Computer simulation of evacuation in underground coal mines

In order to study the evacuation behavior of miners during accidents, we analyzed the rational layout of a safe chamber, and improved evacuation efficiency. A visual model of evacuation was developed and used to simulate the evacuation process of mines, given their special underground environments. In our simulation, the working faces of a coal mine and nearby tunnels were divided into 0.5 m×0.5 m grids to reflect the location of occupants and obstacles. Based on a "flow potential of the occupant", we determined the direction of movement and routes of occupants. In the model, evacuation speed changed as a function of crowd density, with an average speed of 1.30 m/s. The model also takes into account detection time of the disaster and the personnel response time. Evacuation time, exit flow rate and evacuation path were obtained by simulation. The results indicate that using simulation technology can present a more visual evacuation process and show the behavior of occupants. Our establishment of a mine safety evacuation system has merit as reference value. © 2010 China University of Mining and Technology.