Air floatation based dust suppression device for antimony tailing pond and method of use thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an antimony tailing pond dust suppression device based on an air float and a use method thereof. The device comprises an air float, a supporting column and a cover plate. The air float is internally formed with a closed air cavity. The supporting column connects the air float and the cover plate. The cover plate is located above the air float. The air float can float in the antimony tailing slurry or be supported on the surface of the antimony tailing accumulation. The cover plate is driven to ascend and descend along with the change of the tailing slurry liquid level and the tailing accumulation height, so as to continuously shield the surface of the tailing, weaken the air flow disturbance and suppress the antimony-containing particle dust. In use, the device is arranged in the antimony tailing pond, and then the antimony tailing slurry is discharged, so that the self-adaptive floating of the device is realized by the tailing slurry buoyancy. The device has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, convenient use and position adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of antimony tailings treatment technology, specifically to a dust suppression device for antimony tailings ponds based on air floats and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Antimony and its compounds possess certain environmental toxicity. Antimony in the atmosphere can exist within particulate matter of varying sizes and can migrate with atmospheric movement. Existing research indicates that anthropogenic activities such as antimony ore mining and non-ferrous metal smelting can release antimony-containing particulate matter into the atmosphere. Antimony entering the atmosphere also exhibits relatively long residence and migration characteristics; therefore, source control of antimony-containing particulate matter is of significant environmental importance. Related studies also indicate that processes such as antimony ore mining are among the anthropogenic sources of atmospheric antimony pollution, and antimony-containing particulate matter entering the atmosphere increases the antimony pollution load on the surrounding environment.

[0003] Tailings generated during antimony ore beneficiation typically need to be transported to tailings ponds for storage. When tailings enter the pond, they have a high moisture content. As solid particles settle, moisture migrates, and evaporates, the surface of the tailings gradually changes from a wet to a relatively dry state. When the surface tailings contain a large number of fine particles, these particles are prone to detachment, rolling, jumping, and suspension under natural wind, thus forming antimony-containing tailings dust. Especially in long-term operating antimony tailings ponds, the repeated discharge, deposition, and drying of tailings constantly alters the original depositional morphology and elevation of the newly formed tailings, preventing the dust source from remaining in a fixed location for an extended period.

[0004] Existing tailings dust control methods typically reduce the migration of fine particles under wind influence by increasing the surface humidity of the tailings, installing covering materials, consolidating the surface, or constructing a vegetation layer. These technologies are effective for tailings surfaces with relatively stable locations and shapes. However, operating tailings dams continuously receive tailings slurry, and the tailings accumulation area undergoes processes such as slurry flow, particle deposition, surface elevation, and subsequent drying. Therefore, fixedly arranged shielding structures are prone to mismatches between their protective height and the tailings surface, and covering materials directly laid on the tailings surface may be affected by subsequent tailings slurry flow and new tailings deposition. Repeated manual adjustments as the tailings surface changes further increase maintenance workload. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the above problems, this invention provides a dust suppression device for antimony tailings ponds based on air pontoons, comprising air pontoons, support columns, and cover plates; the air pontoons form a sealed air cavity inside and are used to float in antimony tailings slurry or be supported on the surface of antimony tailings accumulation; the support columns are fixedly connected to the upper side of the air pontoons, and the cover plates are fixedly connected to the upper end of the support columns, with a gap space formed between the cover plates and the air pontoons.

[0006] This invention utilizes the buoyancy of air-filled floats in antimony tailings slurry, allowing the cover plate to rise synchronously with the increase in tailings slurry level and tailings accumulation surface, always remaining above the newly formed tailings surface. When external wind blows towards the device, the spherical cover plate first gently guides most of the airflow upwards and to the sides, preventing the airflow from directly sweeping the tailings surface; the small amount of airflow entering between the cover plate and the air-filled floats is buffered within the gap and dispersed in all directions. Through this method of first diverting, then buffering and dispersing, a relatively stable low-wind-speed zone can be formed below the cover plate, reducing wind erosion and airflow disturbance on the tailings surface, making it difficult for antimony-containing fine particles to be blown up and dispersed, thereby continuously suppressing dust during the tailings accumulation process.

[0007] Furthermore, the air pontoon is a thin cylinder with a diameter greater than its height. This flattened structure allows for several advantages. First, it maintains a large sealed air cavity volume and buoyancy while increasing the horizontal dimensions of the air pontoon, distributing buoyancy over a wider area. This improves the stability of the device when floating on antimony tailings slurry and reduces the likelihood of the air pontoon tilting or overturning when the cover plate is subjected to wind or slurry flow. Second, the larger radial dimension increases the stress range of the air pontoon when supported on the tailings accumulation surface, reducing the pressure per unit area on the soft tailings and minimizing the extent to which the air pontoon sinks into the tailings layer, facilitating its re-floating during subsequent tailings slurry discharge. Finally, the smaller pontoon height helps lower the overall center of gravity of the device, giving the structure composed of the air pontoon, support column, and cover plate better anti-overturning stability.

[0008] Furthermore, multiple support columns are provided, distributed circumferentially around the air pontoons. This multi-point support allows the load on the cover plate to be transferred more evenly to the air pontoons, reducing the possibility of excessive stress on a single support column and localized deformation of the cover plate. Simultaneously, the circumferential spacing improves the stability of the connection between the cover plate and the air pontoons, reducing the risk of tilting or deflection of the device under wind or tailings slurry disturbance, and maintaining the relative stability of the space between the cover plate and the air pontoons.

[0009] Furthermore, multiple downward-extending limiting strips are provided on the lower side of the air pontoon, with these strips spaced apart circumferentially around the air pontoon. When the device floats in the tailings slurry or is supported on the surface of the tailings accumulation, the limiting strips can extend at least partially into the tailings slurry or tailings sediment layer. This utilizes the resistance generated by the tailings slurry and tailings particles on the limiting strips to restrict the lateral drift and rotation of the air pontoon, reducing the possibility of significant displacement of the device under the influence of wind or tailings slurry flow. Simultaneously, the circumferential spacing of the multiple limiting strips creates a relatively uniform limiting effect in different directions and preserves the flow channel for the tailings slurry between adjacent limiting strips, preventing interference with the entry of tailings slurry below the air pontoon and the normal buoyancy of the air pontoon.

