Project Synopsis
Evaluate and develop recommendations for upgrading an inadequate dust collection system at a powdered materials production facility.
Project Summary
The client is a global manufacturer of additives and intermediates with a facility in the eastern U.S. that produces an anti-oxidant powder for plastics, elastomers, resins, and waxes. One process area of the facility uses two existing dust collectors to provide capture of combustible dusts generated during packaging and rework operations. The existing dust collectors have not been providing adequate control of dusts in this processing area, so the client contracted Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to evaluate and recommend upgrades that would improve the dust collection efficacy and reduce dusts. Any recommendations and new designs would need to meet the current NFPA guidelines for handling combustible dust.
Specific tasks for this project included:
- A site visit and field walkdown to examine the layout and equipment characteristics of the existing system, assess efficacy of pick up points, measure ducting runs, observe operations, and generate an As-Built Equipment Arrangement Drawing
- Preparation of a Process Flow Diagram (PFD) with documentation of existing system flow rates
- Calculation of proposed flow rates for improved dust collection
- A technical evaluation of equipment capacity usage and dust collection point design
- Evaluation of existing explosion venting devices.
Through the evaluation, various recommendations were made for improved design at the designated dust collection pick up points. The new designs ranged from hood configurations, customized fittings around drums, and slotted rings. However, after existing (and proposed) system flow rates were calculated versus the design capacity of collectors, it was determined the collectors could not provide the needed capacity to effectively collect the dust at the desired locations. In addition to having inadequate collection capacity, both collectors were not able to be configured with explosion venting systems compliant with current NFPA guidelines. At the conclusion of the project, the client requested that PROCESS provide a cost estimate for an FEL-1 preliminary process design phase for a new dust collector system.
Industry Type
Powdered Materials Production
Utilized Skills
- Process Evaluation
- Dust Collection Systems Evaluation and Design
- Evaluation of Explosion Venting Devices.