SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE USE OF ICE FOR COOLING MINES.

This paper reports on the status of some investigations into the feasibility of using ice for cooling deep mine workings. Testing of a pilot installation has yielded valuable information concerning the performance of pneumatic pipelines for the transportation of ice from surface. It has been found that ice can be conveyed continuously underground in this way, and that plastic appears to be a more suitable pipe material than steel. Further tests have shown that ice can be melted, so as to chill a stream of warm water, in a very effective way by using a compact packed-bed melting chamber. The proposed use of ice is described for cooling the new Far East complex of East Rand Proprietary Mines Limited. By using ice-melting chambers to perform the duty of underground refrigeration machines, chilled water could be supplied to air coolers and to stopes at various levels through conventional reticulation systems. The amount of ice required would be 43 kg/s, giving 18. 15 MW of refrigeration.