Mine Climate — Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling
Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling for deep and hot mine planning.
Pumping cooling 3 km down and back is a mass-flow problem: ice carries ~5–6× the cooling per kilogram thanks to latent heat, slashing pipe sizes and pumping power. That's the entire argument for ice plants on ultra-deep mines — the thermodynamics of 334 kJ/kg you don't have to pump twice.
Formula
Note: Mine ventilation is statutory and life-safety territory: airflow quantities, gas limits and re-entry times must be set by the registered ventilation engineer/manager under your jurisdiction's mining regulations — this calculator is a planning and training aid.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling for deep and hot mine planning. A free mine ventilation & air quality tool — no sign-up, no upload, instant results in your browser.
About Mine Climate — Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling
Mine Climate — Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling computes the governing relationship ṁ_water = q/(c_p·ΔT) · ṁ_ice = q/(L_f + c_p·ΔT) — latent heat does the heavy lifting live as you type. Pumping cooling 3 km down and back is a mass-flow problem: ice carries ~5–6× the cooling per kilogram thanks to latent heat, slashing pipe sizes and pumping power. That's the entire argument for ice plants on ultra-deep mines — the thermodynamics of 334 kJ/kg you don't have to pump twice. Defaults are pre-filled with realistic values for this exact scenario, and the worked example substitutes your numbers step by step so the math is never a black box.
How to use Mine Climate — Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling
- 1Enter your values — Cooling duty to deliver, Chilled water ΔT usable (sensible defaults are pre-filled).
- 2Read the live results: Water flow needed, Ice flow for same duty.
- 3Check the "with your numbers" line to see ṁ_water = q/(c_p·ΔT) · ṁ_ice = q/(L_f + c_p·ΔT) — latent heat does the heavy lifting substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Mine Climate — Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs client-side in your browser; nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the stated formula ṁ_water = q/(c_p·ΔT) · ṁ_ice = q/(L_f + c_p·ΔT) — latent heat does the heavy lifting with authoritative sources cited on the page (McPherson, M.J., Subsurface Ventilation and Environmental Engineering; Hartman et al., Mine Ventilation and Air Conditioning, 3rd ed.)
- ✓Pumping cooling 3 km down and back is a mass-flow problem: ice carries ~5–6× the cooling per kilogram thanks to latent heat, slashing pipe sizes and pumping power.
- ✓Niche-specific defaults give a meaningful worked answer the moment the page loads
Frequently asked questions
What formula does the mine climate — chilled water vs ice cooling use?+
It evaluates ṁ_water = q/(c_p·ΔT) · ṁ_ice = q/(L_f + c_p·ΔT) — latent heat does the heavy lifting, exactly as published. Sources: McPherson, M.J., Subsurface Ventilation and Environmental Engineering; Hartman et al., Mine Ventilation and Air Conditioning, 3rd ed.. The substituted worked example on the page lets you verify every step against the textbook.
How should I read the result — and how far can I trust it?+
Pumping cooling 3 km down and back is a mass-flow problem: ice carries ~5–6× the cooling per kilogram thanks to latent heat, slashing pipe sizes and pumping power. Mine ventilation is statutory and life-safety territory: airflow quantities, gas limits and re-entry times must be set by the registered ventilation engineer/manager under your jurisdiction's mining regulations — this calculator is a planning and training aid.
When is this calculator the right tool for the job?+
Chilled Water vs Ice Cooling for deep and hot mine planning. A free mine ventilation & air quality tool. That's the entire argument for ice plants on ultra-deep mines — the thermodynamics of 334 kJ/kg you don't have to pump twice. For neighbouring scenarios, the related tools below cover the same engine with different presets.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?+
No. The tool is pure client-side JavaScript: open the page and it works, offline once loaded, with no account, no quota and no data leaving your device.
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