The use of computer programs to solve ventilation issues in Vietnamese coal mines

Having enjoyed an economic upsurge in recent years, Vietnam is now recording increased demand for electrical energy. Its production, for the most part, relies on the coal mining industry, thus resulting in a strong upward trend in mining volumes. Being geologically complex, Vietnamese mines are characterised by a complicated structure of their headings. The local ventilation systems are also affected by there being very few automatic dams and an by increases in airflows delivered to the mine. For this reason, in order to analyse airflows and maintain the proper control of ventilation systems, computer software is required. The article offers a comparison of computer programs – Kazemaru, VentGraph and VentSim – as employed for use in Vietnamese mines. The assessment covered the manner in which these programs are used and how their output data are presented, as well as their range of applications in the conditions of Vietnamese coal mines.