Study on the characteristics of dust diffusion during a truck travelling in an open-pit coal mine affected by the vertical wind shear

Wendong Zhou; Yanwei Cui; Hetang Wang; Li Chen; Ke Xu; Candong Wu; Gehui Ren

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136611

Study on the characteristics of dust diffusion during a truck travelling in an open-pit coal mine affected by the vertical wind shear

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Nov 20:483:136611. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136611. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Wendong Zhou¹, Yanwei Cui², Hetang Wang³, Li Chen², Ke Xu², Candong Wu², Gehui Ren²

Affiliations

¹ School of Emergency Management, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; State Key Laboratory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resource, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; School of Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
² School of Emergency Management, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
³ State Key Laboratory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resource, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; School of Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China. Electronic address: wanghetang@cumt.edu.cn.

PMID: 39616840
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136611

Abstract

Heavy trucks in open-pit mines are significant sources of dust. The diffusion of dust is primarily influenced by wind flow. The surface wind speed exhibits an exponential distribution as height increases. To investigate dust diffusion under the influence of wind shear, a numerical model was developed using real-scale data through computational fluid dynamics. The results indicate that wind shear significantly affects near-ground wind speeds. The ground-level wind speed near the rear of the truck exceeds the dust lift-off speed, reaching over 6 m/s. The acceleration of the ambient wind speed leads to extensive areas of turbulence with increased intensity. The location of the vortex zone represents the primary area of negative pressure. A higher ambient wind speed accelerates the dust discharge and generates a greater negative pressure, reaching -68 Pa at a wind speed of 9 m/s. The dust concentration behind the truck initially increases before subsequently decreasing. Notably, the local dust concentration at a wind speed of 9 m/s is lower than that at a wind speed of 5 m/s. The obstruction of airflow by the truck cab can result in elevated dust levels on the driver's side. Furthermore, high dust concentrations along driving paths necessitate appropriate truck spacing to protect operator health.

Keywords: Dust pollution; Numerical simulation; Open-pit mines; Truck travelling; Vertical wind shear.