Controlling dust

Resource Recovery Technologies operates a waste transfer station in Minneapolis, USA, which receives around 450 tonnes of mixed waste daily. The company traditionally employed manual dust suppression techniques [a man with a hose]. However, this was only marginally successful, resulting in a visible dust cloud that required the air filters on the company's equipment to be frequently replaced, driving operating costs up.

In an effort to remedy this, the company installed a DustBoss DB-30 oscillating fan system built to atomise droplets of water to 50-200 microns, the optimum size for dust suppression. The unit only requires 15 psi of constant pressure, with water supplied by a standard garden hose. It is powered by a 7.5 hp motor and features a ring of 30 nozzles, an adjustable throw angle from 0-50° elevation and 70° of oscillation. It has a range of up to 100 ft (30 m).

According to the company, the unit has been so successful that air filters are lasting much longer, and the material being transported to landfill does not become oversaturated, which translates into reduced fuel consumption. RRT estimates that as a result of the manpower, fuel and air filter savings, the payback on the DB-30 will be less than a year.