[0010] Furthermore, the limiting strips are plate-shaped, with gaps between adjacent limiting strips to allow tailings slurry and tailings particles to pass through. Compared to rod-shaped structures, plate-shaped limiting strips provide a larger surface area for incoming flow and contact, thereby increasing the lateral resistance of the tailings slurry and tailings deposits to the limiting strips and improving the restriction effect on the lateral drift and rotation of the air buoy. At the same time, the gaps between adjacent limiting strips allow the tailings slurry and tailings particles to flow smoothly into and around the air buoy, avoiding continuous obstruction by the limiting structure that would affect slurry replenishment and the buoy's buoyancy rise, thus balancing the limiting stability of the device with its normal buoyancy capacity.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower surface of the air pontoon is designed as a downward-convex first cone, with the axis of the first cone oriented vertically. This first cone allows the tailings slurry entering below the air pontoon to gradually expand towards the bottom of the pontoon along the inclined cone, making the lower part of the pontoon more gently affected by the slurry, which is beneficial for the stable buoyancy of the air pontoon. During the tailings particle deposition process, the inclined first cone also guides the tailings particles to disperse outwards, reducing the formation of large-area planar compaction and adhesion of tailings at the bottom of the pontoon, thereby reducing the resistance encountered when the air pontoon is supported on the tailings accumulation surface and then floats again. Simultaneously, the first cone can partially embed into the softer tailings accumulation layer, providing a certain positioning effect for the air pontoon and further reducing the possibility of lateral movement of the device under wind force.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper surface of the air pontoon is a second conical surface that bulges upwards, with its axis set vertically. This second conical surface serves two purposes: firstly, it allows tailings slurry, tailings particles, and rainwater falling onto the upper surface of the air pontoon to flow outwards along the inclined conical surface, reducing material and water accumulation at the top of the pontoon and preventing the pontoon's buoyancy performance from being affected by increased additional load; secondly, it forms a flow-guiding space between the second conical surface and the upper cover plate. When external airflow enters this space from the outside of the cover plate, the second conical surface deflects some of the lateral airflow upwards along its inclined surface, reducing the airflow's proximity to the tailings accumulation surface. This reduces wind speed and airflow disturbance near the tailings surface, minimizing the possibility of antimony-containing fine particles being blown up and diffused outwards.

[0013] Furthermore, the height of the second cone is greater than that of the first cone. By making the upper second cone higher, the guiding effect of the second cone on the airflow between the inlet cover and the air pontoon is increased, allowing the laterally entering airflow to be more fully deflected upwards along the second cone, reducing the airflow's proximity to the tailings accumulation surface, thereby reducing wind speed and disturbance intensity near the tailings surface and enhancing dust suppression. At the same time, the higher second cone has a more obvious discharge slope, which is conducive to the discharge of tailings particles and rainwater from the upper surface of the air pontoon to the outside. The relatively lower first cone prevents the air pontoon from embedding too deeply into the tailings sediment layer, reducing the resistance of the air pontoon detaching from the tailings accumulation surface when discharging tailings slurry again, thus balancing the upper wind-guiding and dust suppression effect with the lower repeated buoyancy performance.

[0014] Furthermore, multiple downward-extending wind-blocking strips are provided around the outer perimeter of the cover plate, with these strips spaced apart circumferentially. These strips disperse and turbulent the lateral airflow entering from the outer perimeter of the cover plate, causing the airflow to be diverted, slowed, and dissipated as it passes through the gaps between adjacent strips. This reduces the average wind speed entering the space below the cover plate and weakens the direct sweeping and shearing effects of the airflow on the tailings accumulation surface. Simultaneously, the circumferential distribution of multiple strips provides wind-blocking effects from different wind directions, while the spacing between adjacent strips prevents the cover plate from forming a completely enclosed structure, reducing excessive wind pressure on the cover plate and balancing dust suppression with the wind resistance stability of the device.

[0015] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for using a dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Place the dust suppression device in the designated area within the antimony tailings dam; Step 2: Discharge antimony tailings slurry into the antimony tailings pond, so that the antimony tailings slurry enters the area around and below the air float. Under the buoyancy of the antimony tailings slurry, the air float drives the support column and cover plate to float upward. Step 3: After the tailings particles in the antimony tailings slurry are deposited, as the antimony tailings slurry level decreases, the air float is lowered and supported on the newly formed antimony tailings accumulation surface. The cover plate is located above the antimony tailings accumulation surface and shields it.

[0016] Furthermore, the antimony tailings slurry is discharged into the antimony tailings dam using a multi-point dispersion method. The discharge points are located between adjacent dust suppression devices and / or around the dust suppression devices. By avoiding direct and concentrated impact of the tailings slurry on the air floats, the lateral thrust and overturning disturbance generated by the slurry flow on the device are reduced. At the same time, multi-point dispersion discharge allows the tailings slurry to flow more evenly from different directions to the area around and below the air floats, making the buoyancy of the air floats more balanced. This is conducive to the stable floating of the device and promotes more uniform deposition of tailings among multiple dust suppression devices.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) The present invention uses a spherical cap-shaped cover plate to gently divert the external airflow, and uses the space between the cover plate and the air float to buffer, redistribute and circumferentially disperse a small amount of incoming airflow, thereby reconstructing the wind field near the tailings surface, forming a relatively stable low wind speed area, reducing wind shear and airflow disturbance, reducing the initiation, suspension and diffusion of antimony-containing fine particles, and suppressing tailings dust.

[0018] (2) The present invention is mainly composed of air floats, support columns and cover plates. The structure is simple and does not require motors, hydraulic cylinders, complex transmission mechanisms and special power control systems. Each component can be made of conventional corrosion-resistant metal materials or polymer materials. The manufacturing process is mature and easy to process in batches, which helps to reduce the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the device.

[0019] (3) When using this invention, you only need to place the pre-prepared dust suppression device in the predetermined area of ​​the antimony tailings pond, and then discharge the antimony tailings slurry according to the normal ore discharge conditions of the tailings pond. The device can be floated by the buoyancy of the tailings slurry itself. No additional energy supply is required, and there is no need for frequent manual lifting and lowering operations. It is easy to promote and apply in large-area tailings ponds.

