Dust separator

Dust separator, in particular for mine ventilation, comprising a rotating centrifugal separator having at least one paddle wheel rotating within a stationary housing and equipped with a plurality of stages formed by radially extending paddles approximately located in axial planes and connected with their outer ends to co-rotating walls extending in circumferential direction, which walls, seen in axial section, are stepped like saw teeth, the steep flanks of the stages facing the air stream and including at their side facing the air stream an angle of at least 90 degrees with the axis and slots, between stages extending in circumferential direction and being contiguous with the steep flanks of the stages and the less inclined flanks of the stages being conical with a diameter increasing in flow direction, and further comprising at least one blower for supplying the air stream through the centrifugal separator and at least one spraying or atomizing means, arranged as seen in flow direction of the air upstream of the centrifugal separator, for spraying or atomizing water being supplied to the air stream entering the centrifugal separator, characterized in that the diameters of the stages stepped like saw teeth decrease in flow direction of the air from stage to stage, in that the axial length of each stage is maximally 1/4 of the length of the centrifugal separator and in that the conveying action of a blower arranged at the exit end of the centrifugal separator is assisted by an axial blower arranged at the inlet end of the centrifugal separator.