Case Study: Asphalt – Australia

Eliminating Emissions and Bag Cleaning Issues In An Australian Asphalt Plant’s Baghouse

After running a Cleaning System Simulation Tool, we found that the baghouse cleaning system was not adequate, and performance would be improved by upgrading from conventional filter bags to an extended surface solution.

We recommended moving from conventional filter bags to our SOLAFT® StarBag™, extended surface filter bags (ESBs). Our StarBag™ is a proven solution for addressing capacity constraints facing baghouses. The filter bag’s increased surface area reduces the air-to-cloth ratio and increases the production load, with greater filtration efficiency.

Regarding the cleaning system, we installed a new header tank, replaced the valves, and modified the blow tubes. In addition, to assist with ongoing baghouse monitoring, a PTronik™ Smart Controller was installed to log and provide visibility into the performance of the entire dust collector system.

Asphalt IndustryChallenge

An Australian asphalt plant was having considerable issues with cleaning their baghouse’s filter bags. The filter bags were unable to be sufficiently cleaned to maintain the draft from the asphalt rotary dryer, thus increasing emissions. In addition to increased emissions, safety concerns were also heightened with the use of an air cannon required to regularly blast each bag to remove the dust accumulation not removed from regular pulse cleaning.

Our team was approached for a filtration solution that would assist the plant, as the poor performance of the baghouse was significantly impacting production capacity goals.

Solution

After successfully implementing changes from conventional filter bags to our StarBag™, the following improvements were demonstrated:

  • 10% production capacity improvement, with baghouse reliability being the primary contributor
  • 93% drop in pulsing frequency (from 12,960 to 895 pulses) over an 18-hour production period
  • 36% drop in pulsing pressure from 700 kPa (101.5 psi) to 450 kPa (64.25 psi)
  • Emissions expelled from the rotary drum dryer had been eliminated

Filter bag life has been extended due to less filter fatigue from excessive pulsing. Operational expenses and downtime have been reduced due to the need for fewer filter bag changeouts.

Our solutions eliminated the need to use air cannons to augment pulse cleaning.

Around the globe, you can rely on Micronics, now a part of Cleanova, to be your proven single source for solving complex baghouse challenges.

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Micronics, now a part of Cleanova, is your trusted partner for engineered filtration solutions. We offer end-to-end solutions from filter media to industry-leading filtration equipment, to spare parts & accessories, to on-site field services and in-house laboratory services. Whether for your Filter Press, Belt Press, Leaf Filter, Vacuum Filter, or Baghouse, you can count on Micronics’ deep industry and applications knowledge for the right engineered filtration solution to meet your needs. We look forward to working with your team.

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