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TC0317

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T Tablets & Capsules March 2017 35 dust collection ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 199: A new tool for specifying pharmaceutical dust collection equipment Rick Kreczmer and David Steil Camfil APC This article reviews how Standard 199 differs from previous test standards, how it measures dust collector performance, and how end-users can best apply its methodology in tandem with other guidelines and standards. The information will help you make more informed decisions about purchasing traditional and contained dust collection equipment. he pharmaceutical industry has for many years lacked an adequate test standard to compare the performance of different dust collector filters and equipment. Now, all that has changed with the June 2016 publication of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 199-2016, "Method of Testing the Performance of Industrial Pulse Cleaned Dust Collectors." The new standard fills an important informa- tion gap and will help pharmaceutical manufacturers and other operators of dust collection systems to compare and evaluate the equipment with much greater accuracy. While manufacturers are certain to find the overall stan- dard beneficial, they will be particularly interested in the comparative data it provides on emissions and opera- tional and energy costs. As the standard is more widely adopted and more data are accrued, pharmaceutical man- ufacturers will have more guidance on issues such as whether secondary HEPA filtration is required, how to extend filter life, and whether a dust collector that uses a certified high-efficiency primary filter can reduce costs. Mimicking real-world performance Until now, manufacturers had to rely on air filter test standards that weren't a good fit, such as those developed by ASHRAE to measure filter efficiency in HVAC sys- tems. Perhaps the most widely used standard for compar- ing filters, ANSI/ASHRAE 52.2, calls for measuring air filter efficiency using the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) method. However, because ASHRAE 52.2 was developed for the HVAC filter market, it doesn't address how a dust collector operates, i.e., by pulse- cleaning filters periodically when a dust cake builds up. Figure 1 shows a typical cartridge dust collector, and Figure 2 shows a typical pulse cleaning system. Standard 199 is the first document to provide a methodology for comparing performance results based on true dust collector operating conditions. It not only Figure 1 Cutaway view of a cartridge-style dust collector

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