Dust Containment: Weathersolve Industrial Dust Control Systems

Dust Containment: Weathersolve Industrial Dust Control Systems: Industrial Dust Control Systems Wind both causes and spreads dust. Slowing the wind is therefore the key ingredient in any dust ...

Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!

Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!:                                                            Dust Public Enemy Number One Coal Dust! When material falls or is blown...

Dust Containment: Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!

Dust Containment: Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!: Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one! :                                                            Dust Public Enemy Number One ...

Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!

Dust Containment: DUST: Public enemy number one!:                                                            Dust Public Enemy Number One Coal Dust! When material falls or is blown...

DUST: Public enemy number one!

                                                           Dust Public Enemy Number One

Coal Dust!

When material falls or is blown from conveyors or is stripped from dockside stockpiles by the wind, that's profit falling out of the operation. Worse still, the material that's lost is likely fall to earth somewhere from where it can come back to haunt you in the form of increased costs in a number of ways, such as by hastening the need for maintenance, fines from the authorities, Environment Agency enforcement notices or even 'stop' notices.

In some countries site owners and operators are required to take whatever steps are necessary to minimise the impact of operations on their surroundings. In others, like China, which have traditionally had a more relaxed attitude to such issues, there is an awakening that standards have to change, and that's reflected in the plans for new developments like the Qinhuangdao Port.

It's China's biggest coal transhipment port, and had a throughput of 200m tonnes last year. By 2015, by when its throughput is expected to have doubled, the port is predicted to have spent more than $127m on environmental protection.

Defining dust as particles emitted to air that constitute visual, physical, chemical or health hazards for employees or the public offers a feel for the importance of the issue to anyone moving dust-generating material.

The actual transfer of material from ship-to-shore and vice-versa is well catered for and controlled by the sophisticated filtration systems in use, but these often fail to extend as far as stockpiles or road and rail vehicles during other parts of a load's journey.

The most common sources of dust in the port industry are therefore the same as many others - any open storage, handling and spillages of dry bulk cargoes.

And port operators can be at the wrong end of it because of the physical properties of some bulk cargoes. The brittleness of coal, for example, means that repeated handling causes it to break into ever finer and finer pieces, simultaneously increasing the potential for dispersal on lighter and lighter winds.

Particles smaller than 10 microns can cause respiratory problems for employees. Larger particles need to be controlled because of their economic value, their visual and environmental impact, and their influence on maintenance frequency.

Canadian company Weathersolve Structures has done considerable research into the way material of varying sizes is moved. Movement can be caused by winds of varying speeds and by mechanical influences, including falling from a conveyor, being disturbed by conveyor transfers or discharges, or by vehicle tyres.

In all cases, says the company's design engineer Mike Robinson, the distance particles move each day depends on the vagaries of the wind and the size and weight of the particle. The lightest, smallest dust particles can get caught in wind up draughts like a glider, and can be carried thousands of miles as a result. Larger particles will be blown a distance as they fall from a conveyor.

"After they hit the ground they then move along the ground in a skipping motion (like a rock thrown across the surface of a pond). The movement across the ground (called saltation) depends on the wind speed, the roughness of the ground and the size and weight of the particle," says Mr Robinson.

"Particles too heavy to saltate in a given wind may still be moving by rolling. As the wind speed increases, larger and larger particles begin moving, and the smaller, saltating particles start getting lifted into the general airflow.

So how can dust be brought under control? Putting stockpiles inside is one solution, but is not always practical.

Windbreaks can be another answer, and that's the one promoted by Weathersolve. With expertise built over 20 years developing windbreak and fencing technology to protect kiwi fruit from the worst of the weather on behalf of New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Robinson is an expert in porous fabric structures.

He says a windbreak can reduce the speed of the incoming wind, and its ability to pick up the material being protected, by three quarters; if the windbreak is 50 feet high, then the reduced wind speed area will extend for about 250 feet downwind. For 250 feet beyond that, the wind will be half that of the incoming wind. Taller windbreaks will naturally create larger wind shadows.

Trees can form an effective windbreak, but can take far too long to grown to an effective size. They nevertheless share the benefit of porous fabric structures in that air can pass through them, and in doing so act as a buffer to prevent the air that flowed over the top crashing down on the material being protected.

