Ventilation and Gas Monitoring of Longwall Panels in Australian Underground Coal Mines

Underground coal mining in Australia is predominantly conducted using the longwall mining method. In recent years, with the continuous increase in longwall panel size and mining depth, geological conditions and gas occurrence characteristics have become increasingly complex. At the same time, mining health and safety regulations have imposed higher requirements on mine ventilation and gas monitoring. Based on the roadway layout characteristics of Australian underground coal mines, this study summarizes four typical ventilation modes for longwall panels. A ventilation network model was established using Ventsim software to simulate and analyze the ventilation circuit resistance and airflow distribution under different ventilation modes. The results indicate that significant differences exist in ventilation circuit resistance among different ventilation modes. Appropriate selection of ventilation modes can reduce the overall system resistance and lower the risk of spontaneous combustion in the goaf. In addition, this paper reviews the regulatory requirements and monitoring technologies for gas monitoring in Australian underground coal mines. A case study of a mine located in western New South Wales is presented to analyze the layout and operation of the gas monitoring system. The findings of this study can provide a reference for the ventilation design and gas monitoring of longwall panels in underground coal mines in China under similar geological conditions.