Dust Collector Design and Safety

Andrew F. Hollingshead, P.E. Senior Consultant, Penta Engineering Company, LLC

Abstract This paper presents fundamental dust collector principles and how they apply to practical design features included in modern dust collector design. In applications where the dust is combustible, as in coal handling and pulverizing operations, special design features must be incorporated. The recent 2007 edition of the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 85 - Boiler and Combustion System Hazards Code has brought a renewed interest in the safety features of solid fuel pulverizing and firing systems. The updated code requirements for dust collectors used in indirect firing systems is discussed along with requirements for inerting the dust collector in the event of a suspected fire. Introduction Dust collection fundamentals must be carefully applied to the design of any dust collection system if it is expected to offer reliable and efficient service. These fundamentals are discussed in the following paper with an emphasis on safe design for systems dealing with combustible dusts. Industrial loss history shows that dust collectors are the leading piece of equipment to experience 1 explosions. Dust collectors designed for solid fuel preparation systems should comply with applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes. These codes are written to establish a set of standardized guidelines for the safe design, installation, operation, maintenance and training of industrial systems that could be susceptible to fire and/or explosions. Although these codes are not intended as law, jurisdictional authorities, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), may use these codes to determine regulatory compliance during their inspections. The most cost effective solution to controlling dust usually begins at the source. Improved designs in transfer chutes and transition ducts can reduce the amount of dust generated during material handling operations and reduce the amount of collection devices. But nevertheless, cement plants require many dust collectors in a wide range of applications. Most of the dust collectors found in cement plants do not require fire protection except for the ones that handle solid fuels. Design options for these collectors should include considerations for the combustible nature of the dust and the mode of operation for the process system. The dust collector system for combustible dusts can be designed with explosion venting and/or explosion suppression systems. In some designs the collector can be designed to withstand an explosion. Inerting systems must be provided on all combustible dust applications.

1.

Dust Collection Applications

Dust collection is used for two main reasons, to collect a valuable product from a gas stream or to control fugitive dust emissions. If the desired final product is a fine particulate and is contained in a gas stream a process dust collector is used to collect the dust and allow the cleaned gas to escape. The main dust collector for a vertical roller mill is considered a process collector. The main purpose of a process collector is to capture the dust from the gas stream that is generated in the process.

978-1-4244-2081-0/08/$25.00 2008 IEEE

A nuisance dust collector is used to maintain negative pressure inside process equipment to avoid dust escaping from the enclosed equipment. A dust collector that vents bucket elevators, material conveyors and transfer points in a finish grinding circuit would be classified as a nuisance collector. In the case of a nuisance collector, the object is to minimize the amount of dust that must be handled. Process dust collectors require additional considerations due to their influence on the process. For example, as the filters collect more material the pressure drop across the dust collector begins to increase and the airflow through the dust collector begins to gradually decrease. The change in the operating pressure and gas flow through the dust collector may have a detrimental effect on the main process. Nuisance dust collectors are usually stand alone devices that provide ventilation to avoid fugitive dust emissions. These devices keep the work place clean when they are operated and maintained properly. In addition, the efficient operation of these dust collectors is of great interest to regulatory agencies. The basic design of fabric filters is similar for both types of dust collectors. The main assembly features a large enclosure to support all of the dust collecting media. Each individual bag or cartridge must be fit with an effective seal to isolate the clean side from the dirty side of the media. Most dust collectors are usually located before the system fan. In this layout, the fan is subjected to clean gas and does not require special materials of construction for abrasion resistance. The system fan is connected to the clean side of the filter enclosure and is used to pull air, or gas, through the dust collector. The inlet of the dust collector enclosure is ducted to the dust source where a pick-up location is provided. Each component of the system must be carefully designed to meet the needs of the application. Proper specifications include details such as o o o o o Physical characteristics of the dust particle size distribution, particle shape Chemical composition of the dust flammability, alkaline, acidic, corrosive Chemical composition of the gas oxygen content, moisture, corrosive Operating temperature ambient, high temperature, fluctuating temperature Mode of operation process or nuisance collector, cleaning philosophy, controls

