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Solar HVAC: What You Need to Know

Hi, my name is Suzanna. When the old HVAC system in my home began to fail, I decided to invest in a new one. Over the past few years, I have become increasingly environmentally aware, so I wanted my new HVAC system to be as green as possible. I contacted an HVAC contractor and discussed what I wanted, and they suggested I have a solar powered HVAC system installed in my home. I did a little more research and I was really impressed by the solar option as it would save me money and help to save the planet. I decided to start this blog to encourage others to explore solar HVAC systems.

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Solar HVAC: What You Need to Know

The Role of a Silica Dust Collection System in Solving Silica Exposure

by Yolanda Mason

Many industries are producing "respirable" or fine silica dust during their process. This is potentially a health risk to workers. Quartz is the most popular type of silica. Ranking among the earth's more common minerals, when finely divided, quartz can be a hazard. Silica risks are found in any job that mines, produces, or handles rock, clay, and sand, including gas and oil production, shipbuilding and road construction, paint and glass processing, masonry and stone-cutting, and concrete and asphalt production.

Health risks

An association has been made between silica dust and silicosis, which is a respiratory disease that not only causes the lungs to scar but also makes them less able to accept oxygen, in addition to autoimmune and kidney diseases, among others.

An effective silica dust collection system

The control of dust is more than about its mere collection. It requires managing three critical "E's":

Exposure: It should reduce the concentration of dust within the ambient air surrounding workers. Efficient: It should use dust collector technology to filter the trapped dust. This technology should be customised to the application. Emissions: It should minimise the volume of dust exhausted into the atmosphere.

Critical components

For a silica dust extraction system to be effective, it should include well-defined ducts and hoods that maintain recommended conveying and capture velocities, efficient technology for duct collection, an appropriately sized fan for pressure design and system airflow, and relevant work practices to maintain the system and manage the dust.

Hoods

Hoods and placement design at each point of dust generation is the most important step in controlling dust. The hoods's performance when controlling nuisance dust emissions is an indicator of how effective the silica dust collection system is in general.

Duct airflow

The maintenance of recommending conveying and capturing velocities for dust is also important. Toxic or heavy dust calls for higher capture velocities to inhale particulate into the hood, in addition to higher conveying velocities to pull the dust through a duct system to a dust collector. 

An efficient collection system

An effective silica dust collection system should draw from the air volume it processes while also operating in a steady-state condition. However, it isn't easy to confirm the amount of dust that's accumulated, so depending on a theoretical efficiency of a new filter may be a poor indicator of general performance. A better indicator occurs from the monitoring of outlet emissions and employee exposure.

For more information, contact a company such as Austedan Fabrication.

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