Bag Leak Detection Blog

Not just scrap!

Reclamation of precious metals is big business. US Census Bureau data indicates that nearly 14,000 metric tons of precious metal scrap were exported from the U.S. in 2012 valued at $5.5 billion.

In precious metals reclamation applications, efficiency means the difference between profitability and bankruptcy. Many precious metal reclamation processes make careful use of industrial dust collection systems at multiple points along the process. In addition, many other industrial processes that make use of precious metals in their processes (e.g. platinum catalysts in refineries) often have secondary reclamation systems installed to reclaim as much of these materials as possible. In both cases, any improvement in collection efficiency can result in increased profits. 

Different Ways of Using Dust Collectors to Reclaim Precious Metals

The right measurements for effective management

When first studying up on the fundamentals of industrial dilute phase conveying, dust collection and other related systems, plant engineers might find themselves inundated with convoluted technical formulas and unfamiliar terminology. Often much of this proves to have little practical use with regards to their actual system and ends up confusing rather than simplifying efficient operations.

Lots of information, but where to start?

As of Dec '16 we've published more than 75 articles on triboelectric dust detection technology and particulate emissions monitoring. They cover technical details, tips on use, suggestions to reduce downtime and operating cost and even how our technology is increasingly finding application in process industries for monitoring and control bulk dry goods conveying. 

We're committed to building this body of knowledge for emissions monitoring and process control experts worldwide. But with so much information, we know that sometimes folks new to the discipline may not know exactly where to start. So instead of boiling the ocean, here are three basic articles that we recommend reading first.

1. Triboelectric Dust Detection vs. Opacity Meters - Is there a difference?
2. Triboelectric instrumentation for process improvement
3. AC vs. DC - The role of signal Spectrum in triboelectric monitoring

Optimizing product flow and powder injection rates

Controlling injection rates of dry powders plays a crucial role in many industrial processes. The ability to monitor and control the injection rates can mean the difference between quality product and profitability versus....well, let's just say lots of headaches. 

Importance of Controlling Powder Injection Rates

What Does It All Mean

When considering a triboelectric bag leak detection system OEMs, sales reps, and other re-sellers may throw a number of seemingly confusing technical specs at the project engineer. One that frequently gets cited is whether the unit processes an AC signal or a DC signal. Often this is even touted as an advantage over other makes and models.  But not much explanation accompanies these claims as to the difference between the AC or DC signal, or why it even matters. So we often field questions from visitors to our site who have noted the various technical specifications of our units, as well as read much in our blog about our our Unified AC/DC signal processing technology.

But what is the difference between triboelectric systems that use AC and those that use DC? And what benefit does AC/DC unified technology provide? Lets take a look at the differences and highlight what one is used over the other. 

Superior Signal Vs. Adaptability to Harsher Conditions

Process insights become process control

The use of triboelectric particle velocity monitoring in pneumatic conveying applications is relatively new. In the past, no real viable solutions existed to measure particle velocity in dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems. Pitot tubes can be used to measure air velocity in such systems but encounter problems when introduced into dust-laden air thereby limiting them to only for occasional diagnostic uses. In contrast, triboelectric systems for particle velocity monitoring have no issue working in applications with heavy dust loads. Additionally, because they track the velocity of moving particles themselves rather than measuring airspeed they present a more accurate picture of conveying conditions within the ductwork. 

But what kinds of pneumatic conveying problems can triboelectric particle velocity monitors remedy? Let’s consider two very common problems that come up with pneumatic conveying systems. 

No matter what the application accumulations of dust within a duct work system can present a host of problems to industrial facilities. Dust buildup in baghouse ducts can impact operations of the dust collection system, thereby directly affecting production. Malfunctioning dust collection also generates respiratory safety hazards as well as creates a substantial risk for combustible dust fires and explosions. Additionally, poorly performing systems directly impact a plant’s emissions limits, which can lead to heavy fines, sanctions or even forced shutdowns by regulators. 

How can operators and technicians prevent this issue and avoid these serious consequences in their facilities? 

Insight into systems & subsystems

For many process applications, things are anything but static on the production line. While some processes may involve little more then setting the various pieces of equipment, pushing a green button and then waiting for the shift to finish, many others involve much more dynamic input to function properly. 

The Mercury Emissions Challenge

The EPA’s Mercury emissions standards have proved one the biggest environmental regulatory developments in the US in the last 30+ years. Industry was vocal in their hesitation about the formulation of these standards for decades. After the rules were codified in 2005, the MATS or Mercury and Air Toxics Standards faced vigorous opposition, with over 20 states suing to have them vacated with the case even reaching the United States Supreme Court in early 2015 and 2016. 

One of the topics that generates lots of questions for us in meetings is particle velocity monitoring. Sometimes the reaction is "cool capability, but how's it applicable in our situation?" And if budgets are tight, people assume it will be too expensive and prefer to skip to the next topic. But often the reaction centers around pneumatic conveying where they express a real difficulty understanding what is going on in the pipeline. This is often the case for engineers in industry, and makes troubleshooting an industrial system quite difficult.

Particle velocity monitoring is crucial for proper operation of many process applications and plays a key role in preventing serious problems with dust collection systems that are widely used in nearly every industry. 

For this reason, we thought it would be a good idea to briefly review some compelling reasons why you should seriously consider particle velocity monitoring in your process.