A new adding method of foaming agent used for foam dust suppression in underground coal mines

To realize a stable addition of foaming agent used for foam technology, a new adding method using the jet cavitation was introduced, and its performance was investigated experimentally under different operating conditions. Experimental results show that the bubble region in the jet device has a constant vapor pressure, which creates a good condition for liquid absorption, while it shrinks with increasing outlet pressure. The liquid absorption amount keeps unchanged when the outlet pressure is lower than a critical value. The critical outlet pressure increases by 40% with decreasing cavitation absorption amount, which is especially suitable for mini-flow quantitative addition of foaming agent used for foam dust suppression. Its effectiveness on suppressing mine dust was evaluated in a heading face of underground coal mines. Field application indicates that the reliable and simple foaming system adopting the new adding method makes a marked dust suppression effect. The working environment of heading face is significantly improved, ensuring the safe tunneling and personal security.