How Kidd keeps its cool

摘要

DIESEL equipment, electrical equipment, broken rock movement and, to a lesser extent, the paste-filling process and sulphide rock oxidation all contribute some heat load at the Kidd mine. However, the predominant heat load is due to the effects of auto compression. This is a process by which the potential energy of a column of air at the surface converts out as enthalpy as it descends into the mine. This results in an increase in pressure and the internal energy of the air, and it therefore follows that temperature increases as well.