Published in the August 2006 American Longwall Magazine

From diesel particulate to other harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, Indiana-based Evapar has a line of products that keeps workers breathing easy. “Proper implementation of control measures can help to address the problem without compromising production,” the company said.

Evapar is the distributor for the Engineer Control Systems line of products, including retrofit diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters. All units are custom engineered to operations’ needs as “emissions problems very from location to location” and are application-specific, according to company representative Dan Baldwin.

One product specific to underground emissions control is the CombiClean Particulate Filter Cleaning Station. The unit, designed for use even in low seams and developed to maintain a longer duty cycle for increased uptime, is 99% efficient, he said.

Two models are available, a standard eight-hour and an automated three-hour unit, and Baldwin notes both meet even the most stringent of industry regulations for use. One unit can remove gaseous emissions from about four to five pieces of equipment via a three-step system consisting of particulate removal, filter heating and removal of remaining ash on the filter, which brings it back to optimum working condition very time. “When a filter comes out of the CombiClean, it is regenerated to work as if it was just out of the box, perfectly clean.”

The eight-hour unit, user friendly for anyone, according to Baldwin, is operated via a vacuum system with an easy-to-read control panel and light/switch system. The three-hour version is worry-free and requires very little operator input to perform its duty: “Place the filter on the base and turn the unit on; when the light goes on, it’s ready to go back in service.”