Experimental study on the influence of longitudinal slope on airflow-dust migration behavior after tunnel blasting

In this paper, a 1:21 model experiment was conducted to discuss the dust diffusion efficiency and liner trolley obstruction effect inside the tunnel at − 9% to 9%, the effect of different initial dust concentrations on dust diffusion and liner trolley obstruction effect at 6% slope, and the effect of different return air velocity on dust diffusion at 6% slope, the reliability of the results is verified by computational fluid dynamics simulations. The results show that as the slope of the tunnel changes from 0 to − 9%, the average dust diffusion time decreases by 3.7% at the working face and the dust concentration difference between the front and rear of the trolley is improved by 2.7%. When the slope of the tunnel changes from 0 to − 9%, the average dust diffusion time increases by 7.2% at the working face and the dust concentration difference between the front and rear of the trolley is improved by 17.9%. With each 100 mg/m3 increase in the initial dust concentration, the dust diffusion time at the working face and the tunnel exit increases by 9.15% and 8.17% on average, and the lining trolley obstruction time increases by 23.33 s on average. The dust diffusion times take an average reduction rate of 15.7%, with the increase of return air velocity. The recommended return air velocity is greater than 1 m/s for large slope tunnels. When the slope changes from 0° to 9°, the hindrance rate of slope on dust diffusion is 2.88462%, 8.65385%, and 16.34615% respectively. Dust diffusion efficiency will be reduced as the tunnel slope changes from 0° to 9°, The growth rate of slope on dust diffusion is − 0.96154%, − 2.88462%, and − 6.73077% respectively.