Deciding on an industrial dust collection system design is an essential first step before installing a system in a facility. A dust collection system design not only gives companies a clear understanding of how their system will perform and function but ensures the system they are installing is designed to meet their needs. The dust collector itself is, obviously, the key component to ensuring the overall efficiency of a system. Still, several other components also need to be factored into the design. When planning the design for your dust collection system, here are five important factors to consider to ensure your system runs at peak efficiency and provides a clean and safe work environment for your facility.
Unit Placement
Your dust collection system design should begin with mapping out and identifying the areas and processes within the facility generating dust and centering your system around it. Placement is the first design consideration of any dust collection system. Several factors can help determine the placement of a collection system, beginning with the physical size of the collector and its size constraints, the system’s configuration, the lengths of the ducting and piping, and the type of dust being collected. There has to be enough space in the facility to install the unit, but also enough to access and maintain it. Manufacturing and industrial space are valuable. Can you afford to give up the floor space dedicated to production?
Another consideration is if the dust being collected is combustible. If so, the best placement for the unit may be outside for safety. But if placed outside, and the plant or facility is located in a four-season climate, then the unit may require additional equipment such as heater kits and air dryers for winter. Rain, snow, and ice runoff also have to be managed. Plus, the additional ductwork required to connect the unit to the plant’s interior will also have to be a design consideration.
Dust Collection Hood
A dust collection hood captures a facility’s dust plume or fumes. The hood should be designed to adequately pull dust and fumes from their normal trajectory at a distance suitable to accommodate the work environment. Hoods are connected at the end of ducting systems and should be placed as close to the dust generation point as possible. Hoods can fully enclose the dust-generating equipment or, for those processes that cannot be fully enclosed, various external hood types—flanged hoods, rectangular tapered funnel hoods, rounded conical hoods, rounded bell mouth hoods—are other design considerations to ensure airborne dust and particulates are captured efficiently.
Ducting and Piping Size
Ducting and piping connect the hoods, fans, and air-cleaning equipment to the industrial dust collection system. It is the conveyance system that moves contaminants to the dust collector. Proper ductwork system design reduces waste and costs and greatly improves efficiency. The size and length of the duct segments are determined by several variables beginning with the type and characteristics of contaminants that need to be moved through the ductwork system. The collection of materials can range from heavy, moist, and fine dust to vapors, gases, and smoke. The ductwork design must also calculate the size, shape, density, and distribution of the dust, grit, particles, vapor, gases, and fumes.
The appropriate airflow, i.e., the air volume necessary to properly capture the dust plume, is another important design consideration. The type of contaminants determines recommended exhaust volumes and required air pressure. Your unit supplier can recommend the exhaust volume your collection system will require.
Duct Layout
In addition to the duct and piping size is the design of the ducting system itself. Proper duct design and layout can improve efficiency and prevent dust collection issues. When selecting a dust collection system for your facility, keep in mind that tight elbows can impede the airflow and velocity of ducting. Poorly fitted duct segments can cause leaks and reduce velocity. Reduced airflow can lead to the accumulation of dust. Dust build-up within the ductwork will decrease a collection system’s efficiency, causing unclean air to circulate through a facility, affecting employee health, damaging machinery, and creating a fire hazard.
Exhaust Fan
Selection of the right exhaust fan or blower will ensure that the dust and contaminants will continuously move from the point of origin through the ductwork and the dust collector. The fan or blower should have the correct blade design and be of the necessary size to optimize the airflow at the calculated static pressure.
If you are considering installing a dust collection system for your facility or entering the design phase, the design engineers at CPE Filters have the expertise and experience to assist you in identifying and recommending the right dust collection that will work for you. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.