Method of extracting energy from a cavity created by mining operations

a technology of mining operations and energy extraction, which is applied in the direction of lighting and heating apparatus, heating fuel, other heat production devices, etc., can solve the problems of increasing the electricity consumption of ground-coupled heat pumps, the cost of drilling and excavation, and the need for excavation and drilling, so as to prevent the occurrence of ground failure in mining operations and secure mining operations.

Inactive Publication Date: 2015-02-05
MCGILL UNIV
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Benefits of technology

[0051]The term “minefill material” when used herein is understood to refer to at least one of soil (with or without water, with or without binder material (e.g. cement)); tailing material (with or without water, with or without binder material); minefill material which is a blend of soil or tailings, water and bind...

Problems solved by technology

However, one of the main problems in extraction of geothermal energy from the earth by means of a closed-loop geothermal cycle is the cost of drilling and excavation.
These excavation and drilling costs are necessary for installation of the ground-co...

Method used

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  • Method of extracting energy from a cavity created by mining operations
  • Method of extracting energy from a cavity created by mining operations

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Embodiment Construction

[0056]The present application reduces the aforesaid difficulties and disadvantages of closed loop geothermal cycles. The present application discloses a mine ventilation system and method for the extraction of geothermal energy from mine excavations for the purposes of heating, cooling and power generation. This idea is applicable in mining operations that employ minefill material to fill the mine cavities. By coupling the proposed system to the mine ventilation system, an enormous amount of energy will be saved, ventilation costs of mines will be cut considerably and the carbon footprint of the mines will be improved. This system and method are applicable in mining operations that employ the minefilling technique in which excavated mine stopes are filled with minefill material.

[0057]The mine ventilation system and method in accordance with the present disclosure comprises the installation of a network of heat exchange tubes, called geothermal pipes, in empty mine excavations, calle...

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Abstract

An energy-extracting mine ventilation system comprises: a ventilation unit for conditioning the intake air of a mine; a network of pipes installed in at least one cavity of the mine, the network of pipes comprising a geothermal fluid circulating therethrough wherein the network is in contact with a minefill material within the cavity and a rock mass; wherein the minefill material transfers energy between the rock mass of the at least one cavity and the thermal fluid; and a heat exchanger unit in fluid communication with the network of pipes and extracting the energy from the thermal fluid The heat exchanger unit is configured to transfer extracted energy directly or indirectly to the ventilation unit in order to condition the intake air of the mine, The extracted energy can be used in a variety of other applications, such as district heating, acid leaching, and water heating.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 601,733, now pending, filed on Feb. 22, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present relates to a method for the extraction of renewable energy from minefilled excavations of mines for the purposes of heating, cooling, power generation, mine ventilation and other applications.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Mining is known as one the most energy-consuming industries. The pending depletion of fossil fuels and their associated environmental concerns has required the mining industry to strive for new sources of renewable energy source. Considering the fact that deep excavations become available in mining techniques, geothermal energy will be one of the best choices of renewable energy for the mining industry. However, one of the main problems in extraction of geothermal energy from the earth by means of a closed-loop geothermal cycle is the...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): F24J3/08
CPCF24J3/081E21F3/00E21F15/00F24T10/10F24T50/00Y02E10/10
Inventor HASSANI, FARAMARZGHOREISHI MADISEH, SEYED ALIMOMAYEZ, MOE
Owner MCGILL UNIV
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