We’ll make a big effort in exposing the city and the surroundings to the participants," he said. "We propose to address various aspects of mine ventilation through technical papers."
Topics will include mine ventilation optimization, metal/non-metal mine ventilation design, coal mine ventilation design, airborne particulates, numeric modelling, coal mine methane spontaneous combustion, heat/refrigeration mine seals, mining regulations, diesel emissions control, monitoring and occupational health.
A pre-symposium on June 13 and 14 will present short courses on Diesel Emissions and Control, Heat Stress in Underground Mining, and Mine Ventilation, followed by a reception. A banquet will be held on day two, and scheduled mine tours will occur at area mines on day four in addition to a tour of MIRARCO’s Virtual Reality Laboratory. A trade show will allow exhibitors to showcase their wares each evening during the week. Various levels of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
The deadline for abstracts is September 1, 2009 and December 21, 2009 for full manuscripts. Submissions can be sent to Dale McKinnon at [email protected].
