Fighting COVID-19 using dust control cannons

Designed to suppress dust across large areas in bulk handling and port operations, atomised mist technology is been repurposed to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, according to BossTek, which manufactures the DustBoss line of industrial misting cannons.

“The challenge is protecting workers and the public in outdoor spaces by the most effective means possible, using technology that requires the least amount of human contact,” said Mike Lewis, VP of sales at BossTek.

“Sending crews of people out on a regular basis to clean publicly accessed surfaces is inefficient, costly and exposes the workers to potential contamination. Studies have shown that the distribution of SDCs evenly across surfaces can effectively reduce the presence of viral and bacterial microbes to mitigate the spread of disease. Atomised mist has proven to be a very effective distribution method.”

As well as public spaces, Lewis said the company has also supplied equipment for large operations such as mines and materials processing facilities that are sanitising work surfaces before employees return to work.

“We’re even seeing some customers who aren’t back up and running yet, but they’re repurposing their machines to help out other businesses or municipalities, loaning out the equipment to help protect others,” he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) differentiates cleaning with disinfecting by defining cleaning as “the removal of visible dirt or particles,” whereas disinfecting “refers to specific measures taken to control, deactivate or kill infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria.”[1]

BossTek cited a study the School of Engineering at Tufts University that tested the effects of SDCs on infectious viruses including Ebola, which found that “the use of just 0.5% chlorine solutions with a 15-minute exposure time is effective in reducing transmission risk”.

Atomised mist technology disperses millions of tiny treated water droplets over a wide area to achieve effective coverage. The heavy-duty barrel-shaped DustBoss cannons force water through a circular brass manifold fitted with atomising spray nozzles that fracture the water into tiny droplets 15 to 200 microns in size.

The midsized DustBoss model has a reach of up to 60m.Using a powerful 25 HP fan that produces 30,000 CFM (849.50 CMM) of airflow, the droplets are propelled outward in a cone-shaped pattern. With the adjustable angle from 0 to 50 degrees and oscillation settings of 359 degrees, the largest model in the DustBoss fleet can cover up to 31,000 sq metres.