Upcoming Live Webcast on Dust Control

Here's an educational opportunity if you are faced with buying a dust collector or fume collection equipment for your factory. In this live webcast , on online panel of three experts will look at various issues and developments related to dust and dust collection systems.

Cartridge dust collection systems can meet multiple objectives in plants, but choosing the best equipment for a given dust control application involves research and attention to detail. The presentation by John Dauber, Camfil Farr APC’s North American Sales Manager, will review how to select a dust collector that will comply with safety and emissions regulations, solve problems in the plant, perform reliably, and deliver maximum return on investment (ROI).

This webcast is free and will be held at ChemicalProcessing.com on October 28, 2010. You can register here.

Using Premium Efficiency Motors with VFDs on Your Dust Collector

There's some confusion as to why premium efficiency motors can be used with variable frequency drives (VFDs) whereas standard efficiency motors cannot. Camfil Farr APC technical director explains:

"One of the largest players in calculating the life expectancy or efficiency of an electrical motor is in its ability to dissipate heat or not generate heat in the first place. On standard efficiency motors, energy is lost in producing heat while another portion of energy is spent on the fan required to cool the motor. If you are not familiar with a motor design, there is a fan on the end of the motor. It is an integral part of the motor and is located on the opposite end of the output shaft. When the motor turns to perform the work you needed it for in the first place, it also turns the fan so that cooler air is blown across the motor itself. So, some of the energy you supply the motor to operate is used to turn the fan and not translated to the output shaft.

Premium efficiency motors reduce the amount of lost energy going into heat rather than power by using different and higher quality parts. Some of these parts include: steel with better magnetic qualities, bigger diameter wire, and better bearings. Since less heat is generated, less energy is needed to cool the motor with a fan.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s) are used to speed or slow the operation of the motor. VFD’s can be used on standard efficiency motors, however it is not recommended or is very limited since standard efficiency motors do not have the same ability as a premium efficiency motor in limiting or dissipating heat caused by operation. Using premium efficiency motors in conjunction with VFD’s allows a much wider range to operate the motor while maintaining the expected motor life."

Dust & Fume Collection for Solar Panel Fabrication

For silicon wafer plants, fine fumes from the furnaces and laser cutting process must be extracted to protect workers and machines from the super fine dust that they emit. With the cadmium glass process, much more attention is needed due to the toxic nature of cadmium. Containment features such as Bag-In Bag-Out (BIBO) filter access and dust discharge removal are recommened. Also recommended are HEPA secondary filters to meet very stringent EPA laws which are at or below 0.0004 grains per cu ft (1 mg/cu meter). Click here to view dust collector installations at solar panel fabrication facilities and learn more.

FAQ: What kind of dust collection problems can result from poor filter media selection?

The problems that can result from poor media selection are numerous, but some of the main ones include: failure to comply with emission standards, excess energy use, shortened filter life, and dust collector failure. A thorough site survey, coupled with dust testing performed by a qualified lab, can help determine the right media for a given application.

Also, explosion hazards and compliance with new NFPA standards and OSHA guidelines are of major concern when selecting media in combustible dust applications. Carbon-impregnated media filters are very effective because they are conductive, providing a “static drain” on the media that eliminates the chance of a spark or ignition source from buildup of static electricity in the media.