Modeling capture efficiency for a flooded bed dust scrubber incorporated into a longwall shearer using a small scale physical model and CFD

A. R. Kumar, W. C. Wedding, A. Jolly, S. Arya, T. Novak

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Coal dust in an underground mining environment has always been a health and safety issue, especially with longwall faces. Efforts to integrate a flooded bed scrubber within a longwall shearer are underway at the University of Kentucky (UK) in order to reduce worker exposure. Small scale physical modeling, along with numerical modeling and full-scale experimentation, are engineering tools being used by the authors for simulating operating conditions underground. Recent advances in affordable 3D printers offer a means for fabricating accurate, scale models for obtaining timely insights prior to building large, expensive test setups. Comparing scale-model results with those of numerical modeling, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), lends guidance and confidence in a proposed design. This paper discusses the small scale physical modeling of a longwall shearer with an incorporated flooded-bed dust scrubber in its operating environment. A tracer gas was used in the model in lieu of dust to measure dust-capture efficiency. Results obtained from the physical model are presented and compared with those of CFD model. The small scale model and the CFD results demonstrate good agreement. Dust capture results show the usefulness of the approach in advance of actual design implementation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo
Subtitle of host publicationThe Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World
PublisherSociety for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration
Pages584-586
Number of pages3
ISBN (Electronic)9781510825659
StatePublished - 2016
Event2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo: The Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World - Phoenix, United States
Duration: Feb 21 2016Feb 24 2016

Publication series

Name2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo: The Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World

Other

Other2016 SME Annual Conference and Expo: The Future for Mining in a Data-Driven World
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPhoenix
Period2/21/162/24/16

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geology
  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

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