Energy Efficient Dust Control with MicronFog™

Phil Black - PII Editor 08/04/2022

288 1 minute read

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With soaring energy prices, it is more important than ever to install energy efficient equipment. Dust control is an application that often uses a lot of power. Dusts can contain high levels of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). Long term workplace exposure can lead to silicosis, a seriously debilitating disease. Companies not taking steps to limit workforce exposure are leaving themselves wide open to future litigation.

For some applications, there is an alternative to extraction and that is to use fog to drop the dust out of the air. Dust suppression with fog uses small droplets of water. To be effective, micron sized water droplets are needed. With a typical droplet size of 11 microns, dust particles adhere to the MicronFog™ water droplet, forming a heavier agglomerate that falls out of the air. Droplet size is important. If the water droplet is too large, i.e. > 30 microns, the dust particles will bounce off the surface tension and the spray will have no effect. Where a process is treated with MicronFog™ – dust settles rapidly out of the air – creating a safe working environment for operators. This technique is very effective for removing carcinogenic (RCS) dust.

By using high pressure water (70 bar is typical) MicronFog™ is energy efficient. There is no need for compressed air. The systems come with inverter operated pumps and only consume power needed for the application. Each system is fully customisable and will operate as single or multiple zones. High pressure water is distributed to the nozzles using specialised plastic high pressure tubing with push fit fittings or can be supplied with stainless steel tubing. Nozzles come in a range of sizes so that fog distribution can be planned for anything from a light misty haze to a thick “pea souper” fog. The versatile system can be modified readily when required. Dust Suppression of a Bulk Solids Storage Shed