A mine consists of two stoping sections located at a depth of 2200m accessed by a shaft. If 10 rock drills are in the stoping section that is located a total distance of 1500m from the shaft and 8 rock drills are located in the second stope which is a total distance of 1800m from the shaft bottom determine the pressure and quantity requirements required of a compressor at surface to service the requirements of these rock drills.
Both stoping sections are accessed from the same main drive. Both stopes are accessed from this main drive by access drives that are 150m in length. The average atmospheric pressure at the surface is 100kPa and a steel pipe conveys the compressed air. There is no receiver in the system, thus assume the drills are working continuously.
Hint to answer this you will need to undertake a pipe system design. At a depth of 2200m, the average air temperature is 26 degrees celsius and atmospheric pressure is 105kPa.
It may be assumed Rock drills require 500kPa pressure each. Gravity = 9.81m/s2 and Density of water = 1000kg/m3. In addition please provide Compressor selection.