[0020] (4) The present invention does not use a fixed vertical shaft or the like to rigidly limit the device to a specific position in the tailings pond. The air float can float or be supported on the tailings surface. When the device is shifted due to tailings slurry flow, wind action or uneven tailings deposition, or when the original arrangement position is no longer suitable, it can be directly pulled, pushed or moved to the target area. The adjustment operation is simple and flexible.

[0021] Based on the above beneficial effects, this invention has good application prospects in the field of tailings treatment technology. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a dust suppression device for an antimony tailings dam based on air pontoons.

[0023] Figure 2 The velocity vector diagram of the XZ section (X is the airflow direction, Z is the vertical direction).

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flow path diagram of the XY section (Y is the horizontal direction).

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an air pontoon with a limiting strip.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an air pontoon having a first conical surface and a second conical surface.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a cover plate with a windbreak strip.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Air float; 2. Support column; 3. Cover plate; 4. Limiting strip; 5. Wind choke strip. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] This embodiment provides a dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes an air float 1, a support column 2, and a cover plate 3. After antimony ore undergoes beneficiation processes such as crushing, grinding, and flotation, the target antimony-bearing minerals are enriched to form a concentrate. The remaining fine-grained minerals and beneficiation water form antimony tailings slurry, which is transported through pipelines and discharged into an antimony tailings pond. Upon entering the tailings pond, the antimony tailings slurry gradually spreads, with solid particles settling under gravity and water migrating, discharging, or evaporating towards lower levels within the pond, thus gradually forming a tailings accumulation layer. Because the antimony tailings undergo grinding, they contain a large number of fine particles, and these particles may contain residual antimony-bearing minerals or other antimony-containing components. After further dehydration and drying of the tailings surface, these fine particles are easily agitated, suspended, and diffused by wind, forming antimony-bearing tailings dust. Therefore, this embodiment utilizes the process of antimony tailings from slurry discharge and deposition to gradual drying, enabling the dust suppression device to automatically adjust its working position according to changes in the tailings accumulation height.

[0032] The air pontoon 1 is a thin, cylindrical, sealed floating body with a sealed air cavity inside. The diameter of the air pontoon 1 is greater than its height. In this embodiment, the diameter of the air pontoon 1 can be set to 1.5–2.5 m, and the height can be set to 0.25–0.50 m, for example, a diameter of 2.0 m and a height of 0.35 m. The air pontoon 1 can be made of high-density polyethylene, fiberglass, or corrosion-resistant metal materials, ensuring that the sealed air cavity does not communicate with the outside world during long-term use. The large diameter-to-height ratio gives the air pontoon 1 a large horizontal buoyancy range and lowers the overall center of gravity of the device, making it less prone to significant tilting when the device floats in antimony tailings slurry. When particles in the tailings slurry settle and the water level drops, the large bottom size can also disperse the pressure of the device on the wet and soft tailings accumulation surface, reducing the possibility of the air pontoon 1 sinking excessively into the tailings.

[0033] Multiple support columns 2 are provided on the upper side of the air pontoon 1. In this embodiment, six support columns 2 are provided, and the six support columns 2 are evenly distributed around the central axis of the air pontoon 1. The support columns 2 can be made of stainless steel pipe, aluminum alloy pipe, or fiberglass pipe, and the height of the support columns 2 can be 0.30-0.80 m, for example, 0.50 m. The lower end of each support column 2 is fixedly connected to the air pontoon 1, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the cover plate 3, thereby stably supporting the cover plate 3 above the air pontoon 1. The multiple support columns 2 can distribute and transfer the self-weight and wind load of the cover plate 3 to the air pontoon 1, and maintain a stable space between the cover plate 3 and the air pontoon 1; the adjacent support columns 2 remain open, allowing tailings slurry and airflow to pass through this area.

[0034] The cover plate 3 is an upwardly convex spherical crown structure, with a horizontal projected area larger than that of the air float 1. In this embodiment, the diameter of the cover plate 3 can be set to 2.5–3.5 m, for example, 3.0 m, and the height of the spherical crown can be 0.25–0.50 m. The cover plate 3 can be made of fiberglass, weather-resistant polymer composite board, or thin-walled anti-corrosion metal plate to balance weight, weather resistance, and structural strength. The outer periphery of the cover plate 3 extends horizontally beyond the outer periphery of the air float 1, thereby expanding the tailings surface area that a single device can shield. The spherical crown-shaped surface allows external wind to be diverted to the surrounding area along its arc-shaped surface when acting on the cover plate 3, reducing local wind pressure compared to the vertical windward surface. At the same time, rainwater and tailings particles falling on the cover plate 3 can be discharged outward along the spherical crown-shaped surface, preventing long-term accumulation at the top of the cover plate 3.

[0035] In practical use, multiple dust suppression devices are installed according to the area of ​​the antimony tailings dam to be controlled. Taking a cover plate 3 with a diameter of approximately 3.0 m as an example, the horizontal projected area of ​​a single cover plate is approximately 7 m². 2 However, considering the need to reserve space for tailings slurry flow, sedimentation, and device floating between units, the actual layout can set the center-to-center distance between adjacent units to approximately 3–6 m, and adjust it according to the tailings dam discharge location, prevailing wind direction, and the degree of dust generation in local dry beaches. For a 1000 m³... 2 In key dust control areas, dozens of devices can be deployed without using a single oversized cover to cover the entire area. By distributing multiple small and medium-sized devices, the wind load on a single cover can be reduced, and each air float 1 can adapt to changes in tailings slurry level and tailings deposition height at its location. Even if there is a certain height difference in the tailings accumulation surface, each device can still adjust its height independently.