If the dust is combustible, the design and operation of the dust collector must meet minimum safety standards. NFPA has a wide variety of codes that are used by regulatory agencies to determine compliance with industrial safety standards. Each NFPA code will usually reference other NFPA codes and ASTM standards. For instance, NFPA 68 Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting, provides formulas to calculate vent areas based on the explosion constant (KST) of the dust while ASTM E1226, Standard Test Method for Pressure and Rate of Pressure rise for Combustible Dusts, will provide details about a particular coal dusts explosion characteristics and is called the KST test. 2. Design Features

Remember that a dust collector, which includes the housing and the filter media, is actually a component of a complete system that would not be able to operate efficiently without properly designed pick-up points, ducts and transitions, system fan and controls. Dust collector manufacturers can only provide the best solution if they are given the proper specifications. A dust collection system will function efficiently if all of the components are given thorough consideration before they are assembled. Start with the location where the dust is being generated and proceed through all of the dust collection system components to gain a better understanding of recommended design features.

2.1 Grain Loading The amount of solid material contained in the gas stream is termed grain loading. The units are 3 3 g/m and the values usually range from about 5 650 g/m . The grain loading for a particular application will affect the selected air-to-cloth ratio in the initial design. The table below lists typical grain loading for different cement plant equipment. Duty Light Applications Equipment Application Crushers, Bins and Silos Clinker Coolers, Screens, Bucket elevators, Conveyor transfer points, long dry kilns Hammermills, Bag packers, Air gravity conveyors, Bulk loading Ball mills, drum dryers, preheater kilns Mechanical separators Grain Loading 5-15 g/m3 10-30 g/m3 20-60 g/m3 30-90 g/m3 3 80-120 g/m 50-250 g/m3 300-500 g/m3 up to 650 g/m 3

Moderate Applications Heavy Applications

Rapid paddle dryers, Coal mills w/ drying, Pneumatic pump conveyors Air swept raw mills Vertical roller mills, High efficiency classifiers Table 1: Typical grain loading for various equipment2

Most heavy applications can be classified as process dust collectors and must be designed to handle the large quantity of material to be collected. Extra considerations should be made to avoid high wear rates and the material conveying components should be sized accordingly. When dealing with combustible dusts, such as coal dust, the dust content must be within a fixed explosion limit to initiate a dust explosion. For most coals this range is between 20 2000 g coal 3 dust/m air. which covers most applications in cement plants. The most violent explosions occur 3 3 between 800 1200 g coal dust/m air . Vertical coal mills are usually designed to operate at a 3 grain loading of about 650 g/m at the mill outlet.

2.2 Pick-up points Process dust collectors are usually directly connected to the dust generator with a duct. In the case of a roller mill or high efficiency separator, the dust is pulled directly into the dust collector with the accompanying gas stream. Most nuisance dust collectors vent several points in the system and must be connected to various types of equipment. Bucket elevators and belt conveyor transfer points are common applications for nuisance dust collectors. Air gravity conveyors and pneumatic pumps must have proper ventilation or they will not operate. The basic premise for designing a vent hood for a pick up point is to remove as little dust as possible from the dusty location while pulling enough gas to maintain a slightly negative pressure th at the dusty location. Industrial Ventilation manual (25 edition) provides excellent guidelines for 4 designing vent hood for a variety of equipment. If the dust generation cannot be minimized or contained the dust must be captured. To avoid collecting particles that are too large visualize where inside the equipment the lowest grain loading occurs. This should be the target area for the vent hood. If enough volume is pulled through the vent hood, the negative pressure inside the equipment will keep any dust from escaping.

