INNOVATIVE DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM WHILE LOADING CEMENT BAGS INSIDE CLOSED WAGONS

Pranab Ranjan Sen Ex DGM, UltraTech Cement Limited.

ABSTRUCT ( During presentation of paper an audio video clip will be shown )

Practically in whole of our country, when cement bags are loaded one by one to closed wagon by conventional wagon loader and bags are dropped on wagons floor by labourers standing inside wagon, abnormally high dust emission creates serious health hazard to labourers. In this way health of millions of poor labourers suffer and their life span gets reduced substantially. Standard reply of all cement plants to PCB is nothing can be done to arrest this problem and their responsibility ends Brief Details:- Our innovative design is as follows ( The system is trial commissioned at UTCL, APCW plant at Tadipatri, Andhra Pradesh with encouraging partial success. The system needs further trials. The capacity of Fan and the Bag filter may have to be increased suitably)-Drawing of the system is enclosed Like in any conventional cement plant, the wagon loader, mounted on rails on a RCC platform enters from one of the four doors of the wagon from one side. A large bag filter and its fan are mounted on a separate suitable trolley, with L.T drive, which will move on separate rails situated parallel to wagon on opposite side to that of wagon loader platform. There is a large suction hood connected to the bag filter by a long C.T duct, with a separate motorised drive. The hood can match to any type wagon door situated on opposite side to door through which loader has entered. Operation of Dust collection:1. When the loader enters from one door of a wagon, the L.T drive the dust collector trolley is moved fast in front of opposite door and then in slow speed, so that suction hood is at exactly in front of opposite door. 2. The hood is then pushed so that its front face fixed tightly on wagon door very fast without any bolting. As can be seen in video and shown in drawing, there is soft thick Sponge Padding fitted all around front edges of suction hood. While the suction hood is pushed towards wagon door, the sponge padding gives air tight joint 3. At the same time one end of the bend at rear side of C.T duct gets connected to dust collector hopper inlet very tightly quite fast without any bolting, with Labyrinth sealing arrangement which is shown clear in video 4. A video with running audio commentary is available, taken after commissioning at Tadipatri Plant of UTCL. This clearly shows the difference to conditions inside wagon before and after dust collection system is installed.

5. The dust gets collected in the large hopper at bottom of Dust Collector. After all the wagons of one rake is loaded and before the next empty rake starts, dust collector can be put auto emptying mode in which following can be done:a) Dust collector fan is kept switched off. b) The Pulsing of bags goes on at the fastest frequency. c) The slide gate at bottom of dust collector hopper is opened intermittently; cement dust is collected in a wheel barrow, taken to Packing Plant and dumped in Bucket Elevator Butty. (If higher investment is available, cement from bottom of dust collector hopper can be conveyed to cement silo top pneumatically directly) 6. The other relative advantages are:6.1 The labours working efficiency goes high. They can work for more no of wagons at a stretch. 6.2 They will be happy to work inside dust free well ventilated atmosphere inside wagon 6.3 The life of wagon loader will be better and will need less maintenance