Method and apparatus for the reduction of environmental pollution produced in material handling operations, especially but not exclusive in the transfer of material between two conveyor belts, one of material input and one of output of said material, are disclosed here. The pollution reduction mechanism is based on the reduction of the distance in free fall that the material travels from the material input conveyor belt, by means of maintaining live load of material inside the chute. To achieve this objective, the method considers: measuring the weight of the chute with material; the measurement of one of the two flows; the calculation of the rapidity of change of the weight of the chute; and the regulation of the mass flow of input to the chute or the regulation of the mass flow of output from the chute.

Method and apparatus for the reduction of environmental pollution produced in material handling operations, especially but not exclusive in the transfer of material between two conveyor belts, one of material input and one of output of said material, are disclosed here. The pollution reduction mechanism is based on the reduction of the distance in free fall that the material travels from the material input conveyor belt, by means of maintaining live load of material inside the chute. To achieve this objective, the method considers: measuring the weight of the chute with material; the measurement of one of the two flows; the calculation of the rapidity of change of the weight of the chute; and the regulation of the mass flow of input to the chute or the regulation of the mass flow of output from the chute.

A system for handling particulate material includes a chute. The chute includes a main conduit and first and second branch conduits that extend from the main conduit. The chute includes a flow adjuster configured to alter a flow distribution of the particulate material between the first and second branch conduits. In an example operation, first and second containers are placed onto a shuttle on a transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor moves the shuttle with the first and second containers beneath the chute to place the first container under the first branch conduit and the second container under the second branch conduit. The containers are loaded with particulate material distributed through the chute. Then the containers are moved away from the chute.

A dust capture and reclamation system for a rubber conveyor belt having a housing for mounting over a portion of the rubber conveyor belt, a plurality of idler roller assemblies, a plurality of return roller assemblies, a trough for mounting under the rubber conveyor belt to catch granular material falling from the rubber conveyor belt, the trough having an inside surface, a mechanism for moving granular material along the inside surface to a collection point, a first access panel through one side for accessing an idler roller, and a second access panel through one of the pair of opposed side walls for accessing a return roller assembly.

A proppant delivery assembly receives and supports a plurality of containers having proppant stored therein. A cradle has a top surface which receives and supports the plurality of containers when positioned thereon. The cradle enables the plurality of containers to dispense the proppant stored therein. A proppant mover is positioned to underlie and extend along the top surface of the cradle aligned with the plurality of containers to receive proppant from the plurality of containers. The proppant mover carries proppant away from the plurality of containers. A chute is coupled to the cradle for receiving proppant from the proppant mover and directing the proppant to a blender hopper. A hood assembly is disposed at an end of the chute opposite the proppant mover for directing a vacuum air flow that removes a volume of air containing proppant dust particles directed from the chute. The hood assembly includes a curtain extending about a perimeter of the hood assembly and downward therefrom to at least partially define the volume of air being removed by the hood assembly.

A trough conveyor that transports fine bulk material and is exposed to windy conditions may include a belt for transporting bulk material, a center roll for supporting the belt, first and second wing rolls that support angled segments of the belt, a frame that supports the center roll and the first and second wing rolls, and a hood cover disposed above the belt. The trough conveyor may also include first and second baffles that form labyrinths that help attenuate wind velocity over the fine bulk material. The baffles may also help contain fine bulk material that is stirred up within a stilling space formed between the hood cover, the belt, and the baffles. In addition or in the alternative, the trough conveyor may include fairings that deflect crosswind beneath the belt.

Systems and methods for silica dust reduction at well sites are described herein. The system can include a blower, a transfer hose having a first end connected to the blower, a second end connected to a hopper containing a granular material, and an interior volume. The system can also include a supply of dust suppression solution in fluid communication with the interior volume of the transfer hose.

A method and apparatus that reduce release of dust generated during rotary dumping of rail cars in a dumping facility. The method includes removing dust laden air from a space bounded by a backside airflow diverter, a rotational frame, a first baffle and a second baffle while the rotational frame is rotating with a rail car by drawing the dust laden air through a secondary air intake that passes through the backside airflow diverter into a backside hood. A dust control apparatus includes a diverter, overlying a backside hood having a concave curved upper surface; and at least one secondary air intake positioned to pass through the diverter being located approximately where pressure in the backside hood remains neutral or negative relative to a pressure even there is a transient increase in air pressure in a lower portion of the backside hood.

A system for controlling dust during hydraulic fracturing operations includes a manifold having a plurality of ports for capturing dust when negative air pressure is applied to the manifold. A support frame positions the manifold above a