Dust Collection and Valves Blog

Why You Should Pay Attention to Air Velocity in Your Dust Collection System

Posted by Tom Hobson on Nov 21, 2017 10:04:33 AM

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.

Get Your Dust Evaluation

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.
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Topics: dust, gpc, Fan Wheels, Fan Impellers, velocity, air velocity

Dust Collection Systems: Fan Wheels 101

Posted by Tom Hobson on Mar 8, 2017 9:01:00 AM

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.

Dust Efficiency Clinic

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

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Topics: dust, gpc, Fan Wheels, Fan Impellers

Aerodyne Environmental: Home of the Horizontal Cyclone and  Vacu-Valve® Airlock Valve

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At Aerodyne, we choose to take a different approach to collecting dust and handling materials. Our cyclones are unique in design to address common issues such as problematic dusts and space constraints. Our airlocks are chosen to fit your specific application instead of hastily installing traditional equipment options. We believe that when we see things differently, we can solve problems effectively. That's why so many people turn to us for help in solving their tough dust problems.

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