Quintuple Baghouse Inlet Takeaway Screw Conveyor to Convey Diatomaceous Earth

General Description

EP Minerals, formerly EaglePicher Minerals, is a specialty minerals producer headquartered in Reno, Nevada. They are the second-largest diatomaceous earth producer in the world and the largest in North America. Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a naturally occurring, soft, sedimentary rock made up of the fossilized remains of hard shelled algae called diatoms. DE has high porosity and abrasive properties and is used in applications such as paint and plastics, food and beverage, oil absorbents, pharmaceuticals and in the purification of waste water and petro chemicals. The DE for this particular plant was mainly used for filtering syrups and water for the beverage industry. EP Minerals had a dust collector with five baghouses continuously discharging dust and needed a larger screw conveyor to handle the increased capacity.

Design Parameters

KWS Advantages

EP Minerals contacted KWS needing a highly engineered bulk material handling solution. KWS has a complete staff of highly trained Engineers that work closely with our Customers to develop the most suitable and cost effective solution for their application. A five inlet dust collector screw conveyor with special features was offered to fit EP Mineral’s needs. The Customer needed the equipment installed and running as soon as possible. KWS successfully completed the project on time and within budget.

Special Features

KWS designed and manufactured the screw conveyor based on the unique characteristics of the material. DE is very light and fluffy and must not be conveyed too fast or it may fluidize. After evaluating the design parameters for the dust collector with multiple inlets, the proper screw conveyor was selected. The KWS design team worked closely with EP Minerals to ensure that the KWS screw conveyor would fit up perfectly to their existing baghouse. KWS eliminated any internal bearings by mounting the screw on oversized pipe. A rotary valve was going to be installed at the discharge of the screw conveyor. The rotary valve was driven from the screw conveyor drive shaft. Since the dust collector was designed to hold both positive and negative pressures, KWS utilized air purged flanged gland seals with air regulators and gauges on both ends. KWS also provided a trough and cover design to contain the internal pressure. MSHA approved guards were provide on both the drive and tail ends. EP Minerals needed the equipment very quickly. The expertise, experience, and communication offered by KWS made this another successful project.