Materials handling
Handling the pressure: ESS unveils the safest air cannon yet ESS’S LATEST SYSTEM IS RAMPING UP PRODUCTIVITY FOR BULK FLOW OPERATIONS AND PROTECTING WORKERS AT THE SAME TIME. SAFE TO WORK INVESTIGATES.
T
he build-up of materials in bulk storage systems is a common bulk materials handling issue. When silos and bunkers accumulate material around their perimeters, it can slow operations down or even stop bulk material flow altogether. Air cannons are pressure vessels with attached valve mechanisms that blast air at high-velocity
Bulk material build-up slows operations to a crawl if not corrected.
speeds approaching speeds of up to 1100 kilometres an hour, which is approaching the speed of sound (Mach 1). They are frequently used to dislodge bulk material build-up and allow for maximum storage capacity. In the bulk materials handling sector, Air Cannons have numerous applications. They can solve bulk flow problems in silos, hoppers, chutes and storage piles and are often used where vibration is not practical, or other methods are too expensive. While the power of air cannons provides a handy way to deal with bulk material blockages, the discharge of highly compressed, high-pressure air stored inside the vessel can cause severe injury or even death if not handled effectively. Dealing with compressed air, in general, is hazardous, even when using smaller air compressors. The potential dangers air pressure pose include hearing injuries caused by the loud noises air compressors and related equipment make; eye injuries from direct exposure to the air or indirect exposure through displaced particles; high-pressure injection injuries (HPII) that cause local tissue damage; and aeroembolism, which is when compressed air enters the bloodstream. ESS Engineering Services & Supplies has built on four decades
SAFETOWORK 46 JUL-SEP 2019
ESS has delivered a robust design that can be filled just prior to being fired.
of experience and designed an air cannon system for bulk material removal that is both safer and more effective than alternative arrangements. The system is available with both internal and external valves in four-inch and six-inch sizes. Air, which is stored in 40-litre, 70-litre, 150-litre or 250-litre receivers, escapes directly through valves into a discharge pipe to affect the area of influence during dispersal. The University of Newcastle
