Apparatus and Method for the Binding of Dust

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for the binding of dust, comprising a binder reservoir, which provides liquid binder which is under pressure, a binder line which is connected to the binder reservoir, wherein there is connected to the binder line at least one spray nozzle which may be located in the vicinity of a dust source. The apparatus is in particular so designed that large areas, which may extend over distances of several 100 m, may be supplied with binder, which may also be discharged, with these dimensions, in pulses at short intervals (1 second up to a few minutes).

1 . Apparatus for the binding of dust, comprising:
 a binder reservoir, which provides liquid binder which is under pressure,   a binder line which is connected to the binder reservoir, wherein   there is connected to the binder line at least one spray nozzle which may be located in the vicinity of a dust source, and that the binder line has one or more pressure control valves which, as pressure switching valves, open from a predetermined switching pressure upwards and thus release a binder feed to the spray nozzle(s), or as pressure regulating valves also open from a predetermined switching pressure upwards and at the same time regulate a pressure on the outflow side of the pressure regulating valve to a predetermined pressure range, and   that the binder reservoir includes at least one pressure vessel with gas cushion, which is divided into a gas pressure chamber and a binder chamber, wherein the binder line has a length of at least 100 m along which several spray nozzles are arranged.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus for the binding of dust according to  claim 1  in which ground is wetted with spray mist, and wherein the apparatus is so designed that no more than 6 l/m 2 /h of binder is discharged onto the ground during a spraying operation. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is so designed that no more than 3 l/m 2 h and preferably no more than 1.2 l/m 2 h of binder are discharged during a spraying operation. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzles are arranged along the binder line at intervals of no more than 10 m, preferably no more than 8 m and in particular no more than 7 m. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzles for spraying out the binder are designed with a circular or circular-segment-shaped spray cone, with the maximum distance between two adjacent spray nozzles not exceeding 80% of the diameter of this circle. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder reservoir provides the binder at a maximum pressure of 10 bar and preferably at a maximum pressure of 5 bar. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder reservoir provides the binder at a maximum pressure of 2 bar and preferably at a maximum pressure of 4 bar. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzles are so designed that the binder is sprayed with a droplet size of 30 to 120 μm and preferably 50 to 150 μm and in particular with a droplet size of 60 to 90 μm. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one spray nozzle is a pressure nozzle, which opens automatically from a certain opening pressure of the fed binder upwards, or is combined with an automatically pressure control valve, and the apparatus has a pressure control, by which the pressure in the binder line may be controlled. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure control has a control valve which is fitted in the binder line in the area between the binder reservoir and the pressure nozzle or nozzles and may be activated by a control unit. 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzle or nozzles is or are provided with a valve which may be activated directly by a control unit. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure vessel with gas cushion has a feed line for filling the pressure vessel with gas cushion and a discharge line for draining the pressure vessel with gas cushion, wherein the feed line has a flow resistance compared to the discharge line, e.g. a cross-section constriction, so that filling of the pressure vessel with gas cushion takes place with a lower volumetric flow than draining of the pressure vessel with gas cushion. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the discharge line has a non-return valve, so that binder can flow through the discharge line only for draining the diaphragm vessel. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder line has one or more pressure control valves which as pressure switching valves open from a predetermined switching pressure upwards and thereby release a binder feed to the spray nozzle(s) or as pressure regulating valves also open from a predetermined switching pressure upwards and at the same time regulate the pressure on the outflow side of the pressure regulating valve to a predetermined pressure range. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein   several pressure control valves are provided in the binder line and have different switching pressures, so as to create sections with different pressure levels in the binder line.   
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein   one or more pressure control valves are provided in a main run of the binder line, so that the main run is divided into sections with predetermined pressure level.   
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein   one or more pressure control valves are provided in a branch run of the binder line diverging from a main run of the binder line, so that the respective branch run is closed if pressure falls below the switching pressure, wherein the pressure control valves are preferably in each case integrated with a spray nozzle.   
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder line has one or more pressure reducers which regulate the pressure on the outflow side of the pressure reducer to a predetermined pressure range, wherein the pressure reducer or reducers is or are preferably located adjacent to a spraying valve or integrated in a spraying valve. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the binder line is made with an elasticity for elastic buffering of binder of at least 1% and preferably at least 0.5% of the total volume of the binder line on the basis of pipe wall elasticity, at least one gas pocket and/or a diaphragm vessel.   
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder line is made with an elasticity for elastic buffering of binder of a maximum 100% and preferably a maximum of 50% of the total volume of the binder line on the basis of pipe wall elasticity, at least one gas pocket and/or a pressure vessel with gas cushion. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a control unit is provided which, depending on the filling state of the binder line, the filling state of the pressure vessel with gas cushion and/or the flow rate in the binder line, controls the feed of binder from the pressure vessel with gas cushion into the binder line.