Dimensionless Analysis of Rough Roadway Airflow Distribution Based on Numerical Simulations

As resources are extracted from the deeper sections of a mine, the ventilation network becomes increasingly complex. Consequently, determining the optimal installation location for speed-measuring equipment that accurately reflects the average wind speed along the roadway remains a challenging task. In this study, two three-dimensional geometric models, smooth and rough, were developed based on field conditions. The cross-sectional widths, heights, and flow velocities of the model channels were processed dimensionlessly. The dimensionless velocity distributions of the smooth and rough models were then analyzed for different Reynolds numbers. It was observed that the dimensionless average velocity ring distributions for the rough model were smaller than those for the smooth model. Additionally, the maximum values of dimensionless flow velocities were negatively correlated with the flow velocities under laminar flow conditions, whereas they largely overlapped under turbulent flow. The dimensionless distances of the average velocity rings from the top and sidewalls of the channel were studied and determined for both models across different flow regimes. Specifically, the dimensionless distance values d (−) were found to be 0.111 for the smooth model and 0.101 for the rough model under the laminar regime. Under the turbulence regime, the corresponding values were 0.106 and 0.108. Likewise, the values of h (−) were 0.135 and 0.135 for the smooth and rough models in the laminar flow regime, while under turbulent flow, the values were 0.131 and 0.162, respectively. The largest dimensionless velocity value was identified at the center of the velocity distribution circle. For corners that did not maintain simple parallelism with the walls, these regions were incorporated into the circle equation using the Least Squares Method, providing a theoretical basis for the placement of velocity-measuring equipment in practical applications. By using the sidewall as the reference coordinate, an appropriate mathematical model was employed to establish the functional relationship between the centerline velocity of the roadway and the dimensionless horizontal coordinate. The fitting results showed good agreement, and this model can be used to back-calculate and expand the potential installation locations for a mine anemometer.