Designing a dust collection system can be quite a daunting task. With so many collector options and so many application variables to consider, it is difficult to know where to begin. Cyclones are among the oldest and still most reliable methods of dust collection available. Because they require very little maintenance, have low up-front cost, and offer unmatched versatility, cyclone collectors remain a viable solution to many air-handling challenges. Although heightened environmental regulations and collection efficiency needs have shifted industry toward the use of filter-media collectors, cyclonic dust collection still plays a vital role in many air-handling systems. These five questions will help determine if a cyclone dust collector is right for your application.

1. How big is my dust?
   

   Cyclonic dust collection relies on inertial forces to separate dust particles from an air stream. The larger and denser the particulate is, the greater its inertia. This is the reason cyclones have such high collection efficiencies when handling relatively large dust particles.

2. How much dust is too much?
   

   Grain loading or dust loading refers to the amount of dust particulate that is suspended in a gas stream. This is typically measured in the number of grains per cubic foot of gas. This is an important number to consider when designing a pollution control system. Not only will this factor into the size requirement of a dust collector, but it will also determine the appropriate type of dust collector. The strict air pollution control standards in the United States often necessitate a “filter-media” dust collector, such as a bag house, for the final collection stage.

3. Can I reuse the dust I am collecting? 
   

   Dust generated by handling dry bulk materials can be hazardous but also valuable. Unfortunately, most filter-type dust collection systems are designed for disposal rather than product reclamation. Filter media collectors such as cartridge filters and bag houses often do not allow collected particulates to be recovered for reuse due to contamination or particulate size issues.

4. Do I have heat or humidity concerns?
   
   Air handling in manufacturing processes is often a delicate balance with a number of variables to contend with. Process heat and humidity in the air stream create a difficult challenge when it comes to dust collection. Collection of red-hot dust particulate is simply not possible with many bag houses because cotton filters are flammable and flame retardant filters can be costly.
5. How much should I spend?
   

   Perhaps the most important and most difficult question asked when designing a dust collection system is how much to spend. The simple answer is, it depends. It depends on what the overall goal of the system should achieve. The best dust collection systems are those that were designed with several functions in mind: capacity, operation costs, maintenance costs, and product/ material value.

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To learn more about which dust collector, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.dustcollectorhq.com.

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A simple dust collection system is composed of the exhaust fan, dust collector (cyclone, baghouse, cartridge collector, wet scrubber, etc.), ductwork, and hoods.  An issue with one of these components could cause your dust collection system to fail or not work as designed.  However, the dust collector is usually the most complex component and the most likely to develop issues, but is often the most neglected.  Just like an automobile, proper maintenance of a dust collector could save a whole lot of issues in the future.

A variety of issues can develop in the operation of dust collectors.  We will discuss baghouses specifically, but cartridge collectors have very similar issues, while cyclones and wet scrubbers have their own set of items that need attention.

Plugged filters.  Bag Filters are the primary component in dust collection.  If they aren’t operating correctly, the dust collection will not be operating properly.  The filters can fail if they get plugged up or develop holes.  When plugged up, they will not let the proper amount of air through, which will cause the airflow through the system to decline; thereby, picking up less dust at the pickup points.  Plugged filters can be spotted by monitoring the pressure drop across the bags or noticing less air movement at the pickup points.  When filters are plugged up, they should be replaced and quickly. 

Holes in the bag filters allow dust past the filters; thereby, decreasing the removal efficiency in the system.  This can cause you to violate your EPA permit, cause damage to the exhaust fan and/or cause issues with the neighbors.  Holes in the filters can be spotted by bag break monitors, stack testing, or noticing dust in the exhaust.  When bags are broken they should be replaced, however, it is often difficult to identify which bag has the hole so often times multiple (if not all) bags should be replaced.

Inspect these other components.  Baghouses also contain many supplementary items that help them operate effectively.  These can also develop issues which causes the system to fail.  These items include solenoid valves, poppet valves, control panel, bag support cages and venturi, diffuser, hopper and airlocks. These items should be inspected, cleaned and components replaced if necessary.

Other factors to consider:  Failure in the cleaning system will cause high pressure drop.  Damage to the cages could cause holes in the bags.  Damage to the diffuser will cause some bags to plug up faster than others.  Damage to the hopper or excess dust in the hopper will cause higher dust concentrations that decreases removal efficiency.  An inoperative or inappropriate airlock will cause dust build up in the hopper and/or air leakage.

A yearly inspection of your baghouse will help you identify these issues before they develop. This will help your dust collection system operate at peak efficiency and as it was designed.  And as with your automobile, preventative maintenance ends up saving you money in the long run.  If your baghouse stops operating you will have to do an emergency repair or, as is most often the case, it will gradually decrease in its efficiency without you noticing. You will then be wasting your money on operating a system that isn’t effective.  And if you are inspected, you could be fined.

If you are having operational issues on your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com or click the button below.

In order for a dust collector to operate at its peak performance, the hopper has to be isolated from the outside.  This means either the dust bin/receptacle is “hard connected”, meaning there are no air leaks or an airlock is used.  An airlock isolates the dust collector hopper from the outside, while allowing the collected dust to exit the system.  Common airlocks are rotary valves, trickle valves, double dump valves, and knife gates.  Some airlocks are low leakage (double dump valve and trickle valves) while others have continuous leakage (rotary valves). 

Airlocks are important because without them air will enter (system under vacuum) or leave (pressurized system) through the dust discharge valve.  If the system is under vacuum, the air entering the system from the dust discharge will re-entrain the dust back into the clean air, thereby lowering removal efficiency.  If the system is under pressure, air will blow out of the bottom, spreading dust everywhere, creating unnecessary maintenance cost for the facility.

