Dust Reduction Research Articles

Research of wet string grid dust removal vehicle and creation of dust control area on tunnel working face

The spread of blast dust throughout the tunnel becomes a common problem in drill and blast tunneling,the key to breaking through the problem is the creation of a dust control area on the working face.In view of this key problem, a wet string grid dust removal crawler vehicle was developed, the power of the vehicle came from the diesel generator, and further, the air cooler of the diesel generator was used to generate airflow, and the suction process formed by the on-board axial flow fan was coupled to create a dust control area of the working face after blasting.The results show that when the frequency of the axial flow fan is adjusted to 30 Hz, the airflow speed of the wet chord grid section reaches 3.34 m/s, and the dust removal efficiency is the highest, with a value of 94.3%.Compared with the non-use of the dust removal vehicle, when the air outlet of the air cooler is front, horizontal front, horizontal rear, the dust concentration is reduced by 74.37, 92.39 and 50.53%.Finally, the optimized wet grid dust removal crawler was installed in the Dading tunnel, and the actual dust reduction efficiency was about 78.49%. The results obtained provide an important technical way to improve the working environment of the drilling and blasting construction tunnel.

Investigations on the Influence of Catalyst Geometry on Emission Reduction in Small‐Scale Combustion System

Legal regulations for exhaust gas treatment in small‐scale combustion systems demand both emission and dust reduction. Simultaneously removing both pollutants using catalysts presents a significant challenge due to constraints on the very low allowed pressure drop over the catalyst. It can be demonstrated that the total oxidation of CO, as one of the main pollutants in the combustion of biogenic materials, in small‐scale combustion systems can be quantitatively achieved using precious metal‐based catalysts based on Pt/CeO2/TiO2. The highest CO conversion rate can be observed with a 233 cpsi honeycomb catalyst, whereas the foam ceramic catalysts with 30, 20, and 10 ppi show progressively decreasing activity. However, concerning dust reduction, it can be demonstrated that the ceramic foam with 10 ppi is superior, as evidenced in real‐world experiments conducted on an Leda Novia W small‐scale combustion device with 8 kW combustion capacity. Particle deposition on the catalysts is observed with all catalysts, whereby catalysts with small pores show rapid pore blockage. It is observed that only with the 10 ppi foam catalyst, dust deposition does not lead to pore blockage, allowing a reduction in dust of more than 50% over the measurement cycle.

Conceptual design and economic feasibility analysis of an eco-friendly pavement cutter equipped with scattered dust reduction function

This study presents a sustainable and innovative approach to green construction through the development of automatic pavement cutters. By comparing the performance of wet-type cutters with the newly developed automatic cutters, this research focuses on reducing scattering dust and promoting environmental sustainability. Comprehensive tests conducted on a testbed reveal that the automatic pavement cutters outperform their wet-type counterparts, reducing cutting time by 27% for asphalt pavement and an impressive 34% for concrete pavement. The newly developed equipment demonstrated noise levels of 82–83 dB at 4 m, meeting the low-noise target of 85 dB. Compared to conventional road cutters, it significantly reduces 11.5% noise pollution during road-cutting activities. Cost analysis reveals the economic feasibility of implementing these innovative machines, enabling the construction industry to achieve higher efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Embracing this green construction method paves the way for a more sustainable future.

Study on the characteristics of compound dust source pollution and foam dust suppression technology in coal mine anchor excavation production

To guard against the damage caused by the dust pollution of the shuttle driver in the anchor excavation production, the Discrete Phase Model(DPM)-Discrete Element Model(DEM) was constructed based on the gas-solid two-phase flow theory, the dust pollution characteristics of the shuttle transfer stage were numerically simulated, and a dual carborne combined foam dust suppression system was developed. The results showed that at the rear of the transfer machine, due to the reduction of the roadway section space during transferring made the wind velocity relatively maximum, and the space after transferring dispersed many cutting dust and transferring dust, resulting in the wind velocity after transferring was slightly smaller than before transferring, and the wind velocity difference was 0.18 m/s on average. The dust pollution in the operating environment of the shuttle driver before, during and after transferring was more serious, with 162.1 mg/m³, 340.7 mg/m³ and 540.8 mg/m³. There was variability in the particle diameter of dust generated by different processes, and smaller micron-sized dust particles were generated during transferring, of which respiratory dust below 7.07 μm accounted for up to 21% of the total. To reduce the high concentration of respiratory dust clusters, a strong wettability high-fold foam dust suppressant was prepared and applied to a dual carborne combined foam dust suppression system, and the average dust reduction rates of total dust and respiratory dust reached 91.9% and 93.6%, respectively.