Coal dust requires special attention due to the ease at which high volatile coal dust layers can 5 ignite. The pick up points must be properly located and properly designed to capture combustible dusts before they are allowed to settle in the surrounding area. When selecting pick up points for air gravity conveyors, avoid venting directly at transfer points, but choose a location 1 or 2 meters upstream of the transfer point. Vents for bucket elevators should not be placed directly above the discharge chute where the maximum dust concentration is located. Place the vent about 1 meter below the head shaft and 1-2 meters above the tail shaft to capture dust instead of fine material. There is a science to designing vent hoods. The minimum gas velocity at any point in front of the hood that will pull dust into the hood is called the capture velocity. The face velocity is the gas velocity at the cross sectional area where the hood is attached. If the capture velocity or the face velocity is too high, material, as well as dust, will be pulled into the hood. If the capture velocity is too low, dusting at the pickup point will still occur. Capture velocity should be in the range of 1 2.5 m/s for most applications. Some dust collectors are designed without any inlet ducting but are mounted directly on the equipment. Hopperless bin vent dust collectors are designed to mount directly on the roof of a bin or silo thereby avoiding pick up points, inlet ducts and material transport/airlock equipment. 2.3 Inlet and outlet ducts Inlet ductwork for nuisance collectors is the source of many problems for dust collection systems. Improperly designed ducts can provide job security for two additional maintenance mechanics for the life of the plant. Duct runs from the pickup point to the collector housing must be designed and installed to avoid locations where duct could accumulate. Pockets where dust could accumulate must be avoided, especially in cases of combustible dusts. Of course the gas velocity in the duct must be maintained above settling velocities for the dust but the physical orientation of the ducts is very important. There are numerous examples of dust collecting systems with worn out ducts and holes in elbows and transitions that no longer perform adequately. If the pick up points and connecting ducts are properly engineered, field modifications to repair obvious problems can be avoided. The design velocity in the ducts should be at least 17 20 m/s for most raw material applications while cement dust, especially if it is moist, will require a conveying velocity of at least 23 m/s. NFPA 120, Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines, requires a minimum acceptable design velocity of 4,500 ft/min (23 m/s) in coal dust conveying ducts. If the required gas velocity is known and the type of equipment that needs to be vented has been identified, the required duct dimensions can be determined. Blast gates should be installed close to each pick up point so that the system can be balanced once it is in operation. Adjustments should be made, and periodically checked, to maintain about negative 2-3 mbar at each pick up point. Caution must be exercised when adjusting blast gates to avoid closing them too far. This could cause the duct to plug due to falling below the minimum conveying velocity and create a hazardous condition with combustible dusts. Elbows and transitions should be designed to minimize internal wear. The geometry of the ducts and the resulting flow patterns of the dust laden gas should be given consideration before establishing the final duct layout. Horizontal ducts should be avoided if possible and must be designed for higher conveying velocities to handle adverse conditions. Do not attempt to add vent points to an existing dust collection system without considering the consequences of the alteration in terms of operation and maintenance.

2.4 Isolation gates If the system is used for flammable dusts, isolation gates are required to keep a fire or an explosion confined from adjacent equipment in the system. These gates must be fast acting and provide a positive seal when closed. They must meet the 50 psig construction criteria to comply with NFPA 85 and should be located in the inlet duct and outlet duct from the collector. 2.5 Airflow requirement The system volume flow requirement is based on the total amount of ventilation required for each piece of equipment. Dudas Cement Data Book 1 and Industrial Ventillation both provide reference data concerning air volumes for different dust collection applications. For example, 3 2 bucket elevators should have 30 m /min of ventilation for every m of casing cross-section. Air gravity conveyors require 1.2 times the air volume supplied by the conveyor blowers. Vertical 3 roller mills require 1.5 2.5 Nm /kg of ground material. The volume flow requirement for all of the vent points is added together to find the minimum flow requirement at the dust collector inlet. If there are any cyclones in the duct leading to the dust collector, add 2% volume to allow for false air inleakage calculating the gas flow at the dust collector inlet.
3 When all of the individual gas flows through each vent duct is calculated (in actual m /hr), the duct diameters can be determined using the appropriate design velocity for the particular dust being collected. Transitions where more two or more ducts join to a common duct should be carefully reviewed to assure a proper gas velocity profile.

