Cool Air Supplied for Confined Spaces

Ventilation, air conditioning, and dust control are now required by OSHA and other regulatory agencies for the vessel, refractory, underground mining, and tunneling operations. In ultra-deep mines, ambient temperatures often reach 60°C-70°C (140°F-158° F). Both surface cooling towers and underground refrigeration equipment may be used to cool downcast ventilation air. Rental opportunities exist both for short-duration projects and as a backup for existing permanent temperature control systems.

Typical Install for cooled air supply in confined space

Rental equipment typically used in the vessel, underground mining, tunneling, and other confined space operations includes the following:

• Air conditioners from 12 to 80 tons

• Chiller modules with air handlers

• Ducting, piping, and fittings

• Engineering and supervision services

• Installation and maintenance services

• On-site operation and training

Typical Customers:

• Mining companies

• Tunneling contractors

• Chemical plants

• Refineries

• Manufacturers

• Pharmaceutical companies

Discovery Questions:

• What are OSHA requirements for your confined space operations?
  What type of cooling and ventilation systems do you currently use?

• What are the expected ambient temperatures in your underground operations?

• What are the expected ambient temperatures in your underground operations?

• What are the heat loads for tunnels, shafts, stations, and other areas in the mine?

• Are your current cooling and ventilation systems scheduled for maintenance, repair, retrofit, or replacement?

• Are your operations ever affected during periods of high ambient temperature due to capacity limitations of your current systems?

Configuration and Installation Issues:

• Be sure to identify the total required ducting runs. Supplemental fans may be required to compensate for pressure drops in the long run.

• Ambient temperatures can be more critical in these applications since they typically do not use return air.