A Low Cost Dust Suppression System
Misting systems are widely used in commercial operations around the world for a variety of reasons such as cooling, humidification, odor control and dust control. There is a subtle difference in requirements for each of these different uses, however the same principle applies for each.
A misting system uses water that is pumped through the water pipes to a series of misting nozzles that control the flow of the water as well as the size of the water droplets that are sent out. The pressure that the misters operate under depends on the size of the holes in the misting nozzles. The smaller the holes the finer the water droplets and the finer the mist.
In order to produce a cooling mist the misting nozzles consist of extremely small holes so that the water is atomized as it hits the air. This means that although the surrounding air temperature is cooled, those in the vicinity will not get wet.
On the other hand misters used for dust suppression require nozzles that produce larger water droplets. These water droplets do not quite atomize in the air. Instead they produce a water fog that is able to attract and hold the dust particles so that they are brought to the ground where the dust can be removed.
It may sound as though the system might be expensive to set up and run but it is actually cheaper than operating a conventional bag filter system. The price of misting nozzles is very reasonable, particularly when you buy them in bulk and the operating costs come down to the price of the water usage. For a dampening system the amount of water you might use is a little over a gallon per hour which can work out to be around 20 cents per hour.
The bonus of using a misting system to suppress dust in an industrial situation is that the workplace is cooled as a side effect of the process which creates a more comfortable environment on an otherwise high temperature site.
It may seem a little out of left field to install a fog machine in the workplace but the results speak for themselves. It is an effective way of suppressing dust and it is also a cost effective solution to boot.