2.6 Fan The system fan must be designed to move the proper volume of gas from the pick up points, through the ducts and through the dust collector assembly. The fan must also have the static pressure capability to overcome all of the system resistance while it is in operation. The fan inlet volume equals the total airflow requirement at the dust collector inlet plus 5% volume for inleakage across the dust collector. All of the airflow requirements must be corrected for temperature, pressure, gas composition and altitude to calculate the actual volumetric flow 3 rate in actual m /hr. The fan static pressure must also be specified to match the other system components. The total static pressure must be greater than all of the resistances offered by the pick up points, the blast gates, the velocity in and the geometry of interconnecting ducts, cyclones (if included), the dust collector housing, the filter media and the duct between the housing and the fan. If the fan is equipped with a damper, the pressure drop across the damper must be included. Most nuisance collectors are equipped with damper controlled fans while process collectors usually have variable speed fans. The fan should not be allowed to operate below the minimum airflow required to maintain adequate velocity in the vent ducts. 2.7 Material transport It is vital to the operation to remove the collected material while minimizing the amount of ambient air that is allowed into the collector. Since the material has to exit through an opening in the bottom of the hopper, and the dust collector hopper is usually under negative pressure, an air lock must be provided in the material outlet path. Without an effective airlock in the discharge path, air would enter the hopper through this opening and satisfy part of the fan volume requirement. The velocity in the interconnecting ducts will be reduced and may lead to dust settling.

Another problem created by a poor air lock at the material discharge is that some of the recently collected dust will be re-entrained in the offending air stream where it will have to be collected again. This situation results in an internal recirculation of dust that causes additional bag wear, higher pressure drop and higher cleaning frequency. All of these consequences can contribute to higher operating and maintenance costs. The direction of material transport in the hopper should be in the same direction as the gas flow into the housing. If the material is transported counter-current to the gas flow, some of the previously collected dust will become re-entrained in the incoming gas stream. The bottom of the sloped hopper is usually fitted with an air gravity conveyor or a screw conveyor to transport the collected dust to the discharge opening. After passing through an air lock, the dust can be conveyed with traditional equipment to its destination. Non-sparking screw conveyor and airlock components must be specified for flammable dusts. Conveyor sizing is based on the amount of dust product expected. Calculations are based on the grain loading and the gas volume supplied to the collector. Service factors should be included to handle unexpected surges from the equipment being ventilated. When the system fan is shut down and the filter cake is released from the bags the amount of dust discharged to the hopper is greater than during normal operation. In the case of combustible dusts, all of the material collected in the hopper must be evacuated by the material discharge system. Pockets of undisturbed coal dust can be susceptible to spontaneous combustion and begin smoldering. When the dust collector is restarted later, and the airflow from the fan begins to disturb the smoldering coal a fire or an explosion could result. A good design includes the addition of CO2 inerting provisions for the hopper and any enclosed screw conveyor transporting combustible dusts away from the dust collector. 2.8 Housing The housing is normally designed as a box and must be constructed to withstand the maximum operating pressure of the system. Most dust collectors are located directly before the system fan so the housing may be subjected to the maximum fan pressure. Actually, the worst case would occur if the housing inlet became blocked and the system fan was operated at maximum speed, or damper position. A detailed structural design must be engineered to avoid structural damage due to extreme negative pressure in the housing. In other applications where the dust is flammable, some dust collectors are designed as pressure vessels to withstand 50 psig from a dust explosion. These units are usually cylindrical in shape to provide a structurally superior enclosure. If an explosion did occur, the pressure can be safely contained in the housing without structural damage. Provisions for administering inerting agents must be provided for these enclosures as well. An alternative to meeting the 50 psig pressure rating for flammable dusts is the use of explosion vents. This approach relies on a mechanical device to automatically relieve the pressure in the housing as a result of an explosion. Explosion hatches, with spring loaded lids, or rupture panels, with predetermined stress limits, can be installed on dust collectors to relieve explosion pressures. These must be carefully designed to meet NFPA requirements. NFPA 68 Guide for Venting Deflagrations, provides design details for calculating vent areas based on the KST value of the dust. It is very important that the dust that is collected in the dust collector is the sample used to determine the proper KST value since the dust that is collected on the bags is finer than the product. Re-testing should be performed periodically and whenever fuel supply changes are made. The main purpose of these vents is to relieve the pressure from an explosion to reduce structural damage to the dust collector and adjacent equipment in the event of an explosion. The explosion

