Design of a Passive Dust Suppression System for the Coal Staithes

The coal dust at the power plant poses a risk to the health of workers at the plant, and nearby occupants, necessitating a solution to suppress its generation. This was successfully achieved with this design. The problem, as well as possible solutions were extensively researched, and the obtained information were used to develop potential concepts. Different concepts were considered and analysed based upon the design requirement. Of all concepts developed, a fog/mist suppression system best fit the design requirements, providing efficient and cost-effective dust suppression, without compromising the environment or integrity of the coal in the staith. To determine the required pipe diameters to supply water to each nozzle at sufficient pressure and flow rate, fluid flow analysis was performed using PIPENET. Based on the behaviour of the spray, the nozzle was determined to produce satisfactory conditions for the purpose of the design. Although evidence from literature reviewed and analyses performed on the system give valid reason to justify the viability of the design, it would still benefit from more extensive testing to better optimize it. Further testing could be achieved through more vigorous simulation using more computing than was presently available at the time, or the fabrication of a prototype.