Shendong Coal Mine Dust Control Technology Leads Globally
China Shenhua’s Shendong Coal has achieved an international milestone in coal mine occupational health and dust management after its research project on precise dust control and personal protection was appraised as internationally leading by the China National Coal Association.
The achievement, titled “R&D and Application of Key Technologies for Precise Dust Control and Efficient Personal Protection in Large Underground Coal Mines,” represents a comprehensive effort to address one of the long-standing challenges facing underground coal mining. The project combines advanced monitoring, targeted dust suppression, environmental control and personal protection technologies into an integrated system designed to reduce workers’ exposure to coal dust.
The research was developed as one of the top ten scientific and technological projects included in CHN Energy’s 2020 program, “Research on Dust and Occupational Disease Prevention and Control in Underground Coal Mines.” Its technologies have been applied at Daliuta Coal Mine, Shigetai Coal Mine and the Halagou Coal Preparation Plant.
Through these applications, Shendong Coal has established an end-to-end technical framework for preventing and controlling occupational diseases associated with coal mine dust. The approach covers three interconnected stages: controlling dust where it is generated, reducing dust as it travels through the working environment, and providing personal protective equipment as the final safeguard for miners.
Coal dust remains an important issue for underground mining operations because excessive exposure can affect occupational health while also creating challenges for safe and efficient production. The project was developed in response to persistent industry difficulties involving the measurement, control and prevention of dust exposure. Researchers therefore focused on developing technologies capable of making dust conditions more visible, enabling more precise intervention and strengthening protection for individual workers.
Advanced Dust Monitoring
A major component of the research has been the development of improved dust monitoring and assessment capabilities. The project established a full-scale simulation experimental platform and a high-precision testing platform for studying mine dust aerosols and prevention technologies.
Using these platforms, researchers analyzed the evolution of dust at mining and excavation working faces and investigated how dust particles are deposited within the human respiratory system. The findings provided a scientific basis for improving both environmental dust-control measures and worker protection.
The project also developed synchronous monitoring equipment capable of measuring total dust and respirable dust during mining operations. In addition, researchers established a rapid method for detecting dust composition and developed a monitoring and early-warning system focused on miners’ exposure to respirable dust.
Together, these technologies are intended to transform dust monitoring from a largely reactive process into a more data-driven system. By providing information on dust concentrations and exposure conditions, the technologies can support earlier identification of potential risks and more targeted control measures.
Five-in-One Dust Control System
On the dust-control side, the project developed a five-in-one equipment system designed for different operating environments, including mining and excavation working faces and coal preparation plants.
The system combines dust extraction and purification, atomized dust reduction, along-path purification, physical dust isolation and entrainment dust control. Rather than applying a uniform treatment to all dust sources, the approach is designed to identify specific sources and apply corresponding control technologies.
For coal preparation plant operations, researchers developed technologies including enclosed negative-pressure extraction for guide chutes and gas-liquid two-phase induced spraying. These measures are intended to improve the containment and removal of dust generated during material handling and processing.
A digital network integrating people, machines and the surrounding environment has also been established for dust monitoring and control. The system enables real-time perception of dust concentrations and supports adaptive adjustment of dust-removal equipment according to operating conditions.
This combination of monitoring and automated control provides a foundation for more responsive dust management, potentially allowing equipment operation to be adjusted as dust conditions change rather than relying solely on fixed operating parameters.
Enhanced Personal Protection
Personal protection forms the third major component of the project. Shendong Coal developed several types of protective equipment intended to provide effective filtration while addressing the practical requirements of underground mining.
The research includes high-efficiency, low-resistance self-priming half masks, coal mine safety-certified powered air-purifying full-face masks, and integrated mining protective clothing designed to provide dustproof and waterproof protection.
The project also investigated technologies for identifying potential health risks at an earlier stage. Using highly responsive sensor chips capable of detecting components of human exhaled breath, researchers developed an exhaled-breath electronic nose screening device and established a database of miners’ exhaled-breath characteristics.
Based on this work, the research has established a technical pathway for early screening of pneumoconiosis. The approach is intended to complement existing occupational health measures by exploring the potential of breath-based technologies for identifying warning indicators associated with the disease.
Industry Breakthroughs
According to Shendong Coal, the research has delivered several significant technological advances for the coal industry. These include real-time monitoring and early warning of miners’ exposure to respirable dust, addressing a previously identified technical gap.
The five-in-one dust prevention and control equipment set provides different treatment methods for different dust sources, supporting more targeted dust reduction. Meanwhile, micro-nano multi-stage fiber dust masks are designed to combine high filtration performance with improved wearing comfort, addressing the practical challenge of ensuring that protective equipment can be used effectively during demanding mining operations.
The development of the exhaled-breath electronic nose also provides an alternative technological pathway for the early screening and potential intervention of pneumoconiosis.
Following the international appraisal, Shendong Coal plans to accelerate the large-scale promotion and application of the technologies developed through the project. The company said it will continue to use scientific and technological innovation to strengthen miners’ occupational health protection while supporting safe and stable energy production.
The project demonstrates how advances in monitoring, automation, dust-control equipment and personal protection can be integrated into a broader occupational health strategy for large underground coal mines. Its continued application at Shendong Coal’s operations is expected to provide further experience for the development and deployment of dust prevention and control technologies across the coal mining sector.
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