Canadian Biomass • JulyAugust 2018 • Equipment Spotlight

Spanning over half a century, Kice’s experience in designing and building filter systems provides an insight unique in the market. Kice has studied filtration principles and developed some of their own, many of which are patented.

For maximum operating efficiency, the dust must be allowed to settle into the hopper for discharge out of the system. If bags are spaced too closely together or if the housing size is too small, excessive “can velocity” results, holding the dust in suspension. Suspended dust can choke the system regardless of the cleaning mechanism and air to cloth ratio. Kice filters are conservatively designed to provide proper bag spacing, which eliminates this potential problem. Kice filters are very efficient, up to and above 99.9 per cent, even with low micron dust.

Martin Engineering has introduced a new insertable dust collector that features improved filtering and a smaller footprint, helping bulk material handlers minimize airborne dust at belt conveyor loading points. The Martin Insertable Dust Collector is an automatic, selfcleaning filter designed to remove dust from the air in conveyor loading and transfer points, silo vents, bucket elevators and screens. The smaller filter elements allow a significant reduction in the dust collector’s “footprint,” so it can be installed in locations where tight quarters complicate the installation of other systems.

SonicAire fans are industrial fans designed to proactively eliminate overhead combustible fiber and dust in your facility. Not only will employees enjoy a cleaner, healthier and safer work environment, but cleaning costs will be dramatically reduced. Overhead dust control fans also help keep companies in compliance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NFPA regulations. Airmax Systems is Western Canada’s leading distributor of SonicAire fans. Airmax works with Canadian pellet manufacturers, sawmills and pulp mills to eliminate fugitive dust. Airmax is now offering the new SonicAire XD2 fan, certified for Class II Div 2 Hazardous Areas.

BossTek has introduced the newest model in its growing family of self-powered dust suppression equipment, as BossTek announces the debut of the DustBoss DB-30 Fusion. The new design is a versatile and transportable atomized mist unit, engineered with a workhorse electric motor and 30-kW generator. Permanently mounted on a rugged road-worthy trailer, the company’s Fusion lineup is proving to be a popular and effective means of delivering powerful dust suppression technology to sites that lack a convenient power source. The extremely water-efficient design consumes just 2.5 gallons per minute.

Scientific Dust Collectors (SDC) offers the ability to calculate the potential horsepower energy savings available by using SDC’s unique baghouse design. This unique nozzle based baghouse filter design allows SDC to clean the filter media better than ever before. In addition, using this baghouse design eliminates the venturi at the top of the filter bag/cage. This results in a pressure drop reduction of two inches water column (wc).

The Flamex Spark Detection and Extinguishing System is a cost effective solution for the prevention of baghouse fires and explosions. Drying and hammermilling operations among others can often cause sparks, which are typically the ignition source for process fires in wood pellet facilities. The Flamex System uses infrared detectors to identify sparks in ductwork and effectively extinguish them. The system can also be programmed to activate deluge valves, alarms, abort gates, and equipment shut down. Flamex is the first system of its type to gain factory mutual approval and has been successfully used in numerous woodworking and pellet manufacturing facilities throughout North America.

Aircon Corporation designs and manufactures industrial air systems for dust control, pneumatic conveying systems, ventilation systems, and equipment. It offers baghouses, bin vents, compressed air filters, elevator leg filter units, and reverse air filters; and high efficiency and low-pressure cyclones. The company also provides equipment, including rotary airlocks, below roof separators, control panels, material handling fans, paper scrap rotary valves, and screw conveyors; components, such as ductwork, angle rings, structural steel, and flat back elbows; steel fabrication solutions; and spare parts. It offers engineered systems for woodworking, grain, paper trim, paper and folding carton, feed mill, and wood and biomass pellet, chemical, coal, food, plastic, foundry, and gypsum industries worldwide. The company was founded in 1976 and is based in Memphis, Tenn.