Investigation of the impact of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate modification on the wettability of coking coal

ABSTRACT To investigate the impact of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) modification on coking coal’s wettability, our research focuses on coking coal and uses SDBS as the surfactant in the experiment. The surface tension, scanning electron microscope, FTIR, contact angle measurement, and reverse osmosis experiment are employed to measure the microscopic characteristics and wettability of raw coking coal, water-soaked coal, and coal soaked in 0.0005%, 0.005%, and 0.05% SDBS solutions. Finally, the dust reduction efficiency was determined by spray dust reduction experiments. We analyzed the effect of varying mass fractions of SDBS on coking coal’s wettability. The findings indicate that the surface of coal samples soaked in water and SDBS solution become rough. Adding clean water and SDBS solution improves the coal samples’ wettability. Among various coal samples soaked in different solutions, the one treated with 0.005% SDBS solution exhibits the smallest contact angle, significantly higher moisture absorption, and the most pronounced wetting effect. Soaking the coal samples in 0.005% SDBS solution can achieve the highest dust reduction efficiency. In summary, soaking the coal samples in no matter clean water or SDBS solution can enhance the wettability of coal dust, while soaking in 0.005% SDBS solution has a better effect.

Reduction of Fine Dust and Alleviation of Heat Island Effect: An Analysis of Cold Air Flow in Pohang City, South Korea

The urban heat island (UHI) effect poses a significant challenge for cities like Pohang, South Korea, which suffer from environmental pollution. Integrating a ventilation corridor into city planning can mitigate this issue. Despite wind’s potential as a resource for urban areas, its role remains under-studied in urban planning and design. To address this gap, this study analyzes the wind environment of Pohang City to identify effective strategies for reducing the UHI effect through the implementation of wind corridors, thereby enhancing the city’s thermal environment and sustainability. We used the KLAM_21 model to simulate and analyze the cold airflow. The results indicate that the land cover of Pohang, including residential and commercial areas, consists of urbanized dry areas. The wind direction over the past 10 years (2013–2022) has generally been west–southwest (247.5°). The cold air height and flow direction range expanded around the Hyeongsan River, eventually affecting the central city after 5 h. In the simulations, cold air accumulated above 30 m at specific locations near the valley’s base. After 2 h, the flow range of the cold air height increased. The green area ratio (GAR) and cold air speed positively correlated (+0.153). Thus, creating a wind-corridor forest could effectively address Pohang’s fine dust and UHI phenomena.

Research on factors affecting the spread of dust pollution in conveyor belt workshop and research on wet dust reduction technology.

At this stage, there are many dust-hazardous industries, and occupational pneumoconiosis has a high incidence for a long time. To solve the dust pollution problem in coal processing plant workshops, the dust particle field and liquid droplet particle field were numerically simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the influences of the induced airflow and corridor wind speed on the internal airflow field of the workshop were investigated to derive the dust pollution mechanism in the coal plant workshop under the change in the wind flow field. In this study, it was shown that the wind flow rate in the coal processing plant workshop is mainly affected by the corridor wind speed, and the higher the corridor wind speed is, the higher the wind flow rate. The induced airflow mainly affected the direction of the wind flow field in the workshop. According to the conclusions obtained from the simulations, a spray dust reduction system was designed for the coal processing plant workshop and applied in the Huangyuchuan coal processing plant. On-site measurement revealed that the dust reduction effect inside the coal processing plant workshop is obvious, and the overall dust reduction efficiency in the workshop reaches more than 94%, which meets the requirements of environmentally sustainable development and clean production.

Effects of street plants on atmospheric particulate dispersion in urban streets: A review

