6. Conclusions

In this study, field measurements and CFD simulations were used to map contours of diesel particulate matter (DPM) generated by a man riding vehicle and an LHD located in the gallery of an underground mine. CFD models were validated against the field experimental data, and simulation results were found to be in fair agreement with the measured data. Studies with a man-riding vehicle showed that if the vehicle is stationary, high DPM concentration tends to flow moves towards the center of the gallery. At 20 m downstream of the vehicle, DPM particles spread throughout the entire roadway. Studies also shows that DPM concentration levels reduce with increase in ventilation air velocity. Experiments showed that during vehicle movement, the passenger may be exposed to higher DPM concentration due to airflows induced by the vehicle movement.

The LHD studies show that if the DPM flow and ventilation air co-flow (are in the same direction), the DPM is confined predominantly to the middle of the road way. If the DPM flow and the ventilation air flow are in counter-flow (opposite directions), the DPM spreads throughout the entire cross-section of the roadway. In this case, the vehicle operator will be more susceptible to exposure to high concentrations of DPM.