[0036] Before use, multiple pre-prepared dust suppression devices are placed directly in the designated discharge area of ​​the antimony tailings dam or on the surface of existing tailings accumulation. Antimony tailings slurry is then discharged into the tailings dam. The slurry gradually flows around the air float 1. When the buoyancy generated by the tailings slurry discharged by the air float 1 exceeds the device's own weight, the air float 1 begins to rise, simultaneously raising the support column 2 and the cover plate 3. As the discharge continues, the device floats in the tailings slurry. After the tailings particles gradually settle, water is discharged, and the tailings slurry level decreases, the air float 1 descends and eventually rests on the newly formed tailings accumulation surface, keeping the cover plate 3 above the tailings surface. After the tailings surface is further dried, the cover plate 3 shields the tailings below, reducing direct wind blowing of fine tailings particles and minimizing airflow disturbance near the tailings surface, thereby suppressing dust generation from antimony-containing fine particles.

[0037] When new antimony tailings slurry is discharged into the tailings dam again, the air pontoon 1 regains buoyancy and lifts the cover plate 3 again; after the new tailings are deposited, the device is supported on the further raised tailings accumulation surface. Thus, the device can gradually move upward with the cycle of tailings slurry discharge, pontoon buoy rising, tailings deposition, liquid level drop, pontoon support on the new accumulation surface, and discharge of tailings again, making the cover plate 3 less likely to be buried due to continuous tailings accumulation, thereby continuously playing a dust suppression role during the long-term operation of the antimony tailings dam.

[0038] To further verify the airflow regulation and dust suppression effect of the dust suppression device of the present invention, a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of the device was established. As a representative dimension, the air pontoon 1 adopts a thin cylindrical structure with a diameter of 2.0 m and a height of 0.25 m; the cover plate 3 adopts an upwardly convex spherical crown structure, with the edge of the crown and the vertical distance between it and the top surface of the air pontoon 1 being 0.25 m, and the top of the crown and the top surface of the air pontoon 1 being 0.75 m. The air pontoon 1 and the cover plate 3 are connected by four circumferentially spaced support columns, thereby forming an intervening space between the cover plate 3 and the air pontoon 1 for airflow passage. During the simulation, the lower part of the air pontoon 1 is placed below the tailings slurry surface, and only the part of the air pontoon 1 exposed to air, the support columns 2, and the cover plate 3 are included in the airflow calculation domain. Sufficiently large upstream inflow development zones and downstream wake development zones are set to reduce the influence of the calculation domain boundaries on the flow field near the device. The computational domain was discretized using a grid, with particular emphasis on local mesh refinement in the windward region of cover plate 3 and the space between cover plate 3 and air buoy 1, to improve the analytical capabilities for flow characteristics such as airflow separation, boundary layer development, and local backflow. A pressure-based steady-state solver and a k-ω SST turbulence model were used for the solution. The pressure-velocity coupling employed the SIMPLEC algorithm, and the convection terms for the momentum equation, turbulent kinetic energy, and specific dissipation rate were discretized using a second-order windward discretization scheme. A 3 m / s horizontal uniform inflow was set at the computational domain inlet, with the inflow direction along the X-axis. Initially, the vertical and lateral velocity components were both zero, the inlet turbulence intensity was set to 5%, and a pressure outlet boundary was used with a relative static pressure of 0 Pa. Figure 2 This is the velocity vector diagram of the XZ section, where the airflow is along the X direction and Z is the vertical direction. Figure 3 This is a flow path diagram of the XY section, where the XY plane is parallel to the ground. (Example:) Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the upstream horizontal airflow undergoes significant deflection and spatial splitting upon reaching the spherical cap-shaped cover plate, with some airflow flowing around to both sides along the outer surface of the cover plate. Airflow entering the space between the cover plate 3 and the air pontoon 1 continues to disperse to both sides as it moves towards the leeward side, significantly reducing the flow velocity in the leeward region. The streamlines near the top of the air pontoon 1 also exhibit significant deflection, with a large number of streamlines bypassing the area covered by the cover plate 3 and diffusing outwards, forming a relatively low-speed airflow region within the coverage area of ​​the cover plate 3. These results demonstrate that using a spherical cap-shaped cover plate 3 with a horizontal projection size larger than that of the air pontoon 1, and maintaining an appropriate distance between the cover plate 3 and the air pontoon 1, can effectively reconstruct the airflow path near the tailings surface, reducing the degree to which external horizontal wind directly enters below the cover plate 3 and sweeps across the tailings surface. This reduces the wind shear and turbulent disturbance experienced by the tailings surface, decreasing the initiation, suspension, and outward diffusion of fine antimony tailings particles. Numerical simulation results verify the feasibility of this invention for dust suppression in antimony tailings ponds from an aerodynamic perspective.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] Based on Example 1, such as Figure 4 As shown, the lower side of the air float 1 is provided with multiple downwardly extending limiting strips 4, which are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the air float 1. In this embodiment, there are 8 to 16 limiting strips 4, for example, 12, and they are evenly arranged around the central axis of the air float 1. The upper end of each limiting strip 4 is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the air float 1. The downward extension length of the limiting strip 4 can be 150 to 400 mm, so that when the air float 1 floats in the tailings slurry, the limiting strip 4 can be immersed in the tailings slurry; when the tailings slurry settles and forms a relatively soft tailings accumulation layer, the limiting strip 4 can at least partially insert into the tailings accumulation layer.

[0041] In this embodiment, the limiting strip 4 is a vertically arranged plate-shaped component, which can be made of stainless steel plate, fiberglass plate, or wear-resistant polymer plate, with a plate thickness of 3-10 mm. The width of a single limiting strip 4 along the radial direction of the air float 1 can be 100-250 mm. Preferably, each plate-shaped limiting strip 4 is arranged along the radial direction of the air float 1, so that the limiting strips 4 at different circumferential positions have different plate surface orientations. When the device is subjected to wind force or lateral flow of tailings slurry in any direction, some limiting strips 4 will always bear the resistance of tailings slurry or tailings sediment with a larger plate surface, thereby improving the device's ability to limit lateral displacement and rotation in different directions.

[0042] The adjacent limiting strips 4 are spaced apart, forming a space for tailings slurry and tailings particles to pass through. These spaces are distributed circumferentially around the air pontoon 1, allowing tailings slurry discharged into the tailings pond to flow from the periphery of the air pontoon 1 through the spaces between adjacent limiting strips 4 into the area below the air pontoon 1, without obstructing the flow due to continuous annular baffles. Therefore, when the tailings slurry level rises, it can quickly enter the bottom area of ​​the air pontoon 1 and form a buoy, allowing the air pontoon 1 to rise normally. When the tailings slurry level falls, tailings particles can also be deposited around the air pontoon 1 through the spaces, reducing the possibility of a large amount of tailings particles accumulating inside the limiting strips 4 and fixing or jamming the air pontoon 1.