Numerous empirical studies have demonstrated that street trees not only reduce dust pollution and absorb particulate matter (PM) but also improve microclimates, providing both ecological functions and aesthetic value. However, recent research has revealed that street tree canopy cover can impede the dispersion of atmospheric PM within street canyons, leading to the accumulation of street pollutants. Although many studies have investigated the impact of street trees on air pollutant dispersion within street canyons, the extent of their influence remains unclear and uncertain. Pollutant accumulation corresponds to the specific characteristics of individual street canyons, coupled with meteorological factors and pollution source strength. Notably, the characteristics of street tree canopy cover also exert a significant influence. There is still a quantitative research gap on street tree cover impacts with respect to pollution and dust reduction control measures within street spaces. To improve urban traffic environments, policymakers have mainly focused on scientifically based street vegetation deployment initiatives in building ecological garden cities and improving the living environment. To address uncertainties regarding the influence of street trees on the dispersion of atmospheric PM in urban streets, this study reviews dispersion mechanisms and key atmospheric PM factors in urban streets, summarizes the research approaches used to conceptualize atmospheric PM dispersion in urban street canyons, and examines urban plant efficiency in reducing atmospheric PM. Furthermore, we also address current challenges and future directions in this field to provide a more comprehensive understanding of atmospheric PM dispersion in urban streets and the role that street trees play in mitigating air pollution.

Ventilation characteristics of double-forced air pipe ventilation in comprehensive mechanized excavation face and determination of its optimal parameters

ABSTRACT This study proposes a ventilation and dust control approach using double-forced air pipes at the tunnel excavation face, aiming to optimize the dust control and reduction measures for underground coal mining environment. We designed a physical model in proportion to the 11,139 excavation face in the Zhangji Coal Mine of China Huaihe Energy Holding Group Coal Company. To begin with, CFD numerical simulation was employed to unveil the basic laws of the double-forced air pipe ventilation approach, including airflow characteristics and dust concentrations. The orthogonal experimental method was then adopted to analyze the influence mechanism of installation location and airflow ratio of the double pipes on the dust density around the driver’s operating space. Results suggest that the double-forced air pipe ventilation can efficiently improve the airflow velocity at the excavation face, reaching 5.54 m/s. With the minimum dust density around the driver’s operating space as the optimal parameter standard and combined with the R value, the three factors in the orthogonal experiment can be sorted as: the distance between the forced ventilation pipe at the driver’s side and the excavation face (R = 206.91) > the distance between the forced ventilation pipe at the return air side and the excavation face (R = 171.72) > the airflow ratio of the two pipes (R = 77.52). The optimal combination is that the distance between the ventilation pipe at the driver’s side and the excavation face is 5 m, the distance between the ventilation pipe at the return air side and the excavation face is 5 m, and the airflow ratio of the two pipes is 6:4. In such a case, the dust density around the driver’s operating space is 48.21 mg/m3, achieving an ideal dust control effect.

Reduction in Atmospheric Particulate Matter by Green Hedges in a Wind Tunnel

Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in reducing atmospheric particulate matter (PM), modifying microclimates, and improving air quality. This study investigates the impact of a laurel hedge (Laurus nobilis L.) on airborne PM, specifically total suspended particulate (TSP) and respirable particles (PM4) generated by a Diesel tractor engine. Conducted in a wind tunnel of approximately 20 m, the research provides insights into dust deposition under near-real-world conditions, marking, to our knowledge, the first exploration in a wind tunnel of this scale. Potted laurel plants, standing around 2.5 m tall, were arranged to create barriers of three different densities, and air dust concentrations were detected at 1, 4, 9, and 14 m from the plants. The study aimed both to develop an experimental system and to assess the laurel hedge’s ability to reduce atmospheric PM. Results show an overall reduction in air PM concentrations (up to 39%) due to the presence of the hedge. The highest value of dust reduction on respirable particles was caused by the thickest hedge (three rows of plants). However, the data exhibit varying correlations with hedge density. This study provides empirical findings regarding the interaction between dust and vegetation, offering insights for designing effective hedge combinations in terms of size and porosity to mitigate airborne particulate matter.

Research on the dust reduction by spraying law of fully mechanized face using a large-scale dust and droplet coupling model

To effectively reduce the dust pollution in the fully mechanized face, this study proposes a large-scale dust-droplet coupling model based on LES-VOF and the dust-droplet probabilistic collision algorithm. Subsequently, the dispersion of droplets and dust under various spray pressures was analyzed. The accuracy of the model was verified through experiments and measurements, with a relative error of less than 15.0%. The analysis results indicated that the airflow on the air inlet side generated a vortex field, resulting in the accumulation of dust and droplets within 0–9.8 m from the heading face. The airflow on the air outlet side moved backward along the tunnel floor, causing the droplets and dust to disperse in a larger area. As the spray pressure increased, the droplet coverage distance showed a bimodal pattern, while the dust diffusion distance initially increased and then decreased. If the spray pressure exceeded 5 MPa, the covering distance of droplets and dust reached 23.0 m and 4.2 m, respectively, and the dust concentration in the area going beyond 15.0 m was below 20.0 mg/m3. The dust concentration at the driver's location was measured at 5.35 mg/m3, achieving a significant dust reduction rate of 90.60%. More importantly, the on-site application analysis has presented well-aligned data with the simulation results.

