Application News

Delivery of underground cooling systems to China

During the extraction of resources below ground mine operators give a lot of thought to the question of what to do about ambient conditions in the caverns and tunnels deep beneath the surface of the earth. Toxic or even hazardous explosive gases have to be managed, as well as the temperature, which causes difficulties for and stress on miners and equipment. Growing demands for environmental protection and safety-relevant regulations in China are increasing the need for suitable and efficient solutions for ventilation and cooling in mines operated below ground.


To cope with the conditions and demands of underground mining, SIEMAG TECBERG has developed ventilation and cooling solutions. These central cooling systems fitted with a P.E.S. (pressure exchange system) ensure high cooling capacities combined with a very low maintenance requirement and efficient and stable operation.


As the key component of such systems, the P.E.S. exchanges the high pressure from the surface circuit for the low pressure circuit with great efficiency with only a slight change of temperature (< 0.5 °C). Compared with the conventional technological solution for underground cooling systems or conventional heat exchangers, the P.E.S. is considerably more efficient and can be operated at a very low maintenance cost, low energy cost and in a compact space. These effects increase even more with higher cooling capacities of 10 MW. With a cooling capacity of a single P.E.S. of up to 21 MW this system operates fully automatically, using the company’s own-developed concepts for the system and automation control systems, which require very little monitoring work from a central control hub.


Highly efficient solutions utilise the hot water or gas from below ground to heat buildings on the surface. Examples of such highly efficient and energy-saving solutions are the CCHP (combined cooling, heating and power) systems in the Dingji, Zhuji and Guqiao coal mines of the Huainan Mining Group.


At the end of 2017 Tianjin SIEMAG TECBERG signed a contract for a P.E.S. 15000+ central cooling system for the Pingbao coal mine. The project was executed in mid-2018, installed and successfully commissioned in September 2018.


In May 2018 Tianjin SIEMAG TECBERG received a further order for a central cooling system with a P.E.S. 15000+ at the Huaibei Mining Group. Installation and commissioning are scheduled for 2019.


Both orders will be executed in a combination of engineering, design and delivery by DEUTSCHE KÜHLTECHNIK and Tianjin SIEMAG TECBERG, with experienced and highly qualified personnel and the local Chinese service team.

For further technical data, please go to References.

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