vents are positioned away from walkways and other equipment to minimize potential collateral damage which could lead to secondary explosions. NFPA 654, Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids, recommends dust collectors used for combustible dusts should be located outdoors unless they are located next to an outside wall and can be vented to the outside through straight reinforced ducts not exceeding 10 feet in length, and have explosion vents designed according to NFPA 68. As an alternative, the dust collector must be protected by an explosion suppression system that meets the requirements of NFPA 69, Explosion Prevention Systems. When a dust collector installation is required, proper specifications are essential. The customer must decide which approach is preferable for the specific application. If a fuel system is designed to meet the 50 psig pressure rating, explosion vents may not be required. If the system is started and operated in an inert atmosphere, the 50 psig pressure rating does not apply. NFPA does not require explosion vents on inert systems however the system must be started, operated and shut down in a verified inert atmosphere. Both gas and dust chemical compositions should be considered. If the gas and dust are high in alkali or chloride concentration special precautions should be taken with construction material selection and internal coatings specification. Hopper construction must be considered for the particular application. If the material flowabilty is poor, maybe due to high moisture, the hopper walls must be steep enough to avoid any accumulation. Quick and complete hopper discharge should be the goal. This is critical in collectors designed for use with flammable dusts where ledges and dead pockets must be avoided. Special construction materials, such as polished stainless steel, can be specified to minimize flow problems. If the hopper is susceptible to accumulations of flammable dust, CO2 vapor inerting should be installed When the dust collector is used for combustible dusts, the housing and supports must be grounded to avoid the uncontrolled discharge of static electricity. The structure should be designed to support a fully loaded hopper in the event of a plugged material discharge system. If water is used as a fire fighting agent, the mechanical loading should be based on a dust collector full of water. The physical size of the housing is determined by the amount of filter media required and the can velocity. Air-to-cloth ratio is used as a guide for calculating the proper amount of filter media 3 required. It is the ratio of the actual amount of gas flow (m /min) through the collector to the area 2 3 2 of filter cloth (m ) and the units are m /m /min, or m/min. Pulse jet collectors can operate at 1.5 1.8 m/min, plenum pulse at 1.1 1.2 m/min while reverse air collectors need much more filter area at 0.6 0.9 m/min. These are guidelines to be used with additional consideration give for systems with high grain loading, high moisture content, fluctuating operating conditions or unique dust characteristics. With a calculated gas flow and a reasonable estimate for air-to-cloth ratio, the fabric area can be calculated. Filter dimensions and the number of filters can then be decided based on other factors. The main factor at this stage is gas velocity. The ducts have been sized to support a conveying velocity of about 20 m/s but this velocity must be reduced as it enters the housing to achieve good bag life. As the dust laden gas passes through the inlet flange to the dust collector housing/hopper, it should be evenly distributed throughout the entire compartment for uniform operation. Turning vanes are sometimes used to deflect the high velocity gas stream from impacting directly on the first set of bags at the inlet. It is

