Koolfog worked with Republic Services to introduce dust suppression mist and fog systems into their Huntington Beach Transfer Station (TS) and Materials Recovery (Recycling) Facility (MRF) buildings to reduce the potential for fugitive dust emissions attributed to their operations. Fugitive Dust is “particulate matter” (PM) pollution from small solid (sometimes liquid) particles floating in the air. Fugitive dust often occurs on work sites that can create occupational health and industrial hazards.
Most States have set regulations and programs to reduce the release of industrial airborne dust and emissions. These regulations help mitigate risks related to public concern, human health and safety and avoid further issues that could lead to government fines, potential for profit loss, and continued resistance within locale communities where industrial recycling and waste management plants reside. Investing in protective equipment and preventative solutions to address fugitive dust include indoor solutions such as Koolfog’s dust suppression mist and fog system.
Koolfog’s Dust Suppression Mist and Fog Systems in Action
Mist and fog systems use high-pressure pumps to atomize water creating an atmosphere that consists of droplets that have an average diameter of around 10-20 microns. In effect, dust particles are absorbed by the fog droplets and fall to the ground. Koolfog uses a “positive displacement” pump to produce pressures in excess of 1000 psi. Fog nozzles, designed specifically for size of location, water usage, and velocity, have an opening not much larger than the width of a human hair. The mist and fog nozzles produce these micron sized droplets to efficiently capture dust particulate matter that would otherwise escape into the air.
Working with Corporations to Minimize Fugitive Dust Within Communities
To address the need to control fugitive dust at Republic’s Huntington Beach facilities, Koolfog was challenged with implementing a fugitive dust suppression solution to accommodate both entry/exit doorways and independent working spaces. Koolfog worked with Facilities Builders to design a robust, scalable, and automated process to capture particulate matter within the surrounding atmosphere. In Republic’s case, the control of fugitive dust was created to work with the buildings under “negative pressure” to circulate outside air inward to flow into the building entrances and exhausting through stacks that work along with main tipping floor dust suppression mist and fog systems.
Koolfog’s Oasis pump was introduced to support misting lines and nozzles on the vertical side of all the doors. This accomplished the need to capture particles before they escaped into the outdoor environment. The placement also allowed for the mist to be seen by outside observers, serving as a visual cue to signal that Republic was taking measures to mitigate this risk. Inside the buildings, dependent upon workload and operations, 3 different zones were identified to benefit from Koolfog’s dust suppression mist and fog systems. A Koolfog Atacama pump was placed on the floor, designed for its scalability and its control interface which easily allowed for maintenance supervisors to open and close zones at different times.
According to Marcos Chavez, Recycling Maintenance Supervisor, Republic Services, “Koolfog systems have performed to expectations and definitely serve their purpose to help us keep our community environment clean.”
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