Modeling the Influence of Dust-Removing Extraction Fan’s Parameters on the Dust Control Effects in the Tunnel

Abstract

In the process of comprehensive mechanized tunnelling in coal mines, forced ventilation is usually adopted to supply air in China. But this ventilation mode could cause the dust rise and diffuse more easily, which has threaten the mine workers’ health seriously. To solve this problem, dust-removing extraction fan is generally used to suck and purify dusty air in mines. However, the optimal arrangement scheme for dust control is rarely systematically studied. In this paper, we took the tunnel in Donghuantuo Mine as an example and use CFD simulation technology to analyze the dust migration law and dust control effects under different conditions. An unsteady state solution is used to simulate the process and the simulation have realized the visualization of dust migration process with time and the results are as follows. Firstly, it’s better for dust control to arrange the inlet of the dust-removing extraction fan to the air return side rather than to the center of the tunnel. Secondly, the dust control effects decrease with the distance between inlet of the dust-removing extraction fan and heading face increases. Thirdly, as the amount of air suction is larger than air supply, the dust control efforts would get worse. Field test results are similar with that obtained from simulation under the optimal arrangement, which proves the reliability of simulation.