CASE STUDY: INSTALLATION OF DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTERS AT ESPERANCE PORT

The Esperance Port Authority faced a significant challenge to their occupational health and safety programme:  how to eliminate diesel particulates from its operational environment.

The Port Authority’s concerns arose from the use of diesel-powered loaders in the iron ore sheds at Esperance Port. Iron ore, transported by train from the interior of Western Australia is stored in sheds, from which the ore is loaded for shipping. The use of the diesel vehicles in an enclosed environment was a potential health hazard for workers, and was also clogging the existing air filtration systems.

The air filtration system at the Port Authority was designed to control the dust from the iron ore, and was unable to cope with the fine diesel particulates. The diesel particulates caused significant clogging, and reduced air flow, which left the filters unable to adequately cope with the iron ore dust.

In addition to the OH&S risks created by the clogged filters, the constant need to replace the filters was costly.  The Port Authority quickly recognised that they needed a specialised diesel particulate filter system.

The Port Authority initially chose to use a ceramic filtration system, but unfortunately they were not as successful as hoped. Diesel particulates were able to bypass the ceramic filter elements.

The Port Authority approached TF Hudgins for an alternate solution. TF Hudgins are the global distributors of the MANN + HUMMEL range of diesel particulate filter systems.

The MANN+HUMMEL SMF®-AR, FBC & CRT diesel particulate filters provide ground-breaking technology in the field of exhaust gas cleaning via a sintered metal element.

The Port Authority recognised that this leading edge technology and approved TF Hudgins' proposal to install the diesel particulate filters on all of their loaders.

TF Hudgins Australia contracted the Mineworks Group to complete the installation. The process was a substantial one, involving a tight timeline, and requiring active coordination in Esperance, Melbourne, Perth, Houston and Germany.

The operating temperatures of the loaders meant that the best filter for the task was the MANN+HUMMEL SMF®-AR and FBC system. The V12 engines and twin exhaust of the Komatsu WA800-2’s loaders meant that two filters per unit were required. A total of eight were installed.

The total installation period, including data logging, took two weeks to complete. Staff from two of Mineworks’ four divisions - Technical Services and Electrical Services – were involved in the project which included fabrication of the steel mounts; fitting out the ECU data logging system and installation of the filter.

Independent analysis of the air quality following the installation of the MANN & HUMMEL diesel particulate filters has shown that all air quality parameters were less than the exposure standards or recommended levels. For diesel particulates, the readings showed that NO particulates were detected in and out of the operators’ cabin.

The successful completion of the project for Esperance Port and TF Hudgins has lead to Mineworks’ appointment as the sole distributors and installers of the MANN & HUMMEL filter range.

For more information on this project, or on diesel particulate filters, e-mail j.gallop@mineworks.com.au