Mine Ventilation Airflow Calculator

Work out mine ventilation airflow instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Mine Ventilation Airflow Calculator

Underground ventilation is normally governed by diesel exhaust dilution, at 0.05-0.09 m3/s per kilowatt of installed diesel power depending on jurisdiction, with a separate minimum per person. The larger requirement governs, and a leakage allowance of 20-40% is added for losses through stoppings and old workings.

Formulas

Ventilation requirement

Diesel airflow = diesel kW x statutory rate; personnel airflow = people x rate per person

Total

Total = greater of the two x (1 + leakage allowance)

Worked example

With the default values below, Mine Ventilation Airflow Calculator returns Total Airflow Required of 62.400. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Diesel Equipment Power Undergroundminimum 0 kW: 800 kW
Airflow Per kW Of Dieselminimum 0.001 m3/s per kW: 0.06 m3/s per kW
Personnel Undergroundminimum 0: 60
Airflow Per Personminimum 0.001 m3/s: 0.1 m3/s

Results

Total Airflow Required: 62.400
Airflow For Diesel Dilution: 48.000
Airflow For Personnel: 6.000
Leakage Allowance: 14.400

Step by step

1Values used
2Ventilation requirement
3Total
4Total Airflow Required= 62.400
5Airflow For Diesel Dilution= 48.000
6Airflow For Personnel= 6.000
7Leakage Allowance= 14.400

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Mine ventilation quantities are set by statute and by occupational exposure limits. Design must be certified by a competent ventilation engineer and verified by measurement and gas monitoring.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Mine ventilation quantities are set by statute and by occupational exposure limits. Design must be certified by a competent ventilation engineer and verified by measurement and gas monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is diesel dilution the governing criterion?

Diesel particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are the most demanding contaminants to dilute to occupational exposure limits. Statutory rates per kilowatt are set specifically for that purpose.

What else must ventilation handle?

Blasting fume clearance, heat and humidity control at depth, radon where present, and dust. In deep or hot mines, cooling load rather than dilution often governs.