Management of Thermal Hazards in Deep Mines in China: Applications and Prospects of Mine Cooling Technology

With the continuous development of the mining industry and advancements in deep mining technology, mine environment optimization has become key to ensuring safety and improving the efficiency of mining. The high-temperature environment, particularly in deep mines, not only poses a serious threat to miners’ health but also significantly reduces operational efficiency. These issues have been determined based on the current application status and development trends of mine cooling technology, including traditional mechanical and non-mechanical cooling technologies, as well as emerging roadway insulation materials and mine cooling clothing applications. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each technology, the main challenges related to the use of current mine cooling technologies are pointed out, including the low energy efficiency ratio, high cost, and difficult implementation. Finally, this paper looks forward to the future development directions of mine cooling technologies, emphasizing the importance of intelligent, energy-saving, and environment-improving comprehensive system management and, in turn, promoting the progress and application of mine environment optimization technology and supporting safe and efficient deep mining.