What to Expect from an Industrial Indoor Air Quality Survey [VIDEO]

Transcript

After ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůgets on site, we take a lot of different air readings and evaluate the the dust collection unit itself for wear and tear, the fan. So when we get back to the office we put together a pretty nice report basically laying out everything that we’ve seen on site. You know, giving you back all the data on your equipment so if your dust collection system has 20 points we basically give you a nice chart back that shows each point, what it goes to, the volume that it has, the static pressure at each point. Some indication on whether or not it’s doing its job and picking up the the particulate. So we give you all the basic information of what you have.

And then once we get through that we give you a section of recommendations pointing out all the improvements that could be made or we’re just generally stating that what you have is good, the design is acceptable and the volume is adequate what those are, we’ll actually go back through and say okay, these were the recommendations for this dust collector. We’ll put together an actual proposal on the cost to do that.

Being that we are a turnkey company we’ll put together a conceptual design, a price for it and then upon acceptance we would give you a final design deliverable along with an implemented solution.

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Transcript

Reasons For Engineering Studies

There’s a couple reasons why customers should contact us to do these evaluations and what the benefit from those are. After time goes on they realize or they notice that some areas of then plant just seem more dusty or there’s more smoke than there used to be. That could be that there was a process change. Or secondly, they call us in and we look at the ventilation and we might get into the system doing the evaluation and come to find out that a blast gate or an orifice plate was changed. And the volume that they think that they have at current equipment really isn’t true.

The Engineering Study Process

Each branch has to be balanced at the beginning of the system startup and that plays a role at the volume and the static pressure. So as soon as you touch one piece of this entire network, it directly affects every branch. When you’re changing the volume going to a certain piece of equipment, you could see a lot of dropout in your ductwork. And over time, that material drops out and fills up in your ductwork. You’re adding a lot of weight to a suspended piece of ducting that may or may not have had a hanger properly designed to support that weight.

Engineering Studies Ensure Optimal Operation

For us to get in there and see exactly what’s going on with the system and make sure that everything’s clean and clear, each branch has good volume, the fan is operating at a good point in the curve. It all kind of ties together just to make sure that it’s operating the way it should be.

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If you’d like to conduct an engineering study at your facility, contact us.

Transcript

Air Quality Survey For Dust Collection

An engineering study tells us and, more importantly, tells the customer exactly where they’re at with their ventilation.

They may have had a piece of equipment that was installed five, 10 years ago. Over the years they may have added dust collection to other parts of the facility, and they tapped into the main line or they capped a few things off and they really don’t have any idea where the system is currently running. So, without knowing that, most times when they try to add a new piece of equipment that needs ventilation, they just think that they need to add a new dust collector. But by doing these evaluations, it might turn out that they have excess capacity in the current system, and it could save them a lot of money.

Learning From an Engineering Study

A dust collection system is very unique in the way that each branch has to be balanced at the beginning of the system startup. So as soon as you touch one piece of this entire network, it directly affects every branch. For us to get in there and see exactly what’s going on with the system and make sure that everything’s clean and clear, it all ties together just to make sure that it’s operating the way it should be.

It’s kind of like going to the doctor for a yearly checkup—just to make sure that everything’s good and in working order. If there’s anything out of line, you take precautionary steps to fix those items and get you back to where you’re supposed to be.

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Why Conduct an Industrial Ventilation Analysis

In an industrial ventilation analysis, we conduct an air quality survey by taking air readings of the ventilation system, as well as evaluate the dust collector, fans and all system components. From there, we develop a baseline rating of the entire system—a useful tool in determining what may need to be done, or not done, with your dust collection system. If you’re unsure whether an engineering study is right for you, here are the primary reasons to request an analysis.

Reason #1: Adding equipment

When adding equipment, you may need to expand the ventilation system. The best way forward is to start by evaluating the current system and its capacity. With that knowledge, you’ll then know whether your current system can handle more volume and how that may affect the collection volume from other equipment.

Also, adding equipment doesn’t automatically mean you need to add to your ventilation system. A ventilation analysis may show that you already have excess capacity. We may also be able to redesign the system to keep you from rerouting ductwork or buying a new dust collector.

Reason #2: Changing a manufacturing process

A manufacturing process change may mean greater particulate volume being directed to an area not equipped to handle the excess. If gone unchecked, particulate can build up in the ductwork, adding weight that can cause the duct to fail. And if the duct isn’t built to carry extra weight, facility damage and employee injuries may occur.

Reason #3: Becoming more energy efficient

Many companies are looking to be more environmentally conscious by using less energy. Even though an older dust collection system continues to do the job well, it may be costing more to run. Older fans, for example, can be a culprit. An engineering survey would show whether you could save energy and money with newer, more efficient equipment, depending upon your system design and layout.

Reason #4: Becoming silica standard-compliant

The silica standard is a high bar. If silica is part of your manufacturing process and you are having difficulty meeting the standard, there are a couple of things you should do. First, hire an industrial hygienist who will analyze your facility for silica risk. For example, the hygienist will take samples for every employee in every area of your plant for every shift. Once you have that information, we can then conduct an engineering study to review your entire system and determine how best to capture the silica.

