LECTURE 2

THE CONTENTS OF THIS LECTURE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.0 SHOCK LOSS

2.0 SHOCK PRESSURE LOSS
3.0 EQUIVALENT LENGTH
REFERENCES

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1.0 SHOCK LOSS

We have already learnt about the resistance produced in airways due to roughness
of walls and shape and size of the airways. This is called frictional resistance or
Atkinsons resistance. Frictional resistance is also affected by variation in air
density, if airways are long enough to produce a change in density of air during the
course of its travel in a mine. We have already talked about the density correction
applied to Atkinsons equation. Besides these, resistance is produced in airways by
several other factors also like
i.

Obstructions in airways

ii.

Bends

iii.

Change in cross-section areas

iv.

Point of entry or exit, etc.

One may wonder how they produce resistance to flow of air. The concept is very
simple. We all know that law of continuity holds good in mines. So, to maintain
same volume of air flow through mine airways, there is a variation in velocity of air
when there is any obstruction causing a change in cross sectional areas of the
airways. At bends, though the cross section area may be constant, change in
velocity occur due to change in direction of flow of the air. The change in velocity in
a definite time (smaller in case of abrupt changes and longer in case of gradual
changes), causes acceleration. A force is required. And this force is applied at the
cost of loss in pressure head. Hence, extra work is done to maintain flow of air.
Thus, resistance is produced. Again, the resistance offered is dependent on factors
like shape and size of obstructions, material of which the obstruction exist/ is made,
type of bends, etc. Let us have a look at Table 1 to get an idea how does shape and
size of obstructions cause variation in magnitude of resistance offered (Le Roux,
1972).

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Table 1 Impact of shape and size of obstruction on resistance offered

Shape

of Figure showing disruption of flow Remarks

obstructions

pattern

Rectangular /square

Eddies

are

shaped support

Offers more resistance

compared

formed.

to

aerofoil

shaped support of the

same size.
Aerofoil

shaped

support

No eddies are formed.

Offers

less

compared

resistance
to

square

shaped support of the

same size.
Continuous wall

Less eddies are formed

compared to a line of
square support. Offers
less

resistance

compared to a line of
square shaped supports.
A

line

of

support

square

More eddies are formed

compared

to

continuous wall support.

Offers more resistance
compared
rectangular

to

continuous

wall support.

Now, let us have a look at Table 2. It gives an idea on how the shape of the
entrance affects entry loss (Le Roux, 1972). Energy is lost when air enters a pipe or
airways from a stagnant/still condition to the velocity inside the pipe or airways.

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Table 2 Impact of shape of entrance on the entry loss

Shape

of Figure showing entrance condition

entrance

Entry loss as a Shock Loss

percentage

of Factor

velocity

(after

pressure

McPherson,
1993)

Straight

90% in circular

inlet

pipes
125%

in X = 1.0

rectangular
pipes
Flanged

50% in circular

inlet

pipes

X = 0.5

70%

in

rectangular
pipes
Inlet cone

5-25%
depending
included

on --angle

and length
Flared

3-15%

inlet

depending
radius

on X = 0.03
for

r
D

0.2

Resistance offered by an obstruction is also dependent on material it is made of. An

obstruction of wooden material offers more resistance compared to that of metal or
metal alloys. Also, a new support offers more resistance compared to an old one,

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the reason being new supports have sharp corners while older ones have smooth
corners.
We will discuss the effects of bend on flow pattern and subsequent resistance
offered by different types of bends little later.
You may get a question in your mind, why the title has been kept shock loss.
Actually all the factors which we have discussed above result in an instantaneous
effect causing an abrupt change in velocity when air flows across/along them.
Because of its instantaneous nature, it is like a shock to the air travelling and hence
the term shock loss is justified. The resistance offered due to shock loss is called
shock resistance.
2.0 SHOCK PRESSURE LOSS
We have already learnt the agencies responsible for shock loss. It is also called
minor loss. It accounts for approximately 10-30% of the total pressure loss. Shock
losses are generally referred to in terms of head loss or drop in total pressure. This
in turn is expressed in terms of velocity heads (McPherson, 1993). It is
represented as pshock.
Mathematically,

2
. .
2

Or
=

2
2

Pa

Where,
= Shock loss factor (dimensionless)
= Density of air (kg/m3)
= Velocity of air (m/s)
Substituting
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we get

2
2

= 22 Pa

Where,
= Shock loss factor (dimensionless)
= Density of air (kg/m3)
= Quantity of airflow (m3/s)
= Area of cross section (m2)

In analogy with Atkinsons equation and square law, the above equation can be
transformed as
=

2
2

= 22 = 2 Pa

Where,
= Shock resistance (Ns2m-8)
We can write shock resistance, as
=

22

Hence, we can say that, shock resistance is dependent on density of air, shock loss
factor and cross sectional area of the airway. Shock loss factor is determined
experimentally.

3.0 EQUIVALENT LENGTH

Let us look at Fig.1 and Fig.2. Fig.1 shows an airway of length L with a bend (or
any other item causing shock loss) while Fig.2 shows an extended airway of straight
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length (L+ Leq) with no item existing to cause shock loss. Let all other parameters
like Atkinsons factor, area of cross section etc. be same for the two airways. Both
the figures (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) show that the pressure drop between their ends are
same i.e. p. It can be written mathematically as

) 2
1.2

= 2 + 2 = ( 3

+ 22 2

Pa

(for Fig.1)

and

) 2
3 1.2

= 2 = ( + ) (

Pa

(for Fig.2)

Equating the two equations, we have

)
1.2

= 22 = ( 3

Ns2/m8

Hence,
=

1.2
2

In the above equations,

per = Perimeter of airways (m)
All other symbols have their usual meaning as discussed earlier.
What does the expression suggest? It suggests that shock resistance of the bend in
Fig.1 is equal to that of an airway of straight length keeping all other
parameters of the airway constant.
In terms of hydraulic radius, we can express as follow
=

1.2

Hence, we can calculate shock loss in terms of equivalent length using Atkinsons
equation.
Table 3 lists equivalent length of some bends, obstructions, area changes as
proposed by Hartman et. al (1982). The results given in Table 3 are based on
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observation through experiments carried out with k = 0.0186 kg/m3, A/per = 0.61
m and density of air at 1.2 kg/m3.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

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Table 3 Equivalent length of bends, obstructions and area changes (after,

Hartman et. al. 1982)
Bends, obstruction, area changes
Sharp bend, acute
Rounded bend, acute
Sharp bend, right angle

Equivalent length Leq(m)

45
1
20

Rounded bend, right angle

Sharp bend, obtuse angle

Rounded bend, right angle

Mine car or skip, 20% of airway size

30

Junction , straight branch

20

Junction , deflected branch at 90

10

Splitting , straight branch

10

Splitting, deflected branch at 90

60

Discharge

20

Inlet

Doorway

20

Overcast

20

REFERENCES
Banerjee S.P. (2003); Mine Ventilation; Lovely Prakashan, Dhanbad, India.
Hartman, H. L., Mutmansky, J. M. & Wang, Y. J. (1982); Mine Ventilation and Air
Conditioning; John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Le Roux, W. L. (1972); Mine Ventilation Notes for Beginners; The Mine Ventilation
Society of South Africa.
McPherson, M. J. (1993); Subsurface Ventilation and Environmental Engineering;
Chapman & Hall, London.
Misra G.B.

(1986); Mine Environment and Ventilation; Oxford University Press,

Calcutta, India.
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Vutukuri, V. S. & Lama, R. D. (1986); Environmental Engineering in Mines;

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

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