desirable to reduce the gas stream velocity to less than 12 m/s. Some of the heavier dust particles will drop out directly into the hopper if the velocity is low enough. As the gas, and dust, continue moving up into the arrangement of filters in the main body of the collector the gas velocity at this point is called the can velocity. This is the actual gas velocity just before it passes through the bags. Pulse jet collectors, that do not stop operation while the bags are being cleaned, require can velocity as low as 1.5 m/s for effective cleaning. If the can velocity is too high, the dust will be re-entrained as soon as it is released from the filter surface. If filter bags are packed too tightly or the operating gas volume is too high, the can velocity can exceed practical operating limits. The upper limit for can velocity for coal dusts ranges between 1 1.5 m/s (200 - 300 ft/min) If it is higher, fine dust purged from bags or cartridges during the cleaning cycle will tend to become reentrained in the airflow and end up back in them. This phenomenon is most pronounced for 6 collectors with long bags. 2.9 Filter Cleaning system The cleaning method determines the type of dust collector. There are several styles, including o Shaker o Reverse air o Plenum pulse o Pulse jet Shaker cleaning is a mechanical method where the individual filter is physically shook to loosen the dust cake from the filter surface. Most shaker collectors use on-line cleaning, where cleaning is performed while the entire dust collector is in operation. These units can also be designed with separate compartments so that a compartment can be isolated and cleaned while the other compartments continue to collect dust. This is considered off-line cleaning. Shaker collectors carry the hazard of explosions due to the shaking of the bags that could cause static charge on the bags to set off a spark, leading to an explosion. Since dust concentrations can easily reach explosive limits during cleaning operations in shaker collectors, precautions need to be taken to avoid explosions. A common method is by coating bag fibers with a conductive coating that grounds the static charge. Shakers are prone to secondary explosions as well because these bags tend to accumulate more dust (combustible material or fuel) when compared 7 to other collectors. Reverse air cleaning is accomplished by taking a compartment off-line and directing some of the cleaned gases backwards through the filter media. These collectors are usually designed to collect the dust on the inside of the bags and use a gentle back flush of gas for cleaning. Plenum pulse and pulse jet cleaning uses a high pressure blast of cleaning air to loosen the dust cake from the filter

surface. Pulse jet cleaning can be done on-line, without taking a part of the collector out of service. The pulse should be of short duration with a quick opening valve to induce a pressure wave down the length of the filter. The cleaning air pressure must be at least 90 psig for effective cleaning of filter bags or 70 psig for pleated elements. The air nozzles must be properly aligned so that the pulse is directed down the centerline of the bag. Misalignment will cause premature bag failure near the top of the bag. The passing of airborne coal dust over a polyester filter media has a sufficient triboelectric gradient to induce a 8 charge. Pulse jet dust collectors posses an inherent advantage in mitigating explosion risk due to static charge since their design uses reverse flow of air. This reverse flow of air (that is not ionized) through the dust, depletes all static charge from the dust particles. The cleaning system is thus, constantly cleaning up any charges from building up as well. 2.10 Filter media Fabric selection should be made on several criteria, namely o Physical characteristics of the dust particle size distribution, abrasiveness, and moisture are all important. If the dust is generated in a ball mill, the particles will not have as many sharp edges as they would if they were generated in a vertical roller mill, or roll press. The amount of very fine dust will influence the fabric selection to prevent blinding and the moisture content of the dust will affect the media cleaning. o Chemical composition of the dust high concentrations of alkalis or chlorides in the dust may be non compatible for some fabrics. The pH of the dust will also eliminate some fabrics from being selected. Flammable dusts should have filter bags with grounded cages specified in the design. Chemical composition of the gas most fabrics are compatible with high oxygen levels but some are not. Alkalis and acid gases must also be considered. Operating temperature Temperature limits exist for all filter media. The process temperature must be specified to determine the best filter media for the application. Fire resistance filters used with flammable dusts should not use combustible bags, such as cotton, nylon, polyester, polypropylene and acrylic fabric. Fiberglass, nomex, and Teflon bags are better suited for fire resistant applications. Air flow resistance As the filters remain in service, the bags gradually become blinded with very fine particles that become caught in the fabric structure. The bag finish and the dust characteristics should be matched to provide the best service life of the filter. Cleaning characteristics the surface of the non-fiberglass bags is finished to provide better dust cake release during cleaning. Examples of finishes are singed, glazed, silicone coated, acrylic coated and Teflon (PTFE) coated. Different finishes can be applied to different fabrics to improve cleaning characteristics. One of the controlling factors that contribute to dust explosions is the concentration of fuel particles in the air. Singed or eggshell finishes reduces dust accumulation on bags and will reduce the dust

concentration in the collector. reduce the dust concentration.

PTFE laminated bags with frequent cleaning will also

In the case of combustible dusts, the bag fibers can be coated with a conductive coating that grounds the static charge. The support cages for the bags must be grounded as well to prevent static discharge.

3.

