Dust collector explosion prevention and control

The handling of fine particles of a combustible material is a major and inevitable pan of many industrial processes. The objective may be fugitive and emission controls or the collection of a product. The challenge will increase as the use of finer particles increases. The risks will increase simultaneously as the hazard properties such as ignitability increase with the reduction of particle size. Dust collectors are a component, if not the most common component, of particle handling and are also often the origin or termination of an explosion. The design of dust collector protection is a systematic process that includes and requires process information as well as protection objectives. The theory of protection and the selection of protection techniques will be reviewed. The practice of dust collector protection is often less routine because of many physical and process complications. Examples of both simple and complicated applications are presented with brief illustrations of the consequence of no or inadequate protection. (c) 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process.