Study on Wind-Splitting Dust Control Performance and Parameter Optimization in Fully Mechanized Excavation Face

To overcome the limited dust control efficiency and backward dust diffusion tendency in fully mechanized excavation faces, this study pioneeringly proposes a wind-splitting dust control method based on a mechanical iris structure. This method actively splits and precisely allocates the airflow from the forced air duct outlet, achieving a synergistic effect between axial dust suppression and radial dust blocking. Through laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, the influences of the radial split ratio and the installation distance of the wind-splitting device on airflow and dust distribution were investigated. Results indicate that the proposed method significantly outperforms traditional ventilation. Optimal dust-control performance, considering both roadway-average concentration reduction and rear-area protection, was obtained at a radial split ratio of 0.6 and an installation distance of 24 m. Under these conditions, the axial-radial airflow and the exhaust negative pressure form a stable dust-blocking air curtain and a dust-controlling vortex in the front roadway, confining dust primarily within 6.4 m from the heading face. The average breathing zone dust concentration decreased to 22.62 mg/m3, and the roadway average dropped to 31.50 mg/m3, with a dust control efficiency of 77.56% and a significant reduction in rear dust concentrations. This offers effective ventilation optimization.