Dust collection is often one step in a series of steps used to treat an airstream or process stream. Often times the airstream will require heating or cooling, gas scrubbing, and/or dilution of gas stream, etc. All of these processes usually require additional equipment to work in tandem with the basic dust collector. Adding additional equipment is not only expensive, but it consumes floor space and often purchasing new equipment will get overlooked simply due to lack of space to accommodate it.

Standard dust collectors often have operational issues with abrasive, sticky, and fibrous dusts. Standard pre-filters for these applications can have high maintenance costs, however without a pre-filter the particulate will often foul or erode the process equipment. Sticky dust will plug filters and foul heat exchangers. Abrasive dust will prematurely wear heat exchangers and dust collectors. Fibrous dust will foul in tight areas. Wet scrubber applications can experience higher water usage when the particulate amount increases.

There are 5 applications that utilize standard dust collectors:

1. Temperature Adjustment of an Airstream

The SplitStream cyclone uses a secondary airstream to convey the dust from the walls of the cyclone down into the hopper for dust collection. The secondary airstream can be used to heat or cool the primary airstream before it is vented outside or fed to other process equipment. The two airstreams will combine in the cyclone and they will leave together at a uniform temperature.

2. Abrasive Dust

Abrasive dust will shorten process equipment’s life span by eroding away the walls of the equipment. Due to the design of a standard cyclone, the lifespan is shortened quicker. A standard cyclone is designed so that the dust is conveyed to the outside of the cyclone, where it hits the walls and fall into the hopper. Abrasive dust will also wear out filter bags, the inlet distributor, tube sheets, and the baghouse walls.

3. Sticky and Hygroscopic Dust

Sticky and hygroscopic dust can also cause issues with standard dust collectors and cyclones. Sticky dust will accumulate in any dead zones in standard cyclone. This causes a gradual reduction in the internal volume of the cyclone, and changes the geometry of the cyclone, which could cause a change in the removal efficiency of the unit.

4. Fibrous Dust

Fibrous dust causes many issues for standard dust collectors. The fibrous dust floats in the airstream and often will be re-entrained back in to the air exiting the cyclone. In baghouses and cartridge collectors, fibrous dust when cleaned off the filters, will float in the dirty air plenum. This increases the concentration of the dust in the unit. The dust will not settle into the hopper to be removed from the system. Overtime this will cause the dirty air plenum to plug up, thereby plugging up the dust collector.

5. Oxygen Reduction

Many dusts are explosive and with growing scrutiny of new and existing operations by inspectors and insurance companies, existing processes are being found that require explosion protection. One way of protecting from explosions is to prevent an explosion from ever occurring by lowering the oxygen level of the system below the Lower Explosive Level (LEL). This is done by adding an inert gas such as nitrogen to decrease the concentration of oxygen.

Aerodyne’s SplitStream cyclone offers a strong advantage over standard dust collectors. Coupled with its unique design and its ability to be configured multiple ways, it is the ideal dust collection solution. Whether it is using it as a pre-filter for an existing system or replacing a faulty dust collector in a plant, the SplitStream will reduce maintenance, increase efficiencies, and improve the overall process.

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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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To improve efficiency and safety, there is no substitute for an on-site inspection by an experienced expert. Click below to start with a free 20-minute phone consultation by clicking the button.

Most industrial dust collection systems use a baghouse or a cartridge collector. Whether your baghouse or cartridge collector is 50 CFM or 100,000 CFM, there are advantages to putting a cyclone before the baghouse or cartridge collector. Here are 5 advantages to utilizing a cyclone in a dust collection system.

1. Increased Removal Efficiencies

Cyclones will increase your total dust collection efficiency when added before an existing baghouse. Cyclones remove the larger, coarser dust before the particulate reaches the baghouse. This helps to lighten the load on filters, which results in less dust in the airstream and overall higher removal efficiency for the whole system.

2. Longer Filter Life

Baghouses and cartridge collectors require compressed air to knock off the dust. The use of the compressed air forces the bag to expand around its cages during high pressure bursts. The constant expansion of the bag causes it to wear out at a faster rate. Putting a cyclone ahead of the baghouse will remove most of the larger dust from the baghouse, thereby minimizing the amount of dust coming into the baghouse or cartridge collector.

3. Recovery of Product

If the dust being collected is valuable (such as gold or silver) or needs to be/can be reused, simply using a baghouse or cartridge collector will cause the material to get lost on the filters. A cyclone doesn’t require any filters and all the recovered material will eventually be removed through the dust discharge valve.

4. Easy Maintenance

Baghouses and cartridge collectors are extremely high maintenance. They require confined space entry to remove and replace the bags. Furthermore, bag replacement can be a time consuming process. Cyclones, however, require very little maintenance. At most, plant engineers have to observe the pressure drop every so often, and inspect the walls of the cyclone to insure that is has not worn down from the application.

5. Allows Baghouses to Operate in Difficult Applications

Bags and cartridges are not well suited for fibrous, sticky, or hydroscopic dust. Cyclones perform in these applications and prevent the material from reaching the filters. Placing a cyclone in front of a baghouse or cartridge will help prevent time and money spent on repairing or replacing the filter, and ultimately will lengthen the life of the filter.