If the system is dealing with an explosive dust, an airlock should be used to prevent an explosion from propagating from the dust discharge flange.  Specially designed rotary valves are used to prevent this.

Furthermore, airlocks allow you to change the dust bin without shutting off the system.  If you don’t have an airlock, when you need to change your dust bin, you either have to turn off the system, or operate the unit without any isolation. 

So when you are spending money to capture your dust in a dust collector, don’t forget to put an airlock on it, so you will have the best performance possible.

Read our article on what type of airlock valves to use in particular applications.

If you are having operational issues on your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com.

If your air velocity is too low in your ductwork you could get dust dropping out in straight runs.  And dust collecting in ductwork is not a very good idea. 

• It is a fire / explosion hazard. If your system has a low dust loading, small enough that there isn’t enough material to support an explosion (below MEC), dust collecting in the ductwork could put the system above the MEC, thereby making the system an explosion hazard.
• Dust collecting in the ductwork causes the effective diameter of the ductwork to decrease. This causes the pressure drop through the system to increase, which will decrease the airflow through the system.  Lower airflow will cause more dust to escape the pickup hoods, thereby causing greater housekeeping, maintenance, etc.
• Dust building up in ductwork will also cause your ductwork to weigh much more. Depending on the weight the supports were designed for, if too much dust builds up, your ductwork could fall down, thereby possibly creating a dust cloud that could be explosive.

If the air velocity is too high, the static pressure of your system will be high.  This will require you to operate the exhaust fan at a higher speed.  This could increase the noise, power used and wear and tear.  High air velocity could also increase the erosion of the ductwork, thereby developing holes in the ductwork which will leak air into the system and decrease the actual airflow at the pickup points.

Watch for our upcoming article on sizing of ductwork for your dust collection system.

If you are having operational issues on your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com.

A dust collection system is much more than just the dust collector (ex. Cyclone, baghouse, cartridge collector, wet scrubber, etc.).  It constitutes the exhaust fan, hoods, instrumentation and interconnecting ductwork.  If any of these components are improperly sized or operating, the whole system can fail in its primary objective, dust collection.

Today we are discussing the differential pressure gage.  The differential pressure gage is an often overlooked piece of equipment on dust collectors, especially cyclones.  By measuring the differential pressure across your dust collector, you are monitoring your system performance.  If the differential pressure gage suddenly changes, it is telling you something has recently changed in your system.  If you see a gradual change in the differential pressure, then it is telling you that the system is gradually changing.

A sudden change is telling you that the airflow has suddenly increased or decreased.  This could be caused by a variety of reason (plugging of filters, opening of damper, closing of damper, etc.)  When you see this happen, your removal efficiency will be affected.  So it’s better to start identifying the issue before you are forced to.

A gradual change is telling you that the ductwork or filters are starting to plug up.  This could be normal operating conditions or caused by a change in process.  When you notice a gradual change in the pressure drop, schedule a maintenance inspection before it gets too drastic.  That way you won’t be forced shut down in an emergency.

If you are having operational issues on your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com.

A dust collection system is much more than just the dust collector (ex. Cyclone, baghouse, cartridge collector, wet scrubber, etc.).  It constitutes the exhaust fan, hoods, instrumentation and interconnecting ductwork.  If any of these components are improperly sized or operating, the whole system can fail in its primary objective, dust collection.

Today we are discussing the exhaust fan.  The exhaust fan could be the most important component in the dust collection system.  It provides the motive force for the whole system.  If it isn’t performing as required, the system will fail.  The proper fan impeller (wheel) must be used if the fan is to operate correctly.

There are three types of wheels/impellers:

• Radial wheel (Ex. open material handling and material handling) - These wheels should be used when the fan is on the dirty side of a dust collector or after a dust collector where a large amount of dust remains in the airstream (ex. after drop out box). The wheel is designed so it can handle dust in the air.  The open type wheel is used when there is a high dust loading and/or the dust is fibrous.  Its design helps prevent the dust from wrapping around the wheel.

• Air handling wheel – The air handling wheel is designed for clean airstreams or extremely light dust loading. These wheels should always be used on the clean side of and dust collector and never on the dirty side.  They are usually more efficient in air movement than the radial wheels.

• Axial wheel – These wheels are usually never used on dust collection systems. They will move a lot of air, but without much force behind them.  If possible, stay away from axial fans on your dust collector system.

If you are having issues with the fan on your dust collector, check the wheel.  Make sure you are using the proper type.    

Find out more at Dust Efficiency Clinic.

If you are having operational issues on your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com.

The pharmaceutical industry has unique requirements that normal industrial applications do not have.  Whether it’s the strict FDA rules or the flexibility of batch production, normal industrial practices and equipment don’t always apply.  Even with continuous production becoming more popular, pharmaceutical applications are different than standard industrial applications.

The Vacu-Valve is a low cost alternative to a rotary valve.  There are no motors, pneumatics, or moving parts as it operates by using the system vacuum above to seal the sleeve.  This is typically from a cyclone, baghouse, or cartridge collector.  Since the sleeve is split, gravity will slowly pull the solids down through the sleeve until they exit the sleeve and fall into the collection hopper.  As you can see from the description, not all solids will easily pass through this.  The ideal particulate would be sand.  It’s small, spherical shape and the density allows it to easily pass through the valve.  It doesn’t bridge easily.

Choosing the right dust collection solution requires careful evaluation of the specific application.

Choosing the right dust collection solution requires careful evaluation of the specific application.