It’s no secret that dust collection systems are important for any industrial facility. But how do you know which type of dust collector is best for your application? It all depends on the type of equipment used in your facility and how much material is generated by each piece of equipment. This article will walk you through a step-by-step process for choosing the right dust collector machine for your needs.
1. Determine what type of dust collector(s) your facility needs
The first step to choosing the right dust collector machine is to determine what type of dust collector(s) your facility needs. There are three basic types: wet collectors, dry collectors, and other special-purpose collectors.
- Wet collectors are used for hazardous and non-hazardous liquids (such as water) mixed with dust. The liquid acts as a filter for the dust particles by trapping them in the liquid and reducing their size before they enter your air system. This type of collector is more expensive than dry or other types but will keep air quality higher in areas where you need it most.
- Dry collectors remove large amounts of airborne dust using filters made from polyurethane foam or synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon that trap particles on their surface without absorbing them into the material itself. You’ll want to use a dry filter if you’re working with fine particulates because these can clog up wet filters too quickly; however, this also means that if something gets caught in your filter (like a piece of metal), then it won’t be washed away by water when cleaning out your equipment!
2. Perform a filter life and pressure drop analysis
If you are looking to buy a dust collector machine, it is important to perform an analysis of the filter life and pressure drop. This will allow you to determine whether or not your filters are working properly, and if they need to be replaced.
It is also important that you know what affects filter life so that you can choose the right type of filter for your particular application.
3. Calculate the air-to-cloth ratio for your system
The air-to-cloth ratio is the ratio of air to filter area. The higher the air-to-cloth ratio, the more efficient your filter will be at removing dust and particles from your system.
There are several methods for calculating this ratio:
- Divide the total volume of space in your system by the total cloth area. This method gives you an exact measurement (in terms of liters) but doesn’t take into account any other factors that could affect how effective your filter is at capturing particles.
- Divide the total cloth area by one square foot, then multiply it by two times pi (∏). This is a simple way to get an approximate value for your air-to-cloth ratio without having access to highly technical tools like calipers or rulers or protractors or calculators; however, there are some limitations: firstly, this calculation does not account for elements such as friction inside pipes; secondly, if you’re measuring by hand rather than with instruments like calipers then there may be some margin of error when measuring both areas manually because people aren’t always perfectly precise when making measurements with paper clips or pencils—but don’t worry! You’re probably getting pretty close enough if you’re trying hard enough!
4. Calculate total airflow required for your application
You will need to calculate the total airflow required for your application. The total airflow requirement is a function of the dust collector filter area, filter efficiency and ducting losses. The filter area is determined by the size of the dust collector and filter type. For example, if you are using a 20″ x 28″ AIRSOUL collector with an AIRSOUL 11 HEPA filter (which has 94% efficiency), then we would recommend that you use 6″ round ducting because it will provide enough air flow to keep your collection system running efficiently.
5. Calculate the CFM needed from each dust collector based on the type of system used
The next step is to calculate the CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) needed from each dust collector based on the type of system used. For example, if you are looking at a cartridge-based machine, then you will need to calculate the area that needs to be covered by this particular dust collector machine.
For example: If your shop measures 12 feet by 12 feet, and has an average air flow rate of 1 inch of water column (WC), then a 4” cartridge exhaust would be ideal for your application as it can cover approximately 10 square feet with an average airflow rate of 1 inch WC. The formula for calculating CFM using this method is: CFM = (V x A)/F where V is velocity in linear feet per minute as determined by Table 1; A is area in square feet being exhausted or suctioned; F = pressure drop across filter media or fan efficiency expressed as % efficiency
6. Determine the number of filters needed for each dust collector
- For example, a filter system that requires four filters may be appropriate for a dust collector type that has a small airflow requirement. However, if you are using this same dust collector to handle large amounts of air (e.g., at high pressure drops), then it will require more than four filters.
- For example, if you want to know how many filters will be required for each dust collector based on the total airflow and filter life, reference the following table:
7. Determine the size of baghouse/cartridge dust collector based on total airflow required
The size of a baghouse/cartridge dust collector is determined by the total airflow required. The total airflow required is calculated by multiplying the air-to-cloth ratio by the total filter area. The consensus among experts is that for every 1,000 ft² (93 m²) of filter area, you need an air flow rate equal to 1 cfm (cubic foot per minute). This means that if you have 1,000 ft² of filter area on your machine and you want to achieve a 100% extraction efficiency, then your system needs 100 cfm of air moving through it. However, if you only want 50% efficiency—and therefore also only half as much air moving through your system—then this will reduce your overall capacity requirement down to 50 cfms.
In short: If you have more than one type of material being collected at once or if it’s capable of collecting multiple types at once (e.g., oil particles), then consider investing in larger filters than what would be necessary just for one type alone because this will increase overall efficiency while still allowing maximum control over throughput rates based on actual needs vs perceived ones.
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when designing a dust collection system is that you need to find the right balance between cost and efficiency. As long as you follow the process outlined above, it should be easy!
