The company helps to handle combustible dust when grinding and drying grain.
Processes that involve grinding, drying, conveying and storing grain pose some of the biggest risks for combustible dust explosions.
But what makes combustible dust hazards particularly concerning in this industry? It is worth looking at the variety of processes at play:
- Grinding: This process breaks grain kernels down into smaller particles, significantly increasing the surface area of the dust and making it more combustible.
- Drying: Grain drying often involves using heated air, which can further dry out dust, making it more susceptible to ignition.
- Conveying: Equipment such as elevators and drag conveyors move grain around facilities, disturbing combustible debris that creates dust concentrations within enclosures and at transfer points.
- Storing: Grain storage silos and bins can accumulate dust over time, and dust becomes suspended in high concentrations while workers fill silos.
How technology has made grain milling safer
While we’re not so far advanced that we can ignore combustible dust altogether, innovative technology has made grain milling much safer than it was a century ago. With the right equipment and engineering controls in place, facilities can reduce the risk of devastating explosions.
Venting panels and flameless vents
Explosion venting panels (or rupture panels) are designed to relieve pressure and gases from an explosion within a contained area, such as a dust collector or silo. They work by opening rapidly during an explosion, allowing the release of pressure in a controlled manner. Flameless vents incorporate the same explosion vent panels along with a system of layered mesh that quenches flames following an explosion, allowing indoor vessels to vent without causing injury or damage to personnel or property.
Passive explosion isolation system
A passive explosion isolation equipment, such as Boss Products’, Vigiflap, is designed to isolate explosions within equipment enclosures, preventing the hazardous spread of fire and reducing the chance of a secondary explosion. Passive systems are generally more straightforward in design and operation compared with active systems, they also have a lower one-time cost and are easier to maintain, according to the company. In fact, facility personnel can do inspections themselves.
Spark detection systems and monitoring solutions
Spark detection systems detect live embers and sparks in airstreams to prevent ignition sources from reaching equipment enclosures where devastating explosions can happen. On the other hand, monitoring systems are particularly useful in grain facilities for equipment like bucket elevators and conveyors. Unlike spark detectors, which work by identifying live embers, monitoring systems detect potential ignition sources such as hot bearings, belt misalignment and choked chutes.
Boss Products UK offers safety solutions for combustible dust collection and control to manage fire and explosion risk in grain facilities
For more information visit: www.bossproducts.co.uk
