To overcome the maintenance problems and operating costs of centralized dust control systems, Martin Engineering recommends the use of insertable air cleaners on conveyor transfer points and recently introduced an updated version of its insertable air cleaner. The Martin® Air Cleaner is very effective in applications which create significant dust, like biomass.
Rather than carry dust-laden air to a central collector, insertable systems filter the air inside the transfer point where they can easily return material to the conveying system.
Dust collectors have been around for decades. However, the name dust collector is misleading. The unit does not collect airborne dust; rather it solves the problem of airborne dust by keeping fine particles in the load, by returning them to the main material body, essentially cleaning the air of dust.
An integral fan pulls dust-laden air through the filter elements. The air passes through the filter, leaving the particles on the filter element. Each filter element is then regularly cleaned by a "reverse jet" of compressed air, which is injected into the filter element. This causes a momentary reversal of the air flow dislodging the dust cake back into the main material body.
The Martin® Air Cleaner is the next generation of the insertable air cleaners. It features a side access door, making the units easier to service and more readily available for regular maintenance. Its rectangular design allows for more flexibility for expansion and it is available in four different configurations to control airborne dust at belt conveyor loading points and other bulk material handling operations.
The Martin® Air Cleaner features mesh-like material in its filters which cleans better while consuming less energy than conventional filter bags. The filters allow a reduction of the size of the fans used to move air through the filter elements and therefore reduce the power consumption of the collection system.
The improved Martin® Air Cleaner features the same small filter elements that were included in the previous insertable air cleaner. However, the system offers more flexibility to customers and is offered with two filters, three filters, four filters and even six filters. The two filter version cycles 1000 CFM, while the six filter version can cycle up to 3000 CPM. Martin Engineering offers a range of system sizes and filter materials to match your application environments.
The small filter elements allow a significant reduction in the air cleaner’s "footprint," allowing the Air Cleaner to be installed in locations where tight quarters complicate the installation of the other systems.
In addition, the system is now available with a side access door which will allow the unit to be serviced quickly and more safely. Because of this side access door, headroom is no longer an issue and allows access from a conveyor walkway.
The Martin® Air Cleaner feature a pulse cleaning system where a short pulse of air is sent back through the filter to dislodge accumulated material. Changing the filter is now a one-hand, no-tool procedure utilizing the side access door of the air cleaner.
Installation of insertable air cleaners will eliminate many of the problems seen with central "baghouse" collection systems, including long runs of ducting, large enclosures, maintenance difficulties and high power consumption. There is no large fan, no ductwork and no central bag house. Insertable filters are integrated into the transfer point enclosure, where they can easily return material to the conveying system.
Rather than carry dust-laden air to a central dust collector, the Martin® Air Cleaner filters the air inside the transfer point and can effectively handle the heavy concentration of dust and high volumes of air arising at belt conveyor transfer points.
The new line of insertable air cleaners was developed to handle the heavy dust concentration s and air volumes arising from material transfer points. They are designed to remove 99.9% by weight of all dry particulates 0.5 micron and larger (based on a time-weighted average of a properly-installed, operated and maintained unit.)
The automated "reverse jet" cleaning sequence facilitates continuous operation, keeping filters working effectively with a minimum of compressed air. The small integrated fan runs only when the conveyor is operational, further improving energy efficiency. An insertable unit eliminates the need for installing or maintaining ductwork, and there’s no haulage or cleanup costs for waste disposal, since fugitive material is returned to the process.
The Martin® Air Cleaner is automatic, self-cleaning and was designed to remove dust from the air in conveyor loading and transfer points, silo vents, bucket elevators and screens and thereby minimizing the negative consequences of airborne dust and spillage, including the potential risk to worker health, explosive hazards and the potential for injury from slips, trips and falls. Another objective is to prevent waste, avoid unnecessary maintenance and enhance efficiency, allowing bulk handlers to contain fugitive dust within the material stream.