Integrated mine cooling and water conditioning system

A method comprising:

• cooling an aqueous liquid at ground level, by means of a refrigeration system which rejects heat, to produce an aqueous ice slurry of ice crystals in the aqueous liquid;
• and
• (A) feeding some of the aqueous ice slurry from ground level to a heat exchanger in a mine chamber substantially below ground level to cool air or water in the mine chamber by indirect heat exchange with the slurry thereby producing warm aqueous liquid from the slurry;
• withdrawing the warm aqueous liquid from the mine chamber, returning it to ground level and then cooling the aqueous liquid by means of the refrigeration system to again convert it to an aqueous ice slurry;
• and
• recycling the slurry to the mine chamber;
• and
• (B) feeding some of the aqueous ice slurry produced at ground level to an ice washer and washing the ice;
• melting the washed ice to produce potable water at ground level;
• and
• feeding the potable water to hydraulic powered machinery in the mine chamber and using the hydrostatic energy of the water to power the machinery.

A method comprising:

• cooling an aqueous liquid at ground level, by means of a refrigeration system which rejects heat, to produce an aqueous ice slurry of ice crystals in the aqueous liquid;
• feeding some of the aqueous ice slurry produced at ground level to an ice washer and washing the ice;
• melting the washed ice to produce potable water at ground level;
• and
• feeding the potable water to hydraulic powered machinery at a location substantially below ground level and using the hydrostatic energy of the water to power the machinery.

Apparatus comprising, in combination:

• freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and
• form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• and
• (A) conduit means for feeding some of the ice slurry from ground level to a heat exchanger in an underground mine chamber substantially below ground level to cool air or water in the mine chamber by indirect heat exchange with the slurry thereby producing warm aqueous liquid;
• and
• conduit means for removing the warm aqueous liquid from the mine chamber and returning it to the freeze exchanger, and
• (B) conduit means for delivering some of the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• and
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery in the location substantially below ground level to power the machinery by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water.

Apparatus comprising, in combination:

• freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• conduit means for delivering the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• and
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery at a location substantially below ground level to power the machinery by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water.

Apparatus comprising, in combination:

• freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• conduit means for delivering some of the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery in a mine chamber substantially below ground level to power machinery in the mine chamber by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water;
• conduit means for feeding the ice slurry from ground level to the mine chamber to cool the mine chamber by heat exchange therewith and produce warm aqueous liquid;
• and
• conduit means for removing the warm aqueous liquid from the mine chamber and returning it to the freeze exchanger.

Apparatus comprising, in combination:

• freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• conduit means for delivering some of the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery in a location substantially below ground level to power machinery therein by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water;
• means to collect spent water from the hydraulic machinery and return it to the freeze exchanger;
• conduit means for feeding ice slurry from ground level to the underground location to cool the underground location by heat exchange therewith and produce warm aqueous liquid;
• and
• conduit means for removing the warm aqueous liquid from the underground location and returning it to the freeze exchanger.

Apparatus comprising, in combination:

• freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• conduit means for delivering some of the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery in a location substantially below ground level to power the machinery by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water;
• means to spray spent water from the hydraulic machinery into the underground location for cooling therein;
• conduit means for feeding ice slurry from ground level to an underground location substantially below ground level to cool the underground location by heat exchange therewith and produce warm aqueous liquid;
• and
• conduit means for removing the warm aqueous liquid from the underground location and returning it to the freeze exchanger.

Apparatus comprising, in combination,

• a refrigeration system which rejects heat including freeze exchanger means at ground level in which an aqueous liquid is cooled to produce ice crystals and form an aqueous liquid ice slurry;
• conduit means for delivering some of the ice slurry to an ice washer;
• conduit means for delivering washed ice from the ice washer to an ice melter at ground level;
• conduit means for delivering water from the ice melter to hydraulic powered machinery in the location substantially below ground level to power the machinery by use of the hydrostatic pressure of the water;
• means to melt the washed ice by using heat rejected from the refrigeration system;
• conduit means for feeding the ice slurry from ground level to an underground location substantially below ground level to cool the underground location by heat exchange therewith and produce warm aqueous liquid;
• and
• conduit means for removing the warm aqueous liquid from the underground location and returning it to the freeze exchanger.