Influence of coal type on water spray suppression of airborne respirable dust

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Aerosol Science and Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/02786829408959701· OSTI ID:7029436

Organiscak, J A ^[1]; Leon, M H ^[2]

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1. Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
2. SSI, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the water spray capture efficiency of airborne respirable dust generated from nine different bituminous coal seams. Experiments involved grinding a uniform coal sample mass, injecting the dust into a closed steady-state chamber, and measuring the aerosol's decay response when exposed to a hollow cone water spray. The amount of airborne dust generated from these differential coal types varied, but had similar particle size distributions. The spray knockdown efficiency was comparable among coal types, and the size distribution of the dust was uniformly reduced by the water spray. Since water spray capture efficiency remained essentially uniform, the dust concentration at the end of the spray period was a function of the amount of dust generated. Therefore, a particular water spray system used in different coal seams under identical operating conditions (seam height, airflow, water pressure and flow, mining practices, etc.) can be expected to remove airborne dust in a uniform manner. However, dust concentrations will likely vary around identical water spray control systems used in different underground mines because of the diversity in operating conditions and the amount of dust generated from different coal scams. 11 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 7029436
• Journal Information: Aerosol Science and Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Aerosol Science and Technology; (United States) Vol. 21:2; ISSN 0278-6826; ISSN ASTYDQ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012033* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Underground Mining-- Mine Environment-- (1987-)
440600 -- Optical Instrumentation-- (1990-)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL MINES
COLLOIDS
COMPILED DATA
CONTROL
DATA
DISPERSIONS
DUSTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INHALATION
INTAKE
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINES
NUMERICAL DATA
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
POLLUTION CONTROL
SIZE
SOLS
SPRAYS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
WATER