The DustBoss® DB-100 will be introduced at MINExpo and is engineered specifically to deliver the power to reach the working face of an open-pit mine or large quarry, the new dust suppressor has a range of more than 100 m, giving it ample reach to cover material stockpiles 60 m to over 90 m high. The giant atomised misting unit from Dust Control Technology stands over 3 m tall, and can cover a massive area of more than 26,000 m2 from a single location (that’s almost six American football fields).
The DB-100 was designed with input from some of the leading mining companies in the world, with data collected from numerous site visits, where visibility around massive working areas can be profoundly impacted by dust. “Most operations use water trucks to wet down haul roads before trucks enter the area for loading,” observed DCT Vice President Aaron Valencic. “Unfortunately, the technique is only marginally effective on surface dust, and it has no effect at all on airborne particles.”
Water trucks also don’t address dust from the loading operation itself, as their reach is limited only to the area around the driving surface. “This new unit will reach all the way to the working face, knocking down dust from the shovel right as it picks up or drops material,” he said. “With the improved visibility and air quality, mining companies can maintain a safer and more productive workplace.”
According to CEO Edwin Peterson, the unit was developed specifically for large-scale mining, coal operations and bulk material handling. “It was originally an idea of our late co-founder, Barry Brown,” Peterson explained. “He had the vision to create a mine-grade open-pit dust suppression design that was extremely powerful and exceptionally reliable. Although he didn’t get to see it built, I know he’d be proud to see it become a reality.”
Peterson said that in applications such as mining, which require high dependability even under extreme working conditions, the simplest designs are usually the most successful. “During the design phase, we talked with mine managers, maintenance staff and supervisors to see what was most important to them,” he continued. “The range and performance were key, but nearly every one of them also stressed reliability. Downtime is very expensive, and they want to spend their days on core activities, not dealing with equipment breakdowns.”
To address that need, DCT engineered an extremely rugged and efficient design. Like all of the company’s fan-driven atomisers, the DB-100 delivers both power and dependability by using a straightforward, direct drive fan motor. It has no drive belts, diesel engines or complex worm gear systems that could present breakdown problems in the difficult service environment of a mine or coal yard.
Despite its impressive size, the DB-100 requires minimal maintenance, with lubrication of fan motor bearings recommended every 10,000 h, while the oscillation motor is lubricated for life. All DustBoss models are covered by a three-year/3,000 h warranty.
During positive trials at a large coal handling operation, where migrating dust was creating a nuisance, the DB-100 demonstrated its effectiveness in managing dust from the facility’s stockpiles. These had proven too large for a competitor’s dust suppression equipment previously tested by the utility.
The new design represents the culmination of two years’ development time, and is based on 40 years of engineering experience in atomized mist technology. “Effective dust suppression is a complex equation,” Peterson said. “In addition to droplet size and air speed, there are dozens of variables that affect a machine’s performance. The size and precise shape of the barrel are critical, for example, as a successful design must control the laminate air flow to achieve the optimal plume and distance.
“But the design really is the sum of all its parts, in that every component is specifically engineered to maximise performance. That includes the integrated fan and nozzle components, inlet valves, propellers, vanes, pumps and filters. Failure to optimise any one of those details will detract from the unit’s effectiveness.”
The DB-100 features simple, user-defined 359º oscillation, along with adjustable elevation from -7º to 45º. It can also be outfitted with a dosing pump to accurately meter in surfactants or tackifiers to further enhance binding of dust particles.