[0043] Furthermore, the lower end of the limiting strip 4 can be configured as an arc shape or a chamfered structure to reduce the local resistance when the limiting strip 4 inserts into the tailings sediment layer during the descent of the device. Thus, when the air float 1 floats in the tailings slurry, the plate-shaped limiting strip 4 mainly inhibits the lateral drift of the device through the flow resistance between it and the tailings slurry; when the air float 1 is supported on the newly formed tailings accumulation surface, the limiting strip 4 at least partially enters the wet and soft tailings layer, and can also improve the positional stability of the device by utilizing the lateral constraint of the tailings particles on the plate surface, while not hindering the subsequent discharge of tailings slurry into the area below the air float 1, so that the device can still float again in the next discharge cycle.

[0044] Example 3

[0045] Based on Example 2, such as Figure 5 As shown, the lower surface of the air pontoon 1 is configured as a downwardly convex first conical surface, and the upper surface of the air pontoon 1 is configured as an upwardly convex second conical surface. Both the first and second conical surfaces are centered on the vertical central axis of the air pontoon 1. The first and second conical surfaces gradually convex from the outer periphery of the air pontoon 1 towards the center, so that the air pontoon 1 as a whole forms a flat floating structure with a convex upper and lower center and a relatively thin outer periphery. A continuous sealed air cavity is still formed inside the air pontoon 1.

[0046] In this embodiment, the maximum diameter of the air pontoon 1 can be 1.5–2.5 m. The first conical surface gradually slopes downward from the outer periphery of the air pontoon 1, and its height can be 80–200 mm, for example, 120 mm. The second conical surface gradually slopes upward from the outer periphery of the air pontoon 1, and its height can be 150–350 mm, for example, 250 mm, so that the height of the second conical surface is greater than the height of the first conical surface. The outer peripheries of the first and second conical surfaces can be connected by an arc transition section to reduce the possibility of wear on the sharp edges after long-term scouring by tailings slurry and tailings particles.

[0047] As the antimony tailings slurry flows downwards from the periphery of the air pontoon 1, the downward-protruding first cone surface forms a gradually changing guiding surface, allowing the slurry to flow along the first cone surface to the bottom area of ​​the air pontoon 1, preventing the bottom surface of the flat-bottomed pontoon from adhering tightly to the tailings accumulation surface over a large area. During the tailings slurry deposition process, tailings particles can migrate and deposit outwards along the inclined direction of the first cone surface. When the air pontoon 1 is finally supported on the newly formed wet and soft tailings accumulation surface, the first cone surface can moderately penetrate the tailings surface layer. However, due to the relatively small height of the first cone surface, it avoids sinking too deeply into the tailings deposition layer. Therefore, after the next tailings slurry discharge, the slurry can more easily enter between the first cone surface and the surrounding tailings, gradually providing buoyancy to the air pontoon 1, which is beneficial for the air pontoon 1 to detach from the tailings accumulation surface and float upwards again.

[0048] The second conical surface is located below the cover plate 3 and is spaced apart from it. A vertical distance of 200–500 mm can be maintained between the top of the second conical surface and the cover plate 3. A channel for air inflow and outflow is formed between the outer periphery of the second conical surface and the outer periphery of the cover plate 3. When external crosswinds enter the space between the cover plate 3 and the air float 1 from the outer periphery of the cover plate 3, part of the airflow is first blocked by the cover plate 3, then encounters the second conical surface, and is deflected obliquely upwards along the upwardly convex second conical surface. This causes the crosswinds that might have flowed close to the tailings surface to move away from the tailings surface, thereby reducing wind shear and turbulent disturbance on the tailings surface around the air float 1.

[0049] The height of the second cone is set greater than that of the first cone, creating asymmetrical structures with different functions on the upper and lower sides of the air pontoon 1. The higher second cone provides a more significant upward guiding surface, enhancing the upward guidance of lateral airflow while maintaining unobstructed airflow channels. It also facilitates the discharge of rainwater, tailings slurry droplets, and tailings particles falling to the top of the air pontoon 1 outwards along the second cone, reducing water and material accumulation at the top. The lower first cone primarily improves the conditions for tailings slurry to enter the area below the pontoon and controls the depth to which the pontoon penetrates the soft tailings sediment layer. Thus, the upper structure of the air pontoon 1 focuses on air guidance and material discharge, while the lower structure focuses on slurry guidance and re-floating, thereby adapting to the operational needs of wind-driven dust suppression and periodic slurry discharge and sedimentation in the antimony tailings dam.

[0050] Example 4

[0051] Based on Example 3, such as Figure 6 As shown, multiple downward-extending wind-blocking strips 5 are provided on the outer periphery of the cover plate 3, and the multiple wind-blocking strips 5 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the cover plate 3. The upper end of the wind-blocking strip 5 is fixedly connected to the outer edge of the cover plate 3, and the lower end is a free end, so that the wind-blocking strip 5 is in a suspended state. There can be 20 to 60 wind-blocking strips 5, for example, 36 strips. A gap of 20 to 100 mm is maintained between adjacent wind-blocking strips 5 to form a dispersed ventilation gap. The length of the wind-blocking strip 5 can be 150 to 400 mm, and the width can be 30 to 100 mm. Its lower end is preferably higher than the tailings accumulation surface under normal conditions to avoid long-term contact between the wind-blocking strip 5 and the tailings slurry or tailings sediment layer, which would affect the normal buoyancy and position adjustment of the air float 1.

