The new issue of GFMT starts off with a bang! Kevin Spiess, EMEA sales manager for explosion protection, BS&BSafety Systems, United Kingdom details safety precautions to control explosions in hammer mills.
Grain and feed processed within
hammer mills is common fuel for
dust explosions due to the nature of its handling and storage. Any time that feed such as grain,
meals and flours is handled or moved, the fine organic dusts are at risk of burning
and exploding.
A
fire or explosion results from ignition of combustible material (dust, gas or
vapour) when mixed with oxygen in the air. When this takes place inside a grain
silo, process or storage enclosure, the rapid rise in pressure could cause a
violent explosion in milliseconds, placing personnel and property at risk.
Just a few burning
embers entering a dust collector are enough to trigger a dust explosion.
Likewise, combustible material conveyed into a storage silo could become the
nucleus of a fire. Sparks or smouldering particles from hammer mill operations
may spread from the mill to other more vulnerable equipment.
Click on the image to read the article in full.
Controlling explosion risks in hammer mills |
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