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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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To improve efficiency and safety, there is no substitute for an on-site inspection by an experienced expert. Click below to start with a free 20-minute phone consultation by clicking the button.

Using bags, cartridges, and filters for dust collection is one of the best ways of capturing dust particles in the airstream. The filter allows the air to pass by while preventing the particulate from passing through. The dust particles then begin to build up on the filter. This build up helps prevent smaller particles from passing through, but also makes it harder for air to pass through. Over time this dust layer will prevent the air from passing though, thereby plugging up the filters. 

To prevent plugging of the filters, they are often cleaned by blowing air through them in the opposite direction of airflow. Baghouses and cartridge collectors use compressed air which expands the filter slightly so that it drops off material. The dust then falls into the hopper below. The periodic expansion of the filters will over time cause holes to form.

Dangers in Cleaning Out Filters

For HEPA filters and other inline filters, it is not as easy to clean filters during operation. Usually the filter needs to be pulled out of service and then air is blown through the filter (in the opposite way) to remove the dust from the filter. However, using high pressure air to blow out the filters can also cause holes to develop in the filter.

When these holes develop in filters, air will rush through the holes, taking dust with them. Since the holes in the media have lower resistance than the filters, air will find it easier to go through the hole than the filters. This will cause the hole to grow in size over time. And as more and more air passes through the hole, more dust will bypass the filter and contaminate the cleaned air.

Pressure Gage Is Recommended

When using filters, it is always recommended to install a differential pressure gage across the filter. As dust builds up on the filter, the differential pressure will increase. And as the pressure drop across the filter increases, less air will be flowing through the filter. So when you notice a high pressure drop across the filter, this means it is time to remove and replace or clean the filters. If you don’t replace the filter and the pressure drop decreases then it probably means that you have a hole (or holes) in your filter.

So when you are cleaning your filters, be sure to check that no holes develop. The holes can be caused by high airflow when blowing out or after repeated expansions by compressed air. The use of differential pressure gages will help you identify if a hole develops before noticing dust in the clean air. If you find that you are cleaning or replacing filters too often, installing a pre-filter such as a cyclone can lower the dust loading on the filters, thereby extending their life.

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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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To improve efficiency and safety, there is no substitute for an on-site inspection by an experienced expert. Click below to start with a free 20-minute phone consultation by clicking the button.

What are the benefits of using a cyclone as pre-filter for a baghouse / cartridge collector?

If you are working with a high value material or product, have high maintenance costs to the baghouse/cartridge collector, or want to avoid cross-contamination, then you should investigate using a cyclone ahead of your baghouse or cartridge collector. The cyclone will allow you to recover the dust without contamination from the filters. The filters in a baghouse or cartridge collector use a dust layer built up on the filters to collect the dust from the airstream. During the process of filter cleaning, dust from this layer is dislodged and falls into the hopper. Any particulate from prior batches can cause contamination of the dust.

A cyclone, on the other hand, collects the dust and deposits it in the hopper continuously. There is very little dust buildup inside of a cyclone. This minimizes the chances of contamination from prior batches. Since there aren’t any filters, a cyclone can be washed or wiped out to remove the prior batch particles.

How does ductwork affect my system?

Ductwork is usually by far the largest component and often the most overlooked. Depending on the size of your system, the ductwork can span hundreds of feet and have dozens of side streams. The ductwork is like railroad tracks, it moves the dusty air from one place to another.

Often times, additional lines will be added to a dust collector system after installation. Without proper evaluation of the system, this could negatively affect the performance of the whole system.

This means that just because the dust collector system was operating correctly before, it might not after an additional pickup point or hood is added. What happens is that when you add additional pickup points, you change the balancing of the system. This could change the airflow to each and every hood and pickup point in the system, so while the system was originally adequately venting an area, it might not after a change.

A few things can be done to address this, such as changing fan speed, adding dampers, modifying ductwork, etc. The main thing you need to keep in mind is that if you slow the airflow through ductwork too much, you begin to build up dust within the line. This will further restrict your airflow and it can become a fire / explosion hazard.

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Airlocks FAQ Volume 1

Airlock valves are important components in many dust collection and process systems, yet they are often overlooked. We hope this helps you choose your next airlock.

 

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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

What information do I need to size my dust collector?

The attached Questionnaire will provide most of the questions that would be asked for a dust collector. The information that absolutely must be provided for a dust collector to be sized and quoted are:

1. What is the airflow through the dust collector?
2. What is the temperature and pressure the dust collector will experience?
3. What is the dust being collected?
4. Is it explosive?
5. What removal efficiency do you require?

The five above will allow a supplier to provide a quote. However, with only the above information, the dust collector performance cannot be guaranteed.

See dust collector questionnaire.

Is my dust explosive?

To help answer this question, NFPA has released NFPA-652 and 654. A combustible dust is defined as a finely divided combustible particulate solid that presents a flash fire or explosion hazard when suspended in air or the process-specific oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations.

Basically, what this means is when the dust is in the air and its concentration is enough to cause a flash fire or propagate a deflagration or explosion if exposed to a spark or heat source, then it’s considered combustible. Continue Reading.

