Dryer Island
One of the most potentially dangerous areas of a pellet plant is near the dryer.
This area is introduces a lot of kinetic energy into the process and, therefore, are lots of dangerous sparks and combustible materials. To prevent an explosion, make sure you clean up all debris from around your dryer, such as stray sawdust or wood chips.
Milling
Hammer mills are operated at high speed to reduce the particle size.
This generates an enormous amount of heat and kinetic energy. Internals of the mill must be maintained and lubricated to prevent overheating and spark generation
Pellet Milling
Since small, hot sparks can ignite dust and cause an explosion.
Pellet mills need to be equipped with NFPA compliant solutions. These include may include explosion vents, chemical suppression, a valve for the pipeline, a flameless vent, and isolation devices to squelch an explosion.
Load Out
The final product load out of a biomass plant typically consists of bucket elevators, horizontal mechanical conveyors and storage silos.
If the load out portion of a pellet plant is down due to a fire or explosion, the entire operation is down because the product cannot be shipped. This is often overlooked but can generate massive supply chain issues. So although viewed as a lower threat due to the material properties, the business interruption that can occur often counterbalances the risk profile.
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Protect Your Process from Fires & Explosions
The Interceptor®-HRD Suppression Bottles are an ATEX approved and NFPA compliant solution for mitigating the effects of a combustible dust deflagration.
An economical explosion vent, the SLFG provides the most cost effective solution for explosion venting. An integrated vent frame and gasket allows for simple, quick installation and replacement.
The standard TLFG model explosion vent allows this flameless vent to be used on a variety of difficult applications including pneumatic conveying, dust collection, dryers, bucket elevators, conveyors, and silos.