Experimental investigations of a novel pressure microfoam preparation device for dust removal

Abstract Compared with large size foam, pressure microfoam has the characteristics of a good pipeline transportation stability, good jet orientation, strong impact force, and strong ability to capture fine dust, which is more suitable for dust removal. The traditional foam preparation device has the disadvantages of high-pressure loss, poor foaming effect, and foam uniformity. To overcome the above shortcomings, the annular air supply vertical foam preparation device was proposed in the article. The foaming cylinder of the device adopts a vertical design to avoid the influence of uneven distribution of foam caused by gravity; the spiral nozzle is used to evenly spray the foaming liquid on the foaming mesh to increase the contact area between foam and airflow. The stainless steel wire mesh and cotton wire mesh are adopted to improve the reliability and durability of concave foaming mesh. The performance of the new device was obtained by the self-built experimental system. Finally, the field test shows that the conditions of the heading face could fully meet the requirements of the device for pressure water and compressed air, and the produced pressure microfoam can effectively control dust.