Molecular simulation study of the influence of different surfactants on the wetting characteristics of anthracite

The reduction of dust pollution in coal mines is of great importance both for protection of the environment and for the occupational safety and health of coal mine workers. The reduction of dust from anthracite has been a challenge due to its inherent hydrophobicity and high metamorphism. As a result, surfactants are commonly added to water to improve the wettability of coal, thereby improving the dust reduction efficiency of a water spray system. To clarify from a microscopic perspective the effect of different surfactants on the wettability of anthracite, models for the anthracite-surfactant-water system were established, and adsorption configuration, relative concentration distribution, and the diffusion coefficients of water molecules in the systems were thoroughly investigated with molecular simulations. The results showed the directional arrangement of surfactants in the simulation systems after 150 ps of equilibration, resulting in the reduced surface tension of the water-surfactant solution and enhanced wettability of anthracite. Along the (001) normal direction, the relative concentration of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) (15.32), the anthracite-water overlapping area, the diffusion rate of water molecules, and the activity (DSDBS = 0.97 × 10-8 m2·s−1) were maximized, indicating the excellent wettability effect of SDBS. The results of the study are of practical significance for improving the wetting effect of anthracite, improving the dust reduction efficiency, and safeguarding the occupational safety and health of personnel.

Research on the optimization formula performance and dust reduction effect of mine dust suppressant based on response surface method

Research on the optimization formula performance and dust reduction effect of mine dust suppressant based on response surface method

Experimental study on the charge characteristics and dust reduction performance of inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzle for dust pollution control

Dust caused by production activities is the main reason for endangering the production safety and workers' health. To investigate the potential ability of electrostatic dual-fluid nozzles for efficient control of dust pollution, an inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzle using profiled electrodes has been designed. From the charge experimental results, the critical voltage of the nozzle is determined to be 12 kV. The maximum droplet charge to mass ratio is achieved when brass electrodes are used. Droplet size and dust reduction experiments show that electrostatic forces enhance the secondary atomization effect and achieve the best parameters at 0.3 MPa water pressure and 0.6 MPa air pressure compared to uncharged dual fluid spray. This nozzle offers a significant improvement in dust reduction efficiency, it can reach more than 78%, an improvement of 18.2% over the uncharged spray. The research results can provide theoretical support for the applications in dust control of inductive electrostatic dual-fluid nozzles.

Research on coal dust pollution prevention and control based on co-solvent association: Macro-micro experiments and molecular dynamics simulations

In order to better solve the environmental pollution caused by coal dust flying. In this paper, the improvement of wetting and hydrophilicity of coal dust by the binary association solution of surfactant and chelating agent tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (IDS) was studied from the perspective of experiment at the Microcosm–macrocosm analogy levels. To further explore the synergistic mechanism between chelating agents and surfactants, a coal surfactant/chelating agent water three-phase system was constructed using molecular dynamics simulation, and the motion trends of each molecule in different solution systems were analyzed in depth. The combined analysis revealed that sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate had the best wetting performance when associated with IDS. It increases the surface pores and specific surface area of coal, and the surfactant is more widely adsorbed on the surface of coal dust. The proportion of oxygen-containing hydrophilic groups in coal dust increases, achieving improvement in wetting and hydrophilicity. Overcoming the problem of difficult wetting of coal dust has important practical significance for spray dust reduction and prevention of coal dust pollution.

Experimental study on the synergistic dust reduction of MNBs and surfactants

Spray dust suppression is a primary technological method for controlling coal mine dust. To enhance the wetting and adhesion of droplets to dust particles and improve the efficiency of spray dust suppression, a method of synergistic dust reduction by micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) and surfactants is proposed. This research focuses on MNBs, three different types of surfactants, and low-wetting anthracite coal. Experimental analysis is conducted to investigate the interaction between surfactants and MNBs in solution. The wetting capability of dust particles by the mixed solution of MNBs and surfactants is studied. Additionally, a spray dust suppression experimental platform is employed to compare the dust reduction efficiency of different types of surfactants in synergy with MNBs. The experimental results indicate that surfactants facilitate the generation of nanoscale bubbles, reduce the average diameter of MNBs, and the charge carried by surfactant molecules affects the potential of MNBs. Anionic surfactants decrease the bubble potential, while cationic surfactants elevate it, with non-ionic surfactants having a minimal impact on bubble potential. The presence of MNBs can temporarily reduce the surface tension of a surfactant solution, bringing it to the surface tension at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) but cannot surpass the surface tension beyond the CMC. The addition of low-concentration surfactant solutions to bubbles decreases the contact angle between dust particles and coal dust, while high-concentration surfactant solutions have the opposite effect. In general, the combined use of MNBs and surfactants is beneficial for improving spray dust suppression efficiency. However, extremely high surfactant concentrations lead to an excessive absolute value of bubble potential, enhancing the stability between dust particles and reducing dust suppression efficiency.