But slowing the wind is only part of the story. Still more control can be achieved by the application of water and dust suppression agents, each with a specific role.

Identifying which one will suit your site is a matter for experts, but they fall into broad categories, such as open areas and stockpiles, roadways and smaller handling yards, loading bays and vehicle exit points.

With ever-tightening environmental controls, particularly in Europe, it remain clear that more positive steps will continue to be required to keep ahead of the legislation, probably involving several methods of control for each material with the potential to be turned into dust on its journey through a port's handling and storage systems.

Unprotected areas open to dust erosion

Protected stockpile

If you’re under of pressure to find solutions for dust control problems – in addition to all the other pressures you face – you might want to consider the unique advantages of WeatherSolve wind shelters. 

WeatherSolve wind shelters can be designed to heights of 100 feet (30 meters) for greater control of dust over larger areas. With poles up to 120 feet apart (36 meters) they also make it easy to accommodate conveyors and buildings and to cross roadways. They can even include doors for trucks to pass through. 

Of course, the requirement for fewer poles also means lower structural costs and far less disruption during construction. Self-cleaning, and needing no daily consumables like oil, gas, electricity or water, WeatherSolve wind shelters are exceedingly low maintenance. 

WeatherSolve designs have been thoroughly proven in every extreme from Hurricane Andrew (Florida 1992) and South Pacific cyclones to the unrelenting heat of Oman and Bahrain, the severe cold of Canadian winters in Northern B.C. and the South American Andes at 16,000 feet. We know of no other company anywhere near close to such experience. 

Worldwide, total area under WeatherSolve protection exceeds 1,000 acres. 

Tell us the problem. We’ll show you the solution! 

WEATHERSOLVE Dust containment FAQ

How much does it cost?

All of our windbreaks are custom built for each of our customers depending on what their individual needs are. The costs can vary quite a bit depending on the dimensions of the windbreak and materials used.

What is the benefit of the fence?

There are a few benefits of having a windbreak.  The first one is probably the most obvious one in being to slow down the wind to stop the dust from blowing everywhere and with this there will be less of a wind chill.  The second being is that the environment gets protected.  The third one is that the product on the pile is valuable and is blowing away.  The fourth is security, a visual barrier. The fifth is it will protect structures from storms.  It can also help with making plants and trees grow and reduce evaporation.

Why should we buy this?

There are several reasons to buy a windbreak.  To slow down the wind erosion on the stock pile.  To save money, the dust blowing away is valuable. To protect the environment from the possibly harmful dust.  To protect the neighbors or surrounding areas from the dust.  To avoid fines and penalties from governing laws.

How does it work?

The fence works in two ways.  The first being an up wind component slowing down the wind to the stock pile so it doesn’t cause dust issues and erosion on the stock pile.  The second being a downwind component which keeps the dust from leaving the stock pile.

What is the best height for the fence and why?

All of WeatherSolve Structures windbreaks are custom designs for the customer’s individual needs.  The height would depend on what the customer’s needs are.  But as a general rule the fence would need to at least as high as the stock pile that it needs to protect.

How long will it last?

The windbreak will last for a long time.  There can be a small amount of maintenance required from time to time after bad storms but the structure will last as long as it’s being maintained properly.  The fabric life can depend on the amount of UV that the fence is subjected to.  A typical fence fabric will last 10 years but the fence it’s self will last much longer.

Is there a danger from breaking cables?

The cables that WeatherSolve uses are up to the highest standards and are capable of handling larger loads than they are used for. People ask about the danger of breaking cables, but actually the danger is minimal. The fence has an overload releases system. It is designed to release the lower edges of the fabric panels before cables or poles break. The top edge has a much stronger attachment system and remains in place. This keeps the fabric attached to the structure even in hurricane force winds when other debris is blowing around that might puncture or overload the fence. The cables are securely shackled to at least one piece of fabric (via the top edge of the fabric which does not break loose) so the cable is not free to flap around. In addition the cables are firmly clamped at each pole so the longest piece of potentially loose cable is the pole spacing.

Can the fabric be replaced?