[0052] In this embodiment, the wind deflector 5 preferably adopts a thin sheet structure with a certain degree of elasticity, such as an elastic stainless steel sheet, a weather-resistant polymer sheet, or a fiber-reinforced composite sheet. Taking an elastic metal wind deflector as an example, its thickness can be 0.2 to 1.0 mm. When the wind speed is low, the wind deflector 5 basically remains in a downward hanging state, blocking and dividing the lateral airflow flowing from the outside of the cover plate 3 to the bottom of the cover plate, so that the continuous airflow is decomposed into multiple smaller airflows and generates a certain amount of energy dissipation; when the wind speed is high, the wind deflector 5 can undergo a certain degree of elastic deflection under the action of the airflow, so that some airflow is released between adjacent wind deflectors 5, thereby avoiding the formation of a completely closed windward surface on the outside of the cover plate 3 and reducing the possibility of excessive wind pressure directly acting on the cover plate 3 and the support column 2.

[0053] Furthermore, each wind-blocking strip 5 can be evenly arranged along the circumference of the cover plate 3, allowing the device to block winds from different directions without pre-determining a fixed windward direction. Adjacent wind-blocking strips 5 are not connected to each other, thus forming an intermittent wind-blocking ring. This structure can reduce the airflow velocity entering the space below the cover plate 3 while retaining necessary ventilation channels, which helps to reduce the large pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the cover plate 3 and improve the stability of the device in the open wind field environment of the tailings dam.

[0054] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the lengths of adjacent air baffles 5 can be different. For example, long and short air baffles can be alternately arranged along the circumference of the cover plate 3, with the downward extension length of the long air baffles being greater than that of the short air baffles. By forming air baffle boundaries at different heights, it is possible to prevent airflow from concentrating and directly entering below the cover plate 3 from gaps at the same height. This causes the airflow to undergo multi-stage diversion and disturbance as it passes through the periphery of the cover plate, thereby further weakening the directional lateral airflow. However, the length of each air baffle 5 should not be too large to prevent its lower end from entering the tailings slurry or tailings sediment layer and increasing the buoyancy resistance of the device.

[0055] Furthermore, the connection point between the wind baffle 5 and the cover plate 3 is preferably located at the outermost periphery of the horizontal projection of the cover plate 3, so that the airflow passes through the wind baffle 5 before entering the space between the cover plate 3 and the air float 1. Thus, the external airflow sequentially experiences the initial obstruction, diversion, and deceleration of the wind baffle 5 on the outer periphery of the cover plate 3 before entering the space below the cover plate 3. When used in conjunction with the second conical surface in Embodiment 3, the decelerated lateral airflow can be further guided upward by the second conical surface, thereby forming a two-stage airflow control method of external wind baffle deceleration and internal upward guidance, which more effectively reduces the wind speed and airflow disturbance near the tailings accumulation surface and reduces the blowing and outward diffusion of antimony-containing fine particles.

[0056] Example 5

[0057] Based on Embodiment 4, the lower surface of the cover plate 3 is provided with multiple downwardly protruding turbulence-dissipating protrusions, which are spaced apart on the lower surface of the cover plate 3. The turbulence-dissipating protrusions are preferably located in the area between the outer periphery and the center of the cover plate 3, allowing external airflow to contact the turbulence-dissipating protrusions after entering from the periphery of the cover plate 3. The number of turbulence-dissipating protrusions near the center of the cover plate 3 can be appropriately reduced to ensure sufficient airflow space between the cover plate 3 and the air float 1.

[0058] In this embodiment, the turbulence-dissipating protrusions are preferably hemispherical, dome-shaped, or frustum-shaped, with hemispherical protrusions being preferred to avoid forming sharp windward edges. The bottom diameter of the turbulence-dissipating protrusions can be 20–80 mm, the downward protrusion height can be 10–50 mm, and the spacing between adjacent turbulence-dissipating protrusions can be 50–200 mm. The height of the turbulence-dissipating protrusions is significantly smaller than the vertical distance between the cover plate 3 and the air float 1, and their lower ends maintain a large distance from the tailings accumulation surface, thereby preventing the turbulence structure from directly extending into the area near the tailings surface and generating strong local airflow disturbances.

[0059] Furthermore, multiple turbulence-dissipating protrusions can be arranged in a staggered manner, so that no continuous, straight airflow channel is formed along any radial direction. When the transverse airflow enters below the cover plate 3, the airflow is blocked by the turbulence-dissipating protrusions at different positions in sequence, and is divided into multiple airflows of smaller scale and different directions. These airflows are deflected, mixed, and locally swirled on and behind the protrusion surfaces, thereby gradually weakening the high-speed airflow with strong directionality and reducing the effective kinetic energy that the airflow can continue to transfer to the tailings surface.

[0060] Furthermore, the distribution density of the turbulence-dissipating protrusions can gradually decrease from the periphery of the cover plate 3 towards its center. Since the outside wind mainly enters from the periphery of the cover plate 3, setting more turbulence-dissipating protrusions near the periphery can effectively divert and dissipate energy when the airflow first enters below the cover plate 3. As the airflow moves inward, its speed decreases, so reducing the number of turbulence-dissipating protrusions in the central region can prevent excessive protrusions from causing the local flow channel to become too narrow and the airflow to re-accelerate. This forms a turbulence-dissipating structure that gradually weakens from the outside to the inside.

[0061] When used in conjunction with the wind-blocking strip 5 in Example 4 and the second conical surface in Example 3, the external transverse wind is first slowed down by the dispersion and obstruction of the wind-blocking strip 5 on the outer periphery of the cover plate 3. Then, it enters the area below the cover plate 3 and is continuously diverted and disturbed by multiple turbulence energy dissipation protrusions. Then, the second conical surface on the upper surface of the air float 1 guides part of the airflow to deflect upward, thereby forming a multi-stage airflow regulation process in which the wind-blocking strip initially slows down the wind, the turbulence energy dissipation protrusions further dissipate the airflow, and the second conical surface guides the airflow upward. This further reduces the wind speed and wind shearing effect near the tailings accumulation surface, and reduces the initiation and dispersion of fine antimony tailings particles.

[0062] Example 6

[0063] This embodiment provides a method for using a dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats. The dust suppression device adopts the structure described in Embodiment 1, and can selectively employ structures such as limiting strips, first conical surfaces, second conical surfaces, windbreak strips, and turbulence-dissipating protrusions from Embodiments 2 to 5 according to actual needs. During use, there is no need to provide an independent lifting power for the dust suppression device; instead, the liquid level changes during the discharge of antimony tailings slurry and the buoyancy of the air floats cause the cover plate to gradually move upwards with the height of the tailings accumulation.