Controls

The cleaning cycle frequency is a function of the dust collector design and the grain loading at the inlet of the collector. Cleaning can be performed on a fixed time cycle or it can be triggered by a preset differential pressure across the dust collector. As dust is collected on the filter surface, the airflow is restricted and the pressure drop across the filter increases. Left unchecked, the filter would become completely blinded until the airflow stopped. On demand cleaning is a cleaning method controlled by the pressure drop across the filter. When the differential pressure reaches a preset high limit, say 20 mbar, the cleaning cycle is initiated until the differential pressure reaches a preset low limit, say 12 mbar. The cleaning cycle is then stopped until the differential pressure reaches 20 mbar again. If the system fan is designed with a steep fan curve, significant pressure changes result in small volume flow changes and by allowing the filter to operate within a fairly narrow pressure range, the airflow through the dust collection system remains fairly constant. If the fan curve is fairly flat, small pressure changes can result in large air flow changes. On demand cleaning for process collectors with flat fan curves can result in very unstable operation due to variations in the air flow. On demand cleaning for nuisance dust collectors can save compressed air used for cleaning compared to the same collector using a timer to initiate cleaning cycles. The fan must be controlled by variable speed drive or by damper to provide the proper volume flow to operate as designed. The fan flow should be measured in the field to document the process parameters during normal operation and to verify that minimum velocities are established. NFPA 85 requires initial start-up testing and retesting as appropriate to verify 9 adequate pipe velocities. The operating temperature should be monitored, especially in flammable dust applications for early signs of combustion. Inerting systems should be automatically started upon notification of high temperature alarm conditions. The dust collector fan and cleaning cycle should be automatically shut down when the systems they are venting are not in operation. During normal operation the cleaning cycle should be allowed to run long enough to clean the dust cake from the filter bags. Conveying equipment must be allowed to run long enough to remove any accumulated dust from the hopper before shutting the complete system down. This is necessary to avoid hopper fires. In the event of a suspected fire, from CO monitors or temperature probes, the dust collector fan should be stopped and the system should be isolated. The cleaning cycle must be stopped so that additional dust is not put into suspension. Compressed air used for pulse cleaning will increase the oxygen concentration in inert systems and should be stopped immediately if a fire is suspected. Inerting systems should be initiated whenever a fire is suspected.

4.

Special requirements

Some dust collector applications require additional safety features. Dust collectors used in solid fuel preparation, storage and firing systems must have special design features to provide safe operation. NFPA has published codes that describe accepted practices for the design and operation of industrial equipment that could potentially be involved in a fire. NFPA 654 Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids, contains comprehensive guidelines on the control of dusts to 10 prevent explosions . The following are some of its recommendations: Minimize the escape of dust from process equipment or ventilation systems; Use dust collection systems and filters; Utilize surfaces that minimize dust accumulation and facilitate cleaning; Provide access to all hidden areas to permit inspection; Locate relief valves away from dust hazard areas; Develop and implement a hazardous dust inspection, testing, housekeeping, and control program (preferably in writing with established frequency and methods). Use appropriate electrical equipment and wiring methods; Control static electricity, including bonding of equipment to ground; Control mechanical sparks and friction; Adequately maintain all the above equipment.

NFPA 654 also offers guidance to minimize the danger of an explosion and the damage if one should occur. The following are some suggested protection methods: Separation of the hazard (isolate with distance); Segregation of the hazard (isolate with a barrier); Deflagration venting of a building, room, or area; Pressure relief venting for equipment; Provision of spark/ember detection and extinguishing systems; Explosion protection systems (also refer to NFPA 69 Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems); Sprinkler systems; and The use of other specialized suppression systems.

NFPA 85 - Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code, outlines design criteria, operating and maintenance guidelines as well as fire fighting and inerting requirements. Section 9.4.6.1.1 specifies the 50 psig construction requirement for fuel system components, including dust collectors. If however, the system is started and operated in an inert atmosphere, section 9.4.6.1.7 states that if the system is started and operated in an inert atmosphere, the strength requirement (50 psig) does not apply. Section 9.4.6.1.9 in NFPA 85 states that cyclones, dust collectors and pulverized fuel bins in storage systems must meet the 50 psig requirement or be equipped with suitable vents if it is not started and operated in an inert atmosphere. Inerting and fire fighting can be accomplished with CO2 or other inert gases. CO2 works well for this application and is readily available to most cement plants. CO2 is recognized as a superior inerting agent due to its higher gas density than air. When the dust collector and fan are shut down and CO2 is admitted to a dust collector hopper, the CO2 will settle to the bottom of the hopper and reduce the amount of oxygen in contact with any settled dust.