The fabric can be easily replaced from time to time if required.

How have you tested the parts?

The parts undergo regular testing on fatigue, impact loads, and static loads in our facility at head office as well as being sent out to testing facilities.

What colours can we have?

There are a few different colors of fabric that you can have however the color can depend on what type of fence you require. Meaning UVB protection or fire retardant.  There are black or green fabrics.  Made to order options vary for very large jobs.

Can we advertise on the fabric have a company logo etc?

Because all of our windbreaks are custom it is possible to have the wind break painted with a company logo.

What is the strongest wind area you have fitted this system?

The strongest winds that one of our windbreaks has stood up to was in Florida in 1992 with hurricane Andrew 200 miles an hour.  WeatherSolve’s windbreaks have been through several hurricane winds.

From order how long before solution is in place?

Each one of WeatherSolve’s windbreaks is a custom design and there is a lot of information gathered and engineering to be figured out but it all can be done in a relatively short period of time.  For a 1km fence length, 2 months for design, 2 months for the supplies and 3 months to install approximately.

How do you maintain the fencing?

The maintenance for the fence is quite easy.  If you have a large wind storm and some of the clips release you just simply replace the clips and re-clip the fabric.

Do you have a annual after sales inspection of the cables, posts and clips?

There are a few points that there are inspections on the fence.  At the end there will be a person to come and take a look at the fence to make sure that the installation has gone perfectly.  They come and inspect the poles, fabric, clips, cables and the rest of the components to make sure that the installation has been done properly and to say that the fence is finished correctly.

Where have you fitted fences and with which companies?

We have fences all around the world and in different terrains.  However we like to protect the privacy of our clients and respect their needs so we don’t give out company names.

Can this be used in all areas of the world?

WeatherSolve Structures has fences in many parts of the world including Bahrain, Oman, Brazil, Canada, USA, Europe, and Parts of Asia.  We have different fabric to suit the weathering needs for every type of weather.

Do we need to clean the fabric?

You don’t need to clean the fabric the wind will do that for you.

What sort of steel do you use?

At WeatherSolve we build customized windbreaks to suit the customer’s individual needs.  We have used many types of steel depending on what the customer’s needs are

How deep are the foundations?

At WeatherSolve Structures we customize our windbreaks for the individual customer needs.  So it would depend on what the fence was required to do.

How have you tested the clips?

We have designed a machine that we test the clips on and this is at our head office and we have sent it

Do you supply just fabric?

WeatherSolve supplies wind break fences and cladding systems we build suited to your needs.

Does the wind break stand up to UV rays?

WeatherSolve wind breaks do stand up to UV rays.  We have wind breaks in such countries at Oman and Bahrain which both have sweltering hot weather.

Will the wind break stand up to cold countries? Will it stand up to snow?

WeatherSolve has wind breaks in cold areas as well such as Thompson creek and Williams Lake.  We get the best quality of fabrics so that we can be sure that it will suit all weather conditions.

Can I have a wind break that is just seasonal?

WeatherSolve can make retractable screens to fit personal needs, or removable systems but there not for an everyday move.

Do you make wind breaks for home gardens?

The wind breaks and cladding systems that WeatherSolve usually designs, are for industrial sizes.  We have done some systems for farming/ agricultural needs however not for a home.

Do you make wind breaks that go around solar panels?

WeatherSolve does make wind break fences that go around solar panels.  Unfortunately solar panels don’t seem to stand up to well in wind storms, so having a wind breaking system in place will end up saving a lot of money.   The wind break fences material even allows a portion of the light through to charge them.

Will wires or poles impede workers?

We work with your needs.  We also work with minimal guy wires and poles to not impede with workers.

Can I make a moving gate?

WeatherSolve can make moving gate or retractable screens however there not to move in ever day situations there more suited to move may be once a month, depending on the size and terrain.

Do you ship to________?

WeatherSolve can ship anywhere in the world and has agents in many different counties to help you.

Can we install it ourselves?

You can install it yourself we have people that will come out and train you throughout the process.

Who supplies the poles?

WeatherSolve can supply the pole but we can also work with existing ones. If there is a supplier in your area we can work with them as well.

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