Mining Publication: Technology News 485 - Improved Cab Air Inlet Location Reduces Dust Levels and Air Filter Loading Rates
Original creation date: February 2001
Enclosed operator cabs are widely used on mobile excavation equipment in the mining and construction industries. They protect the operator from bad weather, noise, and airborne dusts. The inside cab environment usually must be kept at very low dust concentrations because of quartz dust generated from the excavation of silica-bearing rock. Most cab designs achieve heating and air conditioning effectiveness by recirculating most of the interior cabin airflow, with a smaller portion of the outside air added to the cab as makeup air. Both the recirculated cab airflow and exterior makeup air added to the cabin should be efficiently filtered, with the makeup air positively pressurizing the cab interior. Ideally, operator cab air filters should provide at least 99% capture efficiency for dust particles as small as 0.3microm aerodynamic diameters. These higher efficiency air filters provide good dust control for the equipment operator, but tend to accumulate dust more quickly than lower efficiency air filters.
Authors: JA Organiscak, SJ Page
Technology News - February 2001
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20000983
Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Technology News 485, 2001 Feb :1-2
See Also
- Clearing the Air
- Dust Underfoot: Enclosed Cab Floor Heaters Can Significantly Increase Operator's Respirable Dust Exposure
- Experimental and Modeling Investigation of the Effect of Ventilation on Smoke Rollback in a Mine Entry
- In-depth Survey Report: Control Technology for Environmental Enclosures - The Effect of Wind Speed Upon Aerosol Penetration Into an Enclosure at Clean Air Filter, Defiance, IA
- Laboratory Testing To Quantify Dust Entrainment During Shield Advance
- Measurement of Airflow in a Simulated Underground Mine Environment Using an Ultrasonic Anemometer
- Reducing Dust Inside Enclosed Cabs
- Self-Reported Musculoskeletal Symptoms Among Operators of Heavy Construction Equipment
- Sonic Anemometer Airflow Monitoring Technique for Use in Underground Mines
- Technology News 486 - Floor Heaters Can Increase Operator's Dust Exposure in Enclosed Cabs
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program