Fault tree analysis of dust suppression mechanism in a spray system with wetting agent

By using the fault tree analysis in reliability theory as the systematical analysis approach, the dust suppression mechanism in a spray system with wetting agent is shown in a logic tree and some graphical models. From these diagrams, all factors related to the spray system and their cause-and-effect relationship can be seen clearly. Based on the built logic tree, several mathematical models and new ideas for expressing the dust suppressing efficiency in the spray system are put forward. The significance of all factors related to the efficiency of suppressing dust is qualitatively described. Furthermore, the new concepts, such as, the effective reaction time between dust particle and droplet, the expansion phenomenon of laden dust droplet, the functions of volatile and the relative size distribution efficiency of wetting agent are presented. All this richenes the existing mechanism of dust abatement by spraying wetting agent. At last, several problems that need to be further investigated are also suggested in the paper.