A graduate student of the University of Nevada, in Reno, has been trying to help Homestake Mining save on its air-conditioning bill at its deep gold mine in South Dakota.
Ian Duckworth, a mining engineering graduate of the Mackay School of Mines, spent more than a year studying heat sources within the mine, where the large gold producer pays US$8 million per year to keep the mine at 85F for about 500 workers.
The mine is 8,000 ft. deep with 56 levels and 300 miles of tunnels cut out of thermal-heated rock that can reach 133F. The deeper the miners dig, the hotter it becomes.
As part of his project, Duckworth recorded the temperature of intact rock at his subterranean lab at the 7,250-ft. level. He used a special sensor, or thermometer, invented by University of Nevada professors Pierre Mousset-Jones and George Danko. The rocks had a “fever” of 122F.
“The heat transfer from the intact rock to the environment is a crucial factor,” Duckworth said. “It represents 90% of the total heat.” He found two significant sources of heat: the surrounding virgin rock and diesel-powered vehicles that could cause the temperature to rise above 90F. Miners also use fill dirt or sand as a cooling pad to cover and absorb heat from the virgin rock.
Duckworth, who based his thesis on the study, has completed his master’s degree.
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