Author(s)

S. Torno, R. Rodriguez, C. Allende & J. Toraño

Abstract

The significance of the dust emission study in open mineral storage piles is due to the great increase in bulk solids port terminals as a result of the increase in demand for different granular mineral. These piles are a significant source of pollutants into the atmosphere since they are affected by gusts of wind. The wind erodes the pile surface causing windblown particles to pollute the surrounding areas, cause sea water pollution in Port Systems and/or breathable air pollution in nearby areas. There are various preventive measures which minimize the erosion produced by the wind, such as total or partial covering, the use of water and chemical spraying which create a superficial crust and the colocation of natural or artificial fences (more widely used). In this research, the effect of different types of fence configurations, such as, straight, curved and with a bottom gap, for the particle emissions into the atmosphere has been analyzed by means of the Post Method which has been carried out by our Research Group incorporating Ansys CFX-10.0 software the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) emission formulae. The results obtained in this method have been proved and adjusted by measurement programmes that have been carried out in industrial installations. The best results correspond to the straight fence with a bottom gap located as much upstream as downstream from the pile. Keywords: particle emission, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), open storage pile, air pollution, dust barrier.

Keywords

particle emission, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), open storage pile, air pollution, dust barrier