A Novel Technology to Reduce Industrial Dust Pollution and to Enable Most Efficient Energy Recovery

Project Information

DUSTCOMB

Grant agreement ID: 803243

DOI

10.3030/803243

Project closed

EC signature date 5 March 2018

Start date 1 April 2018

End date 31 March 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 2 233 750,00

EU contribution

€ 1 563 625,00

Coordinated by

FILTRA GROUP OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DUSTCOMB (A Novel Technology to Reduce Industrial Dust Pollution and to Enable Most Efficient Energy Recovery)

Reporting period: 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Our long-term objective is to become one of the leading industrial dust extraction technology providers globally. Dustcomb will exceed the current state-of-the art in PM emission control solutions and enables economically feasible compliance with air quality regulation for most industries.

Currently, the Dustcomb technology has reached the final development, validation and market introduction phase. We expect to complete the first integration projects in Q4/2020 as opposed to planned Q4/2019.

The SME2 project objectives are based on feasibility study that was performed within our SME phase-1 project. We have now validated the most viable go-to-market strategy, secured all necessary resources required for timely and successful project implementation and set specific objectives for the following SMEI phase-2 project:
1. Developing our current prototype technology to market ready Dustcomb solution
- Completing the system development (automation, User-Interface (UI), materials)
- Designing a Dustcomb tower unit for larger applications
2. Validating the Dustcomb performance and our technical concepts in real environment pilot
- Creating standardised manufacturing and integration concepts
- Setting up and testing value chains for scaling manufacturing, installing and maintenance
- Installing and piloting the Dustcomb solution in a steel plant
3. Preparing for fast market uptake and global commercialisation
- Forming partnerships for global representations and aftersales services
- Commercialisation and dissemination activities for targeted audiences in EU and Asia

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work Package 1
WP1 concentrated on technology development. The work lasted longer than planned, because the technology development turned out to be more difficult than originally scheduled. However, we have achieved desired results.

Work Package 2
The concept WP was completed as planned and as a result we have a manufacturing, an integration and a service concept for the Dustcomb tower module.

Work Package 3
Piloting took longer time to plan and set-up than we thought, which was due to a lockdown. Therefore, the piloting was shorter than originally planned and it was also cut short due to the global pandemic. However, the results we have so far a very promising and tests show that our technology is five times more efficient than a standard bag filter.

Work Package 4
Commercialisation activities will be our main focus for the second half of 2020, when we have the final results of our piloting. During the H2020 project, we did manage to combine an extensive list of potential customers and we also have first inquiries from different plants in Asia and Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Instead of filtering gases, our equipment uses flow principles to separate dust from gas. Our method is at moment superior to the state of the art where the systems are based on dust filtering. Our innovation is also suitable in applications where gas temperatures are very high (up to 1000 °C) and typical Teflon-based filters cannot operate any more. High flue gas temperatures can also be found from flue gas of domestic burners, such as fireplaces, stoves and ovens. Our innovation is based on fluid dynamics, familiar from airplane wings where gas flow attaches on curving surfaces.

Manufacturing industry is one of the biggest air polluters, which is why the sector needs to tackle the issue by more effective and accessible industrial dust extraction solutions. Priority applications are coking plants in steel factories, blast furnaces and steel smelter plants. However, the largest industrial potential for the equipment is in fossil fuel power plants.

Small-scale versions of the equipment are also suitable for cleaning household air by replacing the ventilation unit’s fan with a small DustComb module. This version can achieve HEPA –level filtering by removing all particulates with size greater than or equal to 2.5 µm. The unit can also make domestic wood burning stoves compliant with the new EU ambient air quality directive.

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