Use of air-and-water aerosol in control of airborne dust concentration in mine air
Antoni KALUKIEWICZ
Piotr ROJEK
In the Polish mining industry we observe high rate of incidence of pneumoconiosis. In the last decade over 4500 cases of pneumoconiosis among the people working in mine underground were reported. Recent implementation of mining concentration in Polish mines has lead to reduction of number of dust sources, what enables concentration of dust control equipment only in few places instead of dozen or so points in the mine. However, such a technological approach promotes generation of increased amount of dust in a confined space of underground workings.
In recent years new air-and-water spraying system to be implemented both in long wall sharers and in road headers have been developed in KOMAG. The experience gained so far gave the positive results, but still there is a need for further studies especially as regards proper proportion of water pressure and flow intensity in relation to air pressure and output as well as regards combination of such dispersed water drops with dust particles.
In the paper the tests aiming at assessment of air-and-water spraying system in comparison to other spraying systems commonly used in shearers and road headers as well as determination of correlation between dust control effectiveness, when air-and-water spraying system was used, and a quotient of air flow intensity and water flow intensity, are presented.