Brasco Industrial Filtration supplies largest baghouse to largest chrome furnace in sub-Saharan Africa

Dust solutions provider Brasco Industrial Filtration was briefed to design and install a fume extraction system to serve a furnace tap hole at a well-known chrome mine. Brasco was awarded the project owing to the solution they offered, as well as meeting the customer’s budget constraints.

The project was successfully executed within budget and on time, much to the delight of the customer. Brasco’s in-house design team, led by Brasco Filtration capital sales manager Graham O’Connell, together with the Drawing and Project office, overseen by Brasco Filtration design draughtsman Michael Bosman, worked together over several hours to successfully deliver a working system on time.

Apart from a few buy-out items, the entire baghouse was manufactured in-house with the involvement of the project team together with Brasco’s works manager and quality control overseeing the manufacturing process.

O’Connell notes that some challenges were encountered, such as requiring close access to the tap hole for the installation of a hood to capture the fume smoke plume at source. Duct routing was also a challenge, requiring the team to navigate and overcome some obstacles. The brief also included not interfering with the operator and ensuring the “charge rod” did not come into contact with the fume hood. Brasco managed to overcome these challenges and provided a workable solution.

O’Connell further explains that the extraction system designed and installed by Brasco Filtration comprised 648 high-temperature filter bags with a total filtration area of 907 m2. An inline vortex-type spark trap was installed prior to the baghouse

inlet to trap and kill any sparks carried from the furnace tap. A 110 kW belt-driven centrifugal fan was sourced from a local and reputable fan supplier to achieve the designed duty. Additionally, the scope included the installation of a freestanding 15-m-high, 1.2-m-diameter exhaust stack coupled to the fan outlet using a flex compensator. A total of seven motorised rotary valves, also locally sourced, were installed to automatically discharge the collected fume dust from below the baghouse hoppers and spark trap into bulk bags.

Further, O’Connell adds that, to minimise the temperature at the inlet of the baghouse, a manually operated bleed-in damper was installed in the duct to bleed in ambient air.

He proudly adds that from design stage to final handover, local South African content was sourced for the entire project.

The project scope also included the supply of a seven-tier freestanding motor control centre (MCC) sourced from a Boksburg-based company. This had to cater for the 110 kW fan motor, seven rotary valve motors, as well as the pulsing controllers to energise the automated pulse cleaning of the filter bags.

Everything from the star delta starter to buzz bars, buckets, VSD’s, PLC tiers, external switches, indicator lights and push buttons was included as part of the MCC.

“Brasco Filtration prides itself on being part of this project, as it is the largest baghouse supplied to date to serve possibly the largest furnace in South Africa, if not sub-Saharan Africa,” O’Connell states.

The magnitude of the project represents not only a significant milestone in the history of the company, but also demonstrates its capacity

to take on large-scale projects. Successfully completing such a project underscores Brasco’s capability to handle complex and expansive initiatives, reinforcing its position as an industry leader.

As the team continues to grow in size and expertise, it is enhancing its collective knowledge and experience in the field of dust control. This growth is a testament to its commitment to innovation and excellence. Each new team member brings fresh perspectives and skills, contributing to their overall capability to tackle more sophisticated and demanding projects. Looking ahead, Brasco is excited about the future. Its consistent and impressive annual growth is a clear indicator of its potential and the bright prospects that lie ahead. With an ever-expanding team and a deepening reservoir of expertise, it is well-positioned to continue its trajectory of success. The company’s accomplishments to date inspire confidence in its ability to meet and exceed the expectations of its customers, stakeholders and the industry at large.