Numerical simulation of the fine kinetics of dust reduction using high-speed aerosols.

A numerical model of single-particle fog-dust collision coupling in a high-speed airflow based on three-phase flow theory. The effect of the fog-to-dust particle size ratio, relative velocity between the fog and dust particles, collision angle and contact angle at the wetting humidity function of dust particles is investigated. Different particle size ratios are determined for achieving the optimal wetting humidity for the interaction of high-velocity aerosols with dust particles of different sizes, for differ, that is, kPM2.5 = 2:1, kPM10 = 3.5:1 and kPM20 = 1.5:1. The optimal humidity increases with the relative velocity U between the fog and dust particles in the high-speed airflow. The larger the collision angle is, the lower the wetting rate is.The smaller the contact angle between the solid and liquid is, the better droplet wetting on dust is. The fine kinetic mechanism of single-particle fog-dust collision-coupling in a high-speed airflow is elucidated in this study.

Evaluation of the NOx Reduction Performance of Mortars Containing Zeolite/Activated Red Clay Coated with a TiO2 Photocatalyst.

Globally, there is a growing concern about air pollution due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, in this study, an experimental study was conducted to evaluate the performance of reducing nitrogen oxides, a precursor to fine dust, in mortars coated with a titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst, which has the effect of decomposing pollutants. In particular, in this study, zeolite and activated red clay were used as cement substitutes to improve the fine dust reduction performance of the TiO2 photocatalyst. A total of 14 different mixtures were designed, considering the substitution rates of zeolite and activated red clay (30%, 40%, and 50%) and the cement-fine aggregate ratio (1:2 and 1:3) as experimental variables. A TiO2 photocatalyst was employed in this study to evaluate the NOx reduction performance. As zeolite and activated red clay were added, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the mortars decreased by 15% to 60%, while the absorption rate increased by 5% to 16%. The NOx reduction efficiency of up to 67.4% was confirmed in the H50-3 specimen with the TiO2 catalyst. The NOx reduction performance of mortars with the TiO2 photocatalyst sprayed on their surface improved as the substitution ratio of zeolite and activated red clay increased. Additionally, it was confirmed that the NOx reduction effect of specimens using activated red clay was superior to those using zeolite. Therefore, through this study, it was confirmed that the NOx reduction performance of the TiO2 photocatalyst can be improved when zeolite and activated red clay are used as cement substitutes.

Research on Biomass Waste Utilization for Synergetic Reduction of Stainless Steel Sludge and Zinc-Containing Dust

Research on Biomass Waste Utilization for Synergetic Reduction of Stainless Steel Sludge and Zinc-Containing Dust

Analysis of early diagnosis and prevention techniques for occupational pneumoconiosis based on patent perspectives in China's coal industry

Occupational pneumoconiosis in the coal industry is an occupational disease that seriously endangers coal miners' health. Early diagnosis and prevention techniques are significant in controlling its incidence rate and reducing its harm. This article takes the patent data related to the early diagnosis and prevention of occupational pneumoconiosis in the coal industry, published from 1985 to 2021, as the research object. It uses tools such as the Derwent Data Analyzer (DDA) software, the Patyee Database, and the PatSnap Database to analyze the technological development trend and characteristics in this field from aspects of growth trend, primary patent holders, IPC classification layout, value, and research and development hotspots. The results show that the number of patent applications in this field indicates a rapid growth trend, mainly in the hands of Shandong Energy Group Co. Ltd., Shandong University of Science and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, and other institutions or enterprises. Patent technology mainly involves spray dust reduction, dust removal fans, dust masks, and other aspects with high patent value and innovation ability. This article provides a new perspective and reference for preventing, diagnosing, and treating occupational pneumoconiosis in the coal industry.