Development of a Fire Modeling Study for the Chuquicamata Underground Mine

 

The addition of fire modeling during the development of a ventilation system design can greatly enhance the safety aspects of the mine. When a fire modeling program is developed in conjunction with the ventilation design, mitigation aspects and infrastructure can be incorporated into the design process. This fire modeling encompasses the identification of intake/exhaust airways, access routes, and the provision of fresh air bases from which development activities will progress. Understanding how the ventilation system will respond to fires in critical or high risk areas is a fundamental element of the ventilation design. The ventilation system for the new Chuquicamata underground block cave mine is in the intermediate stages of development. During November 2015, a fire modeling study established a correlated ventilation model which was used to simulate mine fire scenarios at key locations. The study was used to determine the placement and application of essential mitigation infrastructure and to identify the consequences of a fire including fume spread, heat, and air reversals. This paper will describe the methodology and results of the fire modeling study.