Chemical Engineering November 2011 - 25

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Since 1968
dampers are also employed on this
collector, which saves energy and
helps monitor the capture volume at
the source. " It reduces costs, saves
energy and helps maintain air pollution
levels in the facility, " says Wann.
" These are definite ways to reduce the
cost of ownership while meeting stringent
air-pollution regulations. "
Saving energy is only one way to
reduce the total cost of ownership. Another
major category is maintenance
and disposal, or the time it takes to
service the equipment and costs of
disposing of the consumables. The consumables,
such as filters and media
that are replaced over the life of the
equipment, are another major area
of cost saving focus. Many equipment
providers are making improvements
in these areas as well to help processors
reduce their cost of ownership.
" Cost is always a factor, but more
important than the initial investment
is the overall effectiveness and efficiency
of the equipment, " says Bart
Eggert, product manager with Aerodyne
(Chagrin Falls, Ohio). " Collection
efficiency, operation costs and maintenance
requirements are typically the
main sticking points when selecting
dust collection equipment. "
With that in mind, the company
launched its SplitStream Counter Cyclonic
dust-collection system (Figure
4), which uses a secondary air stream
to boost collection efficiency with fine
particulate to meet stricter standards.
But the unit also offers lower installation
costs since it can be installed vertically
or horizontally, and it extends the
life of bag and cartridge filters, which
reduces labor and material costs.
Camfil-Farr's Dauber agrees that
this is important. " Yes, dust collectors
and related filters and media are a
necessary evil in that you have to have
them to keep the process running, but
it is possible to justify the cost with
ROI over the life of the collector, " he
says. 'We have proven that our collectors
will pay for themselves through
reduced maintenance and reduced
consumables spending. "
He says that while the equipment
offered by his company may be more
expensive upfront, the media and cartridges
often get double the life of less
expensive versions due to the technology
and configuration. " And it's not just the
cost of the filter, but the maintenance
requirements associated with changing
it, as well as the disposal cost, which
can be very expensive in the chemical
industry depending on material collected
and the associated hazards. "
Dauber says when designing collectors
such as the Gold Series, the company
strives to make maintenance
minimal through design.
Simple,
quick-open, heavy-gauge doors provide
access to a cartridge change-out
system that doesn't require entry into
the collector. The door is fully reversible
for access from either side and has
a lock-out feature for worker safety.
There are no knobs to lose or drop, no
threads to bind, and a mechanically
attached seal. No tools are required
during change-outs due to the cambar
system, which allows simplified
change-out of the filter cartridges.
In addition to these maintenance
savers, Dauber says studies have
shown that with better dust collectors,
maintenance costs can be further
reduced simply by leaving the facility
cleaner, which means workers don't
have to spend as much time maintaining
electric motors, controls or other
equipment sensitive to dust and that
employee health is often improved. ■
Joy LePree
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Chemical Engineering November 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering November 2011