[0064] Before use, the number and initial placement of dust suppression devices should be determined based on the area of ​​the antimony tailings dam, the discharge area, the direction of tailings slurry flow, the tailings accumulation condition, and the areas requiring key dust control. For tailings dams that are already in operation and have formed tailings accumulation layers, multiple dust suppression devices can be preferentially placed in the discharge area and downstream areas where dry beaches may form. Multiple devices should be spaced a certain distance apart; continuous connection of covers or complete coverage of the tailings dam is not required. Instead, multiple devices should be distributed to create multiple low-wind-speed zones. Taking devices with a cover diameter of 2.5–3.5 m as an example, the center-to-center distance between adjacent devices can be set to approximately 3–6 m based on actual wind conditions and tailings slurry flow requirements. The spacing can be appropriately reduced for areas with high dust risk, and appropriately increased for areas with low dust risk or where a larger tailings slurry flow channel needs to be maintained.

[0065] Step 1: Place multiple dust suppression devices in designated areas within the antimony tailings dam. When a tailings accumulation surface with sufficient bearing capacity already exists within the dam, air pontoons can be directly placed on this surface, ensuring they are essentially level, with the cover plate positioned above the tailings accumulation surface. When the designated area is still relatively wet and soft, the air pontoons can partially support or be shallowly submerged in the wet tailings surface, as long as subsequent tailings slurry reaching the area around and below the air pontoons provides sufficient buoyancy. For newly discharged areas where a significant tailings accumulation layer has not yet formed, dust suppression devices can be placed in the designated area first, followed by the initial discharge of tailings slurry to gradually lift the air pontoons.

[0066] Step 2: Discharge antimony tailings slurry into the tailings dam according to normal operating requirements. Preferably, the high-velocity tailings slurry is not directly sprayed onto the air floats. Instead, a multi-point decentralized discharge method is adopted, allowing the tailings slurry to enter the tailings dam from between adjacent dust suppression devices and / or from the periphery of the dust suppression devices. Specifically, multiple discharge branches can be connected to the main tailings transport pipe, distributing multiple discharge points among the dust suppression device array. This allows the tailings slurry to diffuse from different discharge locations and gradually enter the area around and below each air float. This method reduces the lateral impact of concentrated slurry flow on individual devices and ensures that the air floats are more evenly supported by the tailings slurry at different locations.

[0067] As antimony tailings slurry continuously enters the vicinity of the air pontoon, it gradually moves below the pontoon. Once the buoyancy of the air pontoon reaches a level sufficient to overcome the total weight of the pontoon, support columns, cover plate, and other auxiliary structures, the air pontoon detaches from the original tailings accumulation surface and floats upwards. Simultaneously, the support columns drive the cover plate to move upwards in sync. During the continued discharge of tailings slurry, the air pontoon remains afloat according to local slurry level changes, ensuring the cover plate remains above the tailings slurry surface rather than fixed at the original tailings accumulation height.

[0068] When multiple dust suppression devices are used simultaneously, each air buoy floats independently, so it is not necessary to ensure that all devices within the entire tailings dam are at the same height. For example, when the tailings slurry level is higher near the discharge point, the air buoy in that area can be raised to a higher position accordingly; when the level is lower further away from the discharge point, the corresponding air buoy remains at a lower position. This allows for adaptation to actual working conditions where there are spatial differences in liquid level and accumulation surface within the tailings dam.

[0069] Step 3: After stopping or reducing the discharge rate, solid particles in the antimony tailings slurry gradually settle. Coarser particles settle earlier, followed by finer tailings. Water in the slurry migrates to lower elevations, is discharged through the drainage system, or gradually evaporates. As the slurry level at the location of the air pontoon drops, the air pontoon gradually descends and eventually rests on the surface of the newly formed antimony tailings accumulation during this discharge process. At this point, the cover plate is held above the new tailings accumulation surface by support columns.

[0070] As the newly formed tailings surface layer further dehydrates and dries, the fine particles in the tailings gradually become capable of being agitated by wind. At this point, the cover plate shields the tailings area below, reducing the direct impact of external lateral winds on the tailings surface and lowering the near-surface airflow velocity and disturbance below the cover plate, thereby inhibiting the agitation, suspension, and diffusion of fine antimony tailings. After the next cycle of antimony tailings slurry is discharged again, the newly discharged tailings slurry re-enters the area around and below the air pontoons, causing the air pontoons to float again; with a new round of tailings particle deposition, the air pontoons are again supported by the further rising tailings accumulation surface. After several discharge cycles, the entire device can migrate upwards step by step with the tailings accumulation height.

[0071] For tailings ponds with continuous discharge, it is not required that the tailings slurry level completely decrease to the point where the air floats are supported on the tailings accumulation surface in each cycle. The air floats can remain afloat for a relatively long period and adjust up and down slowly with local changes in the slurry level; when the discharge location changes or the local slurry level decreases, they then fall to the corresponding new tailings accumulation surface. Therefore, this method is applicable to both clearly intermittent discharge conditions and operating conditions with continuous discharge characteristics.

[0072] For tailings dams employing mobile discharge points or rotating discharge methods, multiple dust suppression devices can be pre-distributed across different discharge areas. When tailings slurry begins to be discharged from a certain area, the air floats in that area gradually rise and play a follow-up role. As the discharge point moves to other areas, the tailings in the original area gradually settle and dry, and the corresponding devices settle on the newly formed tailings accumulation surface and enter a state primarily focused on shielding and suppressing dust, while the devices in the new discharge area begin to float. This allows multiple devices to adapt to the different stages of slurry discharge, sedimentation, and drying in different areas of the tailings dam.

[0073] For tailings ponds that have formed large dry beaches and only continue to discharge tailings locally, devices capable of floating with the tailings slurry can be deployed in areas expected to continue receiving tailings slurry. The density of these devices should be appropriately increased at the edges of the dry beach or in areas prone to dust generation. As the discharge area advances, some dust suppression devices can be moved and redeployed to new key dust control areas based on the actual tailings accumulation range. Because this device does not rely on a fixed vertical shaft rigidly connected to the tailings pond foundation, if individual devices are found to be too concentrated, deviated from the main dust-generating areas, or significantly shifted due to long-term slurry flow, they can be towed or moved to new predetermined locations under suitable conditions for continued use.

