BEE Consulting donates R3 million VUMA software to Wits School of Mines

The Wits School of Mining Engineering has signed an agreement with BEE Consulting for 100 VUMA-network software licenses, worth some R3 million, which will be installed on all 100 computers in the state-of-the-art Mine Design Lab at the School.

VUMA-network is an interactive ‘Windows’ based program that has been specifically developed to pauto green bricks in bangladeshlan and design mine ventilation and cooling systems, simulates air flow, air thermodynamic behaviour with wide density variations and can track gas and dust emissions and transmission in underground mines.

Says Professor Fred Cawood, head of the Wits School of Mining Engineering: “This is much more than just a donation of software, it also includes free training, lecturer support and lecturing of students. Partnerships like these ensure that our course content not only remains relevant, but also gives our students the opportunity to be exposed to the latest developments in the broad field of mining engineering – in this case, mine ventilation. Our final year class of 2011 will be able to do their mine ventilation modeling when they undertake their capstone course later this year. In short, BBE and VUMA software are ‘in’ for the long run as partners in education.”

From the BBE perspective Frank von Glehn adds: “We have been involved with the Wits School of Mines for some time now and are delighted to be able to make a difference in the essential skilling of mining engineers by not only being involved in teaching and researching ventilation and cooling activities with the students, but also with an initiative where we will be providing them with the essential tools necessary for them to improve on their final mine design capstone exercise.”

Both undergraduate and postgraduate students will have access to the software. According to BBE Consulting, detailed ventilation and cooling planning in the modern context must include the effective use of software tools such as ventilation network analysers and heat load calculators. However, planners must be wary of carrying-out these detailed studies too soon in the planning design process. There are a number of generic programs available, but for hot-rock mines the VUMA-network simulation program is the most relevant.

Seen signing the license agreement: (left to right) Frank von Glehn, director of BBE Consulting and Professor Fred Cawood, head of the Wits School of Mining Engineering.