During hotter weather, exposure to heat and dust can create hazardous environments to work in. In this article we discuss what spray cannons are, how they work and the benefits they bring to the work area.
What is a spray cannon you may ask? A spray cannon is a piece of equipment that sprays a fine mist of liquid vapour, usually water in areas that may contain dust.
Read on to learn more about spray cannons with Thermac, industry leaders in equipment hire for hazardous environments.
What is a Spray Cannon?
A spray cannon is a piece of equipment designed to disperse tiny droplets of water vapour across an area, commonly to suppress dust. Spray cannons have a ring of small nodules attached to the front of the rim. A large motorised fan at the rear of the unit acts to push the water vapour out over a determined area.
Spray cannons can be fixed to a tower up high or low down depending on the area of coverage. They can also be attached to a mobile unit such as a wheeled trolley, or smaller units can be lifted manually into position.
When are Spray Cannons used?
Spray cannons are used commonly on sites where dust suppression is necessary such as demolition sites or waste recycling sites. However, spray cannons are multi purpose and are often used on large scale events such as music festivals or running events especially when the weather is hotter. The spray cannon fires a vapour of water mist across the crowd to help cool event attendees. This can be a continuous stream or limited to specific times.
How do Spray Cannons control dust?
When dust is created, perhaps on a demolition site when buildings are taken down, the need to stop potentially hazardous particles from moving around is necessary. The mist from a spray cannon encapsulates the dust particles and helps to suppress them by bringing them to the ground. The water droplet size can be controlled from the spray cannon as well as the spray pattern and nozzle type.
Water droplet size is an important aspect in dust suppression. For prime agglomeration, the water droplet size and particle size should be about equal. Surfactants add benefit to lowering surface tension of the water solution and overall help the suppression process. Care must be taken when adding surfactants as they can damage equipment which may be within reach.
How do Spray Cannons help with heat control?
When the weather is hotter, most of us have sprayed a fine mist of water on our faces to keep cool. At major events such as music festivals, the process is fundamentally the same. Spray cannons are often fixed at the front of the crowd barriers, usually where there is a more concentrated amount of people. A fine mist of water is sprayed across the crowd to help them keep cool. The water vapour dispersed is actually a scientific mix of fracture pressured water processed through atomizing nozzles. The vapour evaporates helping to lower the area temperature.
Spray Cannon range at Thermac
Thermac are specialists in supplying equipment used in hazardous environments. The range of spray cannons covers from 10 metre units to 50 metre units.
Take a look at our range of spray cannons online today, or get in touch with the team to discuss your requirements. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your needs.