[0074] For tailings ponds with uneven tailings surfaces, pre-leveling of the entire tailings surface is unnecessary. Each device is supported on its local tailings surface and floats independently upon the arrival of subsequent slurry. Therefore, height differences between adjacent devices do not affect their basic dust suppression functions. When the local deposition rate is high, the air float in that area migrates upwards quickly with the deposition surface; areas with slower deposition rates remain at a relatively lower position, thus enabling the device array to adapt to uneven tailings deposition.

[0075] When using a multi-point decentralized discharge method, multiple discharge points can be set up according to the location of the device array. Preferably, the discharge points are located between adjacent devices or on the periphery of the device array, avoiding the areas directly below the air pontoons and above the cover plates. After discharge, the tailings slurry first diffuses between adjacent devices and then enters the area around the air pontoons from multiple directions, reducing the instantaneous horizontal thrust on individual devices. When multiple discharge branches are set up in a discharge area, different discharge branches can be rotated according to local sedimentation conditions to reduce the continuous accumulation of tailings on one side of a device, which could lead to long-term tilting or displacement of the device.

[0076] Furthermore, a traction rope can be connected to the air float 1. One end of the traction rope is fixedly connected to the air float 1, and the other end serves as a manual traction end. When the dust suppression device experiences a small-scale positional shift due to tailings slurry flow, wind action, or uneven tailings deposition, or when the device's position needs to be adjusted according to the actual dust-affected area, the air float 1, its supporting column 2, and the cover plate 3 can be moved as a whole by pulling the traction rope. This eliminates the need for personnel to directly enter the tailings slurry or wet, soft tailings area to move the device, facilitating small-scale, low-cost positional corrections and improving the flexibility of device layout and subsequent maintenance.

[0077] Furthermore, the dust suppression device of this invention has good environmental adaptability and application scalability. Besides being used in antimony tailings ponds, it can also be applied to tailings ponds in other metal mines, tailings dumps in non-metallic mineral mines, fine solid waste storage areas in mineral processing plants, coal gangue or fly ash dumps, smelting slag dumps, and other industrial solid waste storage sites where slurry discharge, particle deposition, surface drying, and wind-driven dust processes occur. In situations where a certain liquid phase can be formed, and subsequently, a dry fine particle surface is gradually deposited, air floats can be used to rise with changes in liquid level, and a cover plate can be used to shield the newly formed accumulation surface, thereby reducing near-surface airflow disturbance and fine particle dispersion. Therefore, it has a wide range of engineering applications.

[0078] In summary, this invention uses the air pontoon 1 as an adaptive lifting base. The cover plate 3, driven by the support column 2, adjusts its position synchronously with changes in the antimony tailings slurry level and tailings accumulation height. This allows the device to operate continuously alongside the tailings dam during discharge and accumulation, avoiding the problems of traditional fixed dust suppression structures being easily buried by tailings or requiring frequent manual adjustments. Simultaneously, the cover plate 3, windbreak strips 5, turbulence-dissipating protrusions, and the upper guide structure of the air pontoon 1 collectively weaken wind speed and airflow disturbance near the tailings surface, reducing the risk of antimony-containing fine particles being activated, suspended, and diffused. The device has a simple overall structure, requiring no motors, hydraulic systems, or complex control systems. It achieves adaptive positioning based on the buoyancy of the tailings slurry itself, resulting in low manufacturing and maintenance costs. Its placement can be easily adjusted via traction or other methods, making it particularly suitable for large-area, continuously operating antimony tailings dams with constantly changing accumulation surfaces. It possesses good engineering implementation convenience and application value.

[0079] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats, characterized in that: It includes an air buoy, a support column, and a cover plate; the air buoy forms a sealed air cavity inside, and the air buoy is used to float in antimony tailings slurry or be supported on the surface of antimony tailings accumulation; the support column is fixedly connected to the upper side of the air buoy, and the cover plate is fixedly connected to the upper end of the support column. The cover plate is a convex spherical crown shape, and the horizontal projected area of ​​the cover plate is larger than the horizontal projected area of ​​the air buoy. A gap space is formed between the cover plate and the air buoy.

2. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The air buoy is a thin cylinder, and the diameter of the air buoy is greater than the height of the air buoy.

3. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple support columns are provided, and the multiple support columns are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the air float.

4. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower side of the air pontoon is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending limiting strips, which are spaced apart along the circumference of the air pontoon.

5. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The limiting strip is a plate-shaped component, and a space is formed between adjacent limiting strips to allow tailings slurry and tailings particles to pass through.

6. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower surface of the air pontoon is configured as a downwardly convex first cone, and the axis of the first cone is set in the vertical direction.

7. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The upper surface of the air pontoon is a second conical surface that bulges upward, and the axis of the second conical surface is set in the vertical direction.

8. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The height of the second cone is greater than the height of the first cone.

9. The dust suppression device for antimony tailings dams based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cover plate is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending wind-blocking strips on its outer periphery, and the plurality of wind-blocking strips are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the cover plate.

10. A method of using the antimony tailings dam dust suppression device based on air floats as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Place the dust suppression device in a predetermined area within the antimony tailings dam; Step 2: Discharge antimony tailings slurry into the antimony tailings pond, so that the antimony tailings slurry enters the area around and below the air float. Under the buoyancy of the antimony tailings slurry, the air float drives the support column and the cover plate to float upward. Step 3: After the tailings particles in the antimony tailings slurry are deposited, as the antimony tailings slurry level decreases, the air float descends and is supported on the newly formed antimony tailings accumulation surface. The cover plate is located above the antimony tailings accumulation surface and shields it.

11. The method of using the antimony tailings dam dust suppression device based on air floats as described in claim 10, characterized in that: The antimony tailings slurry is discharged into the antimony tailings pond in a multi-point dispersion manner, with the discharge points located between adjacent dust suppression devices and / or around the dust suppression devices.

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