NFPA 85 requires all connections for fire extinguishing and inerting agents shall be at least 25mm (1 inch) in diameter with provisions to verify flow of the agent. Connections should also be available for gas sample probes to detect the presence of CO for early fire detection and warning. Dust collector fires are usually started with relatively high oxygen flow. As soon as a fire is detected the system fan should be stopped and the isolation dampers should be closed. CO2, N2, or steam vapor should be applied to inert the atmosphere. The intent of the inerting agent is to reduce the oxygen concentration below 10% to avoid explosions of coal dust and below 5% to 11 extinguish fires. NFPA 68 Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting, provides guidance to obtain properly design explosion vents while NFPA 69 Explosion Prevention Systems, describes the requirements of deflagration prevention by suppression or by active isolation. NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, defines hazardous locations and assigns motor class and division for different applications. Electric motors for the dust collector fan, electric actuator and the material discharge conveying equipment should comply with Class II, Division 1 standards. Class II locations are those that are hazardous because of the presence of combustible dust. Class II locations include the following: (a) Class II, Division 1. A Class II, Division 1 location is a location: (i) In which combustible dust is or may be in suspension in the air under normal operating conditions, in quantities sufficient to produce explosives or ignitable mixtures; or (ii) Where mechanical failure or abnormal operation of machinery or equipment might cause such explosive or ignitable mixtures to be produced, and might also provide a source of ignition through simultaneous failure of electric equipment, operation of protection devices, or from other causes; or (iii) In which combustible dusts of an electrically conductive nature may be present. NFPA 77 Static Electricity, illustrates a method of insuring an electrical ground for static electricity. The bags, cages and structure must be properly grounded in dust collector systems handling combustible dusts. NFPA 120 - Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining and Metal Mineral Processing Facilities, covers duct design criteria and establishes minimum velocity in coal dust conveying ducts of 4500 ft/min (23 m/s) 5. Conclusions Dust collectors are only a single component in a complete dust collection system. In order to properly design a dust collector for a particular application, several considerations must be made. Dust characteristics, especially combustible properties, and grain loading conditions can influence the design and layout of the equipment. Properly designed pick up point vent hoods, ducts and duct transitions are critical to the success of the system. Fan selection and material conveying equipment choices are key considerations as well. The type of collector, filter media and cleaning methods should be carefully considered for the type of dust and the specific application. In the case of combustible dusts NFPA codes should be used as guidelines to ensure a safe operating system. FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 7-76 Combustible Dust Explosions and Fire, September 2000 2 Duda,W.H, Cement data-book 1, Wiesbaden; Berlin: Bauverlag, 1985, p. 576
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Paul, Baidya N. System Design and Safety Considerations for Grinding High Volatile Coal, IEEEIAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference, 2004 4 Industrial Ventillation A Manual of Recommended Practice, Cincinnati, OH, ACGIH, 2004 5 Young, Gerald L. and others, Recommended Guidelines for Solid Fuel Use in Cement Plants, PCA, 2007, p.19 6 Schonbach, Bernard H. PE, Give your plant a dust control tune-up, Power (New York), Vol. 148; Issue 8; PBD Oct 2003, p. 53-56 7, Wynn, Rick and others. Dust Related Explosion and Fire Hazards 2006 <http://www.dustcollectorexperts.com/information/hazards.html> 8 Greater Potential for Spontaneous Combustion in PRB Coal. <http://www.aircure.com/asme_combustion.htm> 9 NFPA 85 Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code. Quincy, MA, 9.4.3.3.2, 2007 10 Combustible Dust in Industry: Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Fire and Explosions, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration , Aug 31, 2005 11 Pulverized Fuel System Fires, Plant Service Bulletin 16A, Babcock &Wilcox, Barberton, OH, 2002