Ankit
Jha, Ph.D., is the first graduate of South Dakota Mines’ new doctoral program in Mining
Engineering.
Dr.
Jha’s research, conducted under Associate Professor Purushotham Tukkaraja,
Ph.D., included a new computer system that integrates and enhances underground
mine ventilation, safety, communication and rescue operations. The concept
involves developing a command center with software that allows for real-time
tracking of individuals on digital maps inside a mine. It also records real-time
sensor data from the atmospheric monitoring system within the mine. The data collected
with specific algorithms from mine ventilation engineering and computer science
were utilized in developing the software.
When
the system alerts operators of danger, it highlights the fastest and safest
path for a mine rescue and recovery operation. Jha’s research also examined the
flammability of ventilation ducts in underground mines and made recommendations
for improvements. Furthermore, Jha investigated
efficient ventilation designs to mitigate radon emission in underground metal
mines by using experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations.
In
his dissertation, Jha writes, “As mine rescue operations are stressful because
human lives are at stake, it is not surprising that pertinent information could
be missed, which could adversely affect the rescue operation. Decision-making
in a rescue operation is tedious and requires the consideration of different
variables at stake.”
This
work has the potential to save lives and improve the bottom line for future
mining operations. “An integrated system that combines mine ventilation, air
quality monitoring, location data of miners, and enhanced rescue operations would
be very beneficial to the industry,” says Dr. Tukkaraja. During the project, Jha
built the backbone of the software program, but he says further refinement is
needed to make it ready for the marketplace.
“Definitely
we are looking into commercialization,” says Dr. Tukkaraja. The next steps
include working with the mine rescue team at the Sanford Underground Research
Facility in Lead to continue testing and developing this system in real-world
scenarios.
Jha’s
research was funded in part by a 2014 grant of $1.25 million from the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “I’m very grateful this
Ph.D. gave me the opportunity to undertake a broad range of study, from
computer science to mining engineering. This work helped me land an internship
while studying and an eventual job in the industry. South Dakota Mines got me
to where I am today,” says Jha.
Jha
graduated the spring of 2020. The new Ph.D. program in Mining Engineering started in fall 2017 and is a combined
effort of the university’s Department of Geology and Geological Engineering and
the Department of Mining Engineering and Management.