Mining Publication: Field Evaluation of Air-blocking Shelf for Dust Control on Blasthole Drills

• Drills
• Dust control
• Respirable dust
• Respirable dust level

In previous studies, an air-blocking shelf has been shown to be successful in reducing respirable dust leakage from the drill shroud in a laboratory setting. Dust reductions of up to 81 percent were achieved with the shelf under operating conditions consisting of a 1.9:1 collector-to-bailing airflow ratio and a 5.1-cm gap between the shroud and ground. Recent research focused on evaluating the shelf on two actual operating blasthole drills, in much more severe environments. In the field, the shelf reduced dust levels in the areas surrounding one operating blasthole drill by 70 percent. Dust reductions measured in the immediate vicinity of the shroud were reduced by 66 percent at one mine and 81 percent at the other mine. These field tests confirm that the air-blocking shelf is useful for reducing respirable dust generation from blasthole drills.