What to Expect When Your Industrial Ventilation Analysis is Complete

Once we take the air quality survey readings and inspect your system, we develop a comprehensive written report of our findings. You’ll receive data on your equipment and ventilation system with indication of whether it’s collecting particulate effectively and where improvements, if any, are needed. We then:

• Request a follow-up meeting to discuss areas that need improvement
• Develop a conceptual design
• Develop a proposal that includes our costs based on our design
• Once agreed upon, implement the solutions

Getting an engineering study done is much like going to the doctor—it helps ensure everything is operating the way it should. If you believe an industrial ventilation analysis would benefit your company, contact us to schedule a survey.

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The importance of optimal industrial airflow

Proper airflow is an important element of any dust collection system. Benefits include:

• Extended dust collection filter life
• Increased energy savings
• Reduced maintenance and replacement costs
• Better overall fume and dust collection

Risks of poor airflow

The consequences of improper airflow and system maintenance include:

• Too much airflow can pull valuable product out of the process and into the waste stream.
• Too high transport velocity can increase wear on ductwork.
• Too little airflow can allow dust to escape the process and increase the dust hazards in the facility.
• Poor duct routing or low transport velocities can cause dust and particulates to settle in ductwork.

Proper industrial airflow requires a balanced approach. Optimization keeps a facility, people and equipment working at peak performance.

Techniques to maintain proper industrial airflow

Manually adjust the industrial fan’s outlet damper, inlet damper or variable frequency drive:

If the fan’s outlet damper, inlet damper or variable frequency drive (VFD) is adjusted properly, airflow can be controlled.  If done improperly, this adjustment can create a shorter filter life, product quality issues and increased operating costs.

Best practice: Monitor differential pressure readings regularly. Once an initial air reading is complete and it is known how the system should operate – a differential pressure benchmark can be set and the operators will be able to easily see when the system is not operating within acceptable limits.

Manually adjust the industrial fan’s inlet damper or blast gates at collection points:

Making sure airflow is balanced is a critical maintenance step.

Best practice: Keep an eye on airflow. Settling dust could indicate slow airflow. Wear spots could indicate high airflow.

For more details on maintaining airflow for an industrial dust collection system, reference the . Reference IVI’s blog: “Design strategies for optimal industrial airflow” to learn more about optimizing airflow with the correct dust collection type and design.

IVI’s Flo Air Analysis

ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůcan do a complete airflow analysis on any air ventilation system. Our proven airflow analysis method, called ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůFlo, uses state-of-the-art modeling technology to visualize the flow of air within a system to identify opportunities for improvement. Learn more about our Airflow Analysis and contact ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůtoday.

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The rate at which the dust is carried through the system is known as the conveying velocity. And the correct velocity helps with system safety and maintenance, as well as energy use. Too low a velocity and the danger is that dust will start to collect within the duct system; too high, and the threat is wasted energy and faster erosion of the ductwork. Sticky or moist dust could also smear the duct wall if the velocity is too high.

Dust Control Systems: Velocity Matters

So, it is important to maintain the conveying air velocity in every part of the duct within a reasonable range.  The determination of that range is dependent upon the kind of dust that is being transported. For example, an extremely fine, lightweight material that will not clump together, such as cotton dust, may need a velocity of 3,000 fpm. However, if you are handling something like lead dust, or other metalworking dust, you may need to accelerate the system to between 4,500 fpm and 5,000 fpm.

A good rule to follow: the heavier the dust, the higher the velocity. And the higher the velocity, the higher the potential operating costs. So, it really is good to understand the demands that will be placed on your system. For guidance on the appropriate velocity for your application, refer to the recognized industry resource: The Industrial Ventilation Manual from .

Too Slow: Dust Collection Can Be Dangerous

As mentioned, the collection of dust within the ductwork is really something that you want to avoid. This can happen when the dust is moving too slowly through the ductwork and starts to settle inside the pipes. As it collects, this dust can lead to a number of potential problems:

• It could fuel a combustible dust explosion
• Ductwork and hangars can fail due to the additional load or corrosion
• The system may not perform as well as expected as the ducts narrow due to the dust build-up

Too Fast: Abrasive Dust Wears on Ductwork

Dust moving too quickly through the system is also clearly a problem. Dust can be abrasive. This causes wear and tear on the ductwork, which will have to be replaced at some point at an additional cost. Transporting the dust faster may also require a bigger fan than you really need. These fans cost more and also have higher operating costs.

So, you don’t want that dust moving too fast or too slow. You are aiming for just right when you are designing your system.  The things you can do at the design stage to help control conveying velocities include:

• Sizing the ductwork to allow for adequate volume and velocity for the dust it will be carrying
• Calculating the static pressure level required to determine the size and power of your dust collection unit

Just the Right Speed Dust Collection Systems

So there you have it. Moving dust through your collection system too fast or too slow comes with undesirable costs and problems, from dust collecting within the ductwork to parts wearing out faster than necessary. When designing your system, make sure you have an accurate understanding of how fast you will need the dust to be transported through the system. And then design your system around that conveying velocity. It will save you money in the long run.

ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůhas years of experience conveying all sorts of dusts. Whether you are designing a new system or troubleshooting an old one, ÎĺŇ»˛čąÝ¶ůhas the solution for your dust conveyance needs.

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