Research on Dust Migration and Dust Deposition Rules of Breathing Zone in Fully Mechanized Mining Face

Abstract

The dust in the breathing zone of the fully mechanized mining face poses a serious threat to the lives and health of the workers, and clarifying the distribution and settlement pattern of the dust in the breathing zone is an important foundation for reducing dust concentrations in the breathing zone and improving the workers' working environment. The dust concentration distribution at the mining face and the settlement results of different dust particle sizes along the breathing zone were analyzed in detail using a combination of computational fluid dynamics simulation and downhole measurements by establishing a highly simulated 3D solid model of the 2302 fully mechanized mining face at the Xinqiao coal mine. The study's findings reveal that dust from advanced support and coal-cutting processes converge within 20−60 m of the coal mining region, generating a highconcentration pollution zone at the height of the sidewalk breathing zone. The particle size of dust in the breathing zone is primarily concentrated between 1 and 40 μm, and the fully mechanized mining face is split into a rapid settling area, a medium settling area, and a slow settling area based on particle size settling speed. Eddy currents in the return airway lead to an increase in dust particles of 20−40 μm in the breathing zone area. The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for dust management at the fully mechanized mining face for the breathing zone area.

Gas–Solid Flow Characteristics of Airflow and Dust Particles in Blasting Excavation of Underground Metal Mine Tunnels

“…The progress of underground mining mechanization and the demand for large-scale high-intensity mining cause a sharp increase in total dust production during underground mine tunneling. − Diffusion of high-concentration dust particles not only pollutes the underground working environment and reduces the production efficiency but also seriously endangers the respiratory system of workers and, in specific cases, even triggers dust explosions. − In the past 10 years, the global incidence rate of pneumoconiosis has increased by 61.5% . Miners account for over 90% of occupational pneumoconiosis patients in China .…”