The wind barrier method uses the rational setting of wind barriers in the cut eye as a solution to low oxygen in the upper corner. The setting of wind barriers exerts significant effect on the distribution of low-oxygen gas in the upper corner. Field application show that the "open door" wind barrier exhibited better management effect on the low oxygen in the upper corner compared to the "hanging and pulling" type. Yet existing studies are still limited in the intrinsic mechanism of solving the low oxygen problem in the 2 methods, affecting the applications of this method. Taking the working face 100508 of a mine in Shanxi as the engineering background, this study used the Ansys Fluent software to build a gas transport model of the working face to unveil the influence mechanism of "open door" and "hanging and pulling" wind barriers on the distribution of low-oxygen gas in the upper corner. Results show that the "open door" wind barriers could direct more wind into the upper corner than the "hanging and pulling" wind barriers. This exerted a more explicit effect on the increase of wind speed, and created a larger pressure drop between the upper corner and the return alley, altering the distribution of low-oxygen gas, thus offering a better solution to the low oxygen problem in the upper corner.

Changes of wind barrier angles exert significant effect on the occurrence of low oxygen gas in the upper corner. Taking the 100510 working face of a mine in Shanxi Province as example, this study uses Ansys Fluent software to build a gas migration model of the working face to simulate the occurrence patterns of low oxygen gas in the upper corner under different wind barrier angles, and verifies the model through field measurement. Results show that setting wind barrier could increase wind speed in the upper corner, which offers a solution to the low oxygen problem in upper corner. The optimal treatment of low oxygen in the upper corner is realized with wind barrier angle set at 60° at the position 5m away from the return air channeling. This study provides implications for solutions to the low oxygen issue in the upper corner and thereby ensure safety production.