Aerodyne will be at two trade shows during the month of May.

A fertilizer manufacturer off the Coast of Madagascar in Mauritius was using cyclones for the dust collection portion of its operation. The cyclones were not operating to the facility’s satisfaction level due to a lack of an air lock on the cyclone’s dust discharge. The company considered using standard airlocks, but due to the corrosive nature of the fertilizer, there was some concern in taking that approach. While researching potential solutions, the company came across the Vacu-Valve® Platypus online and after consultation with Aerodyne purchased a unit for its facility. After the installation of this trickle valve system on its cyclone, the facility noted that the cyclone’s performance improved dramatically. The improvement was so vast, that the manufacturer has chosen to install the Vacu-Valve Platypus on all the cyclones used at the plant.

Coffee production is a great example of an application of a double dump valve, which offers long-lasting dry material handling with minimal wear and air seepage. Once the coffee bean has been harvested, it must be dried and husked. For the wet method, manufacturers use pulping machines to extract the majority of the husk of the bean. Following the fermentation process, hulling machines remove the remainder of the husk and polish the bean. If the coffee bean or husk becomes airborne during the pulping or hulling process, the dust collection system captures the material and discharges it using the double dump valve. This type of valve has tandem gates that work together to collect and dispense coffee bean fragments without compromising the positive or negative pressure in the system. A double dump valve is engineered to handle a variety of dense, abrasive particles without wearing out or becoming jammed like a knife gate or rotary valve. Because of its cost-effective, low-maintenance design, it can save your facility valuable resources over its operational life. Watch our new double dump valve video to learn more about how this valve works.

An Aerodyne SpiltStream™ Dust Collector was installed at a Midwest metal recovery plant that is involved primarily with reclaiming aluminum, producing clean metal chips, briquettes, and powder. The facility uses wet scrubbers in its thermal recovery system. The SplitStream was put in place as a pre-filter before the wet scrubbers, recovering any dry material from the air before reaching the wet scrubbers in the thermal recovery system. By utilizing this dust collector as a pre-filter, the maintenance and cleaning of the wet scrubbers has been reduced dramatically. In addition, recovering the collected material has been simplified for the Plant. The Aerodyne SplitStream Dust Collector achieves high efficiency by forcing dirty gases into a powerful centrifugal motion. The centrifugal action throws dust particulate out of the gas stream. A secondary air stream carries the dust particulate to the hopper, keeping dust away from the collector walls and reducing sticking and abrasion. As a result, the SplitStream virtually eliminates maintenance problems common to other types of cyclones. The prevention of particulate contact with external walls is a major factor in the unit's ability to achieve high efficiency ratings. Since the SpiltStream does not use bags or filter cartridges, the collected product is easily returned to the process for reuse or sent out for disposal. The usage of Aerodyne's SplitStream Dust Collector has allowed the company continue to meet state and federal emission requirements, as well as successfully relieving overload on its wet scrubbers. For more information about the SpiltStream or any of the Aerodyne products, call your Aerodyne Sales rep today!

Most dust collectors are equipped with a motor-driven rotary airlock valve that empties contents from the hoppers. Rotary valves have been used for many years and do obtain some advantages. However, cleaning rotary valves is difficult and time consuming. These valves run continuously, regardless if dust is present, which leads to wasted electricity. In addition, the valves can wear out rapidly, resulting in costly repairs and replacements. A highly cost-effective alternative is Aerodyne’s Vacu-Valve® Trickle Valve System. The Vacu-Valve relies on the negative pressure of the material handling system to hold the duckbill sleeve closed. As the dust or material builds up, the sleeve is forced open, allowing the contents to discharge. Once emptied, the negative pressure then immediately closes the duckbill again. This trickle valve system requires no lubrication, power, or controls. Materials that would normally jam or wear out a rotary airlock valve, the Vacu-Valve handles with ease. There is a variety of duckbill sleeve options designed for specific applications; and the Vacu-Valve is available in an open or closed design, to further accommodate the particular application.