Research and Application of Wall-Attached Air Duct-Wet Vortex Dust Removal Collaborative Dust Control Technology in Continuous Miner Heading Face

Abstract Addressing the challenge of high-concentration dust dispersion and escape during the excavation process of coal mine continuous miners, particularly when brushing the right side and cutting medium-to-hard rock strata, where existing wet dust suppression technologies struggle to achieve efficient and comprehensive control, this study introduces and refines an innovative collaborative dust control technology: “wet vortex dust removal and purification equipment combined with a lateral wind curtain from a wall-attached air duct.” The research is grounded in practical applications at the 3,305 rubber-lined auxiliary transportation chute in Weiqiang Coal Mine, Yulin, Shaanxi Province. By independently developing compact, airborne wet vortex dust removal and purification equipment, integrating dust suction, wet vortex purification, and gas-liquid separation functions, the study aims to achieve efficient dust management near the dust source. Leveraging computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations and field tests, the study systematically examines the impact mechanism of the axial and transverse air distribution ratios of the wall-attached air duct on dust flow field regulation and dust reduction efficiency. The findings indicate that for rubber transportation chutes located on the same side as the dust source and air supply duct, a strong directional wind curtain created by a high transverse air ratio (2:8) can effectively limit dust dispersion to within 10 m, significantly enhancing the suction efficiency of the purifier. Conversely, for auxiliary transportation chutes situated on the opposite side, balancing dust source suppression and diffusion interception is crucial, with an optimal axial-to-transverse air distribution ratio of 4:6 yielding the best dust control results. Field applications demonstrate that this collaborative technology achieves average dust removal efficiencies of 93.77% and 90.23% for total and respirable dust, respectively, in rubber transportation chutes, and 94.26% and 91.00% in auxiliary transportation chutes. It effectively tackles the issue of high-concentration dust control in complex geological conditions and phased cutting processes, providing reliable technical support for efficient dust control in similar mining environments.