Dust Doctor: Saving energy the old-fashioned way
Plants need dust control systems to help provide a safe environment for workers. While a dust control system doesn't usually provide a direct return on your money, there are some things you can do to reduce the system's operating costs without sacrificing dust control performance.
The dust control system's operating costs typically are for the exhaust fan motor's energy consumption and the filter-cleaning system's compressed-air usage. Much is written in our industry today about how to reduce the system's static pressure by using new performance filter media that can provide a lower pressure drop across the filters. The fan energy needed to overcome pressure drop and move air and dust through the system can represent as much as 25 percent of your system's total energy requirement, so reducing the pressure drop across your filters can save money year in and year out.