Experimental studies on dust dispersion in mine airways

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the dispersion and deposition characteristics of fine coal dust in mine airways. Experiments were conducted at various flow velocities using bituminous and simianthracite coal dust which had a large proportion of dust in the respirable size range. Cross-sectional variations in the concentration of dust at various points in the airway were also measured. Instruments used in the experiments included gravimetric samplers and impactors. Concentration measurements were made for both the respirable and total airborne dust. The study is aimed at providing a better understanding of the temporal and spatial behavior of dust particles in underground mine airways.