Control design for mine ventilation network systems

Ventilation networks in coal mines serve the critical task of maintaining a low concentration of explosive or noxious gases. Due to the objective of controlling fluid flows, mine ventilation networks are high-order nonlinear systems. Previous efforts on this topic were based on multivariable linear models. The designs presented here are for a nonlinear model. Two control algorithms are developed. One employs actuation in all the branches of the network and achieves a global regulation result. The other employs actuation only in branches not belonging to the tree of the graph of the network and achieves regulation in a (non-infinitesimal) region around the operating point. The approach proposed for mine ventilation networks is also applicable to other types of fluid networks like gas and water distribution networks, irrigation networks, and building ventilation.