Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DUSTCOMB (A Novel Technology to Reduce Industrial Dust Pollution and to Enable Most Efficient Energy Recovery)

Teaser

Our long-term objective is to become one of the leading industrial dust extraction technology providers globally. Dustcomb will exceed the current state-of-the art in PM emission control solutions and enables economically feasible compliance with air quality regulation for...

Summary

Our long-term objective is to become one of the leading industrial dust extraction technology providers globally. Dustcomb will exceed the current state-of-the art in PM emission control solutions and enables economically feasible compliance with air quality regulation for most industries.

Currently, the Dustcomb technology has reached the final development, validation and market introduction phase. We expect to complete the first integration projects in Q4/2019.

The SME2 project objectives are based on feasibility study that was performed within our SME phase-1 project. We have now validated the most viable go-to-market strategy, secured all necessary resources required for timely and successful project implementation and set specific objectives for the following SMEI phase-2 project:
1. Developing our current prototype technology to market ready Dustcomb solution
- Completing the system development (automation, User-Interface (UI), materials)
- Designing a Dustcomb tower unit for larger applications
2. Validating the Dustcomb performance and our technical concepts in real environment pilot
- Creating standardised manufacturing and integration concepts
- Setting up and testing value chains for scaling manufacturing, installing and maintenance
- Installing and piloting the Dustcomb solution in SSAB steel plant
3. Preparing for fast market uptake and global commercialisation
- Forming partnerships for global representations and aftersales services
- Commercialisation and dissemination activities for targeted audiences in EU and Asia

Work performed

Work Package 1
WP1 combines all Dustcomb technology development tasks. Our goal is to develop the current prototype technology to universal and scalable full-scale solution. As a result of the WP1, we have a market-ready product, adjusted for our initial targeted markets. Based on the WP1 results, the first actual zero-series piloting unit will be manufactured and tested in WP3.
During the first period, our subcontracting partner Virtausmallinnus Lauri Hekkala Oy programmed a steady state solver of OpenFOAM package using OpenFOAM libraries. This means that we have got similar results in a couple of days compared to the solvers needing weeks of simulating time (using the most efficient available desk computer). That was achieved by using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics).

Work Package 2
WP2 concentrates on concept – we will create replicable concepts for Dustcomb manufacturing, integration and service. Our objective is to create full business concept for Dustcomb commercialisation that would ensure us fast scale-up in cooperation with several regional partners.
These detailed and universal concepts are interlinked with technological development tasks in WP1 and business development tasks in WP4. All concepts created in WP2 will be later validated in WP3.
During the first period, we used DFMA principles for the design and the manufacture of the cone type dust cleaner, which means very cost-effective results. We also achieved the purification degree of 99,2% at our FABLAB testing line.
Work on concept will continue on until the end of the project.

Work Package 3
Piloting started only at M10 but almost whole of the piloting concept is already designed to achieve over 99% purification rate of coke dust. We have already tested at our FABLAB testing line where the cone type dust collector is similar to the “zero series” pilot at SSAB.

Work Package 4
WP4 is a continuous process from phase-1 feasibility study and its main objective is to support our successful market launch and fast uptake of Dustcomb solution at selected target markets. During the first year, we have made a comprehensive contact list of possible customers. Because of technical breakthrough done in the beginning of February 2019 (at our testing line of FABLAB, Task 1.2 and Deliverable D1.2), we can start with efficient dissemination work. The piloting results at SSAB site will be very important (for marketing reasons).

Final results

Instead of filtering gases, our equipment uses flow principles to separate dust from gas. Our method is at moment superior to the state of the art where the systems are based on dust filtering. Our innovation is especially suitable in applications where gas temperatures are very high (up to 1000 °C) and typical Teflon-based filters cannot operate any more. High flue gas temperatures can also be found from flue gas of domestic burners, such as fireplaces, stoves and ovens. Our innovation is based on fluid dynamics, familiar from airplane wings where gas flow attaches on curving surfaces.

Manufacturing industry is one of the biggest air polluters, which is why the sector needs to tackle the issue by more effective and accessible industrial dust extraction solutions. Priority applications are coking plants in steel factories, blast furnaces and steel smelter plants. However, the largest industrial potential for the equipment is in fossil fuel power plants.

Small-scale versions of the equipment are also suitable for cleaning household air by replacing the ventilation unit’s fan with a small DustComb module. This version can achieve HEPA –level filtering by removing all particulates with size greater than or equal to 2.5 µm. The unit can also make domestic wood burning stoves compliant with the new EU ambient air quality directive.

Website & more info

More info: https://filtrasolutions.com/.