Combustion spreading law of loose coal under the condition of lateral wind flow on the surface

The property of spontaneous combustion of coal boosts the fire potential in the process of storage and transportation, and hinders the sustainable development of the coal industry. Through the self-built open-vehicle coal transportation simulation experimental device, the internal high-temperature area spread and gas distribution rules of loose coal under the action of wind flows are analyzed. The results show that the cross-wind flow on the surface accelerates significantly the spread speed of coal combustion. Compared with the condition of wind flow of 0 m/s, the high-temperature area spread time is 0.3 times earlier (when the wind flow is 1 m/s) and 0.5 times earlier (when the wind flow is 2 m/s), and the maximum temperature of the high-temperature area increased by 120±20 °C; affected by the cross wind flow on the surface, the spreading path of the high-temperature area drifts in the direction of the wind. When the wind flow is 0 m/s, the time experienced by the rapid decline of the O2 concentration at the key point in the high-temperature area gradually increases with the depth, which will be shortened, as wind flow will intensify coal-oxygen reaction. The research results can provide a reference for coal transportation, coal storage, and coal fire control.