The aggressive nature of processing biomass through drying, shredding, granulating and pelletizing processes create sparks or embers. These hazards are quickly transported along the production line through pneumatic conveying systems and can ignite product and waste dust causing fires and explosions. GreCon Spark Detection and Extinguihing Systems are a cost effective preventative system, which detect these hazards and activates counter measures before they cause fires or explosions. GreCon Spark Detection Systems are factory mutual approved and can reduce your risk of fires and dust explosions in transport and collection system as outlined in NFPA 69, 654, and 664 standards.

Baum builds 1 4 x 1 8 through to 4 5 x 5 5 - size feeders as well as firelock isolators, as per NFPA 69. Airlocks are considered passive isolation due to their 10 vane rotor construction. Vanes are always blocking a blast pathway, regardless of what position the rotor is in, while operating or not operating. Two-hp to 20-hp drives available are (American Dodge TXT or European SEW Eurodrive). Top and bottom flanges on airlocks are industry standard, and available dimensions include A1400 and A1410.

The Smart/DS Dynamic Explosion Detector System by IEP Technologies is designed for demanding process applications requiring leading edge rate-of-rise explosion pressure sensing. Its unique ability to analyze rate of pressure rise and differentiate it from non-explosion pressure provides maximum explosion protection with minimal false alarms. Typical applications include dust collectors, drying systems, pneumatic conveying systems and reaction vessels. The SmartDS is designed as part of an explosion suppression system, installed and serviced by experienced IEP Technologies engineers and technicians throughout the world.

Founded in 1921 VETS Sheet Metal serves Canada’s wood and biomass industries’ dust collection and HVAC needs with locations in Edmonton, Kelowna, B.C., and Surrey, B.C. The company’s strength is building and installing dust containment, abatement and suppression systems that meet stringent NFPA guidelines and significantly reduce our client’s cleanup and operating costs. VETS has installed numerous NFPA compliant systems with third party verified emission test results. A number of VETS’ supplied and/or installed multi-cyclone systems have had impressive air emission readings measuring an average PM emission rate of 0.006g per KG of effluent particulate matter released in the atmosphere. This is 15 times below the maximum allowable emissions as per the Alberta government’s 2006 code of practice for new sawmills (0.09g per KG of effluent).

With over 70 years of field experience in providing dust explosion protection systems, Fike’s team of engineers, application specialists and combustion researchers understand the complexities of plant processes, relevant code compliance and the critical nature of plant operation. Fike designs and provides venting, suppression and isolation systems to ensure the safest and most effective solutions for plant and employee protection. Fike’s updated second generation ValvEx is a passive explosion isolation valve engineered to prevent flame and pressure propagation through interconnected pipes, ducts or conveying lines.

For wood processing facilities demanding larger system capabilities Allied Blower & Sheet Metal has successfully certified a line of Back Blast Dampers (BBD’s) that reach sizes up to 50” (1270 mm) in diameter. The BBD can resist a vented dust collector explosion reaching a Pred of 5 psi (0.35 bar) for dusts with a Kst of up to 200 bar-m/sec. This range provides safe operation for a large range of deflagrable dusts used in industry. When comparing the options of using a Passive Mechanical System or an Active Chemical Suppression system the Mechanical Systems are perceived to have less maintenance costs due to simplicity in function, design, training requirements, and the low frequency of inspections.

Optimil Machinery Inc. has redesigned machinery to incorporate superior sawdust and chip containment with systems on chipping/sawing centres, saw boxes, bandmills and conveyors. Some new features include new chipping sections with increased head diameters and enlarged chip chutes. Reconfigured chip chutes allow for fewer transitions and diversion points deliver optimum chip flow and reduced pockets for chips to strike and create dust and debris; new guarding promotes safety by preventing debris entering work areas from saw boxes and bandmills. Optimil also specialises in the EDEM brand of vibrating conveyors for sawmills, wood processing, pellet and biomass plants.