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Airlocks FAQ Volume 1

Airlock valves are important components in many dust collection and process systems, yet they are often overlooked. We hope this helps you choose your next airlock.

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5 Common Mistakes When Selecting a Dust Collector

The video presents a quick, do-it-yourself examination that helps identify symptoms of possible inefficient dust collection.

 

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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

The saying goes that “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” and this is true of dust collection too.

Dust collections systems are often seen as an install and forget equipment. You turn it on and then do maintenance when you need to. However, the system was designed for a specific system or piece of equipment. This means the hoods, duct-work, airflow, dust collector, etc. are all taken into account in the design.

Then over time, equipment in the system is changed, repaired, optimized, etc. Additional pickup points are added and/or removed, filters are changed, process conditions change, new products are made and/or new components are used in the process. All of this can change the operation of the dust collector system. Anytime something changes in the dust collector system, the system should be reviewed to make sure it is still operating as required.

At this time, the change should be noted in the system manual so that in the future when another change is done or the system isn’t operating as required, the information is readily available. If the information isn’t noted on the system, history will be repeated in that the whole system will have to be re-designed to figure out what airflow is required and where the issues are. This will end up taking more time, and if the proper data isn’t available, could cause further issues down the line.

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Solutions Sourcebook

Learn how industrial dust collectors and material handling valves can help your application.

 

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5 Common Mistakes When Selecting a Dust Collector

The video presents a quick, do-it-yourself examination that helps identify symptoms of possible inefficient dust collection.

 

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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

Cyclone pre-filters offer multiple advantages to existing dust collection systems. They lower the dust loading going into the dust collector, thereby allowing them to concentrate on the smallest particles. Here we will discuss the benefits for both wet collectors and dry collectors.

Wet Scrubbers

Wet Scrubbers – cyclones remove the particulate before the particles see the liquid. Wet scrubbers use liquid (often times water) to capture the dust. The water droplet surrounds the particulate, thereby increasing the particle size of the particle so it is easier to collect. Once the particulate is in the water droplet, it falls into the scrubber sump and is removed from the air-stream. The problem is that as more and more droplets enter the sump tank, a slurry is formed and will require a blow-down to prevent plugging up the nozzles, pump and packing, etc. This requires adding additional liquid and removing slurry.

Benefits of Cyclone Pre-Filter on Wet Scrubbers

By installing the cyclone pre-filter, you are decreasing the amount of particulate entering the wet scrubber. This means less particles will be in the sump tank, lowering the amount in the slurry and requiring less blowdown. This decreases the amount of liquid you need to add to the system. Lowering the blowdown rate also decreases the cost to treat the blowdown liquid. The blowdown slurry is often sent to a waste water treatment facility (facility or municipal). Each gallon of blowdown must be treated so that it doesn’t contaminate the ecosystem. This additional cost is often forgotten about when evaluating a wet scrubber.

Fabric Filters

Fabric filters (baghouses, cartridge collectors, HEPA filters) – Cyclone pre-filters provide many benefits for fabric filters. Fabric filters work by building up a dust layer which then lets air pass, but not dust particles. As the layer gets thicker it is harder for air to pass through.   Baghouses and cartridge collectors often clean the filters periodically by blowing compressed air in them, causing the filters to expand and shake off the top layers of dust.

Benefits of Cyclone Pre-Filter on Fabric Filters

The cyclone pre-filter minimizes the amount of dust coming to the filters. They also collect the largest dust, only allowing the fine dust to get to the filters. The fine particles will then more evenly collect on the filters.   The lower dust loading mean that the filters will not require as much cleaning which extends the life of the filters. Since the filters are cleaned by blowing compressed air into them, the expansion will eventually cause tears. And over time, less and less particulate will fall off as dust works its way into the filter.

Filters also have issues with certain type of dusts. Dust that is sticky and hygroscopic can cause filters to plug up faster, especially if there is humidity in the area. Abrasive dust can cause premature holes in the filters and those holes in the filter allow dust to pass through the collector and out into the environment. Again, by minimizing the dust going to the filter, you extend the filter life and minimize the possibility of filters plugging.

The other big savings is that by installing a pulse-on-demand controller, with a cyclone pre-filter, you will be able to control your cleaning cycles. Therefore, you will only clean the filters when it’s needed. This will save your filters and minimize your plant air usage.

The other benefit that cyclones provide is that they capture the dust before it reaches the filters. Since the filters have a dust layer at all times, the dust that is collected is contaminated by all dust that it has seen before in the life of the filters. If the material you are collecting is expensive, perishables or are controlled substances (pharmaceutical manufacturing), then collecting in a baghouse could cause issues due to contamination from the filters. The cyclone will collect the material and can be easily cleaned between batches.

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Top 5 Reasons to Use a Cyclone as a Pre-Filter Whitepaper

Find out ow pre-filters help to extend bag or filter life, and improving removal efficiencies.

 

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How the Aerodyne SplitStream Cyclone Works

The SplitStream Cyclone Collector is designed for dust collection systems where tough dust like abrasive, sticky, fibrous, hygroscopic or granular persist. 

 

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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