The power loss generated by the air cushion belt conveyor when transporting materials mainly depends on the diameter of the orifice, the form of arrangement, and the thickness of the air film. A mathematical model of an air cushion belt conveyor is established through mechanical analysis, and the relationship between load distribution, air film thickness, air film carrying capacity, and power consumption is found. Numerical simulations of orifices of different diameters on the disk groove and the formed air film are carried out, and the loading capacity of the air film was analyzed by observing the stress and deformation of the wire rope core. The results show that the air film formed by the selected type of orifice arrangement in this paper carries the load, which causes the least amount of deformation and stress change in the wire rope core, and the stability of the air film loading capacity is also verified by experiments.

Aiming at addressing the problem of dust generated when grab is unloaded, the flow field characteristics of fugitive dust in an open space were studied and reflected its unstable and complex nonlinear dynamic process. Using coal, sand, and flour as research objects, an experimental model and measurement system for grab unloading were built, and the dust diffusion range, diffusion speed and direction, settling time, dust concentration, and induced wind velocity at different measurement points were compared. The computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD-DEM) coupling method was adopted, the discrete phase model (DPM) of dust was established, the interaction of the particle, dust, and airflow fields during the unloading process of the grab was further studied, and the distribution and diffusion laws of the induced airflow and dust were obtained. The acquisition of flow field characteristics is of great significance for controlling and guiding the orderly deposition of dust.