Experimental and numerical study of fence effects on dust emission into atmosphere from open storage piles

The results obtained from the research on the behaviour of fences (solid and porous) in the protection against particulated material emission to the atmosphere from open storage piles, are presented. This research was carried out through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation by software Ansys CFX-10.0 in 3D, with K-epsilon being considered in the turbulence model. The efficiency of the use of porous fences as a protection against the wind flow, which interacts with an open storage pile, is shown. The use of these fences (when porosity is ɛ =30%) allows the reduction of wind flow velocity which interacts with the pile in comparison with the case of no use of fences (when porosity is 100%). In addition, the use of porous fences makes the velocity vortex, which is formed between the solid fence ( ɛ =0%) and the pile, disappear, reducing the particle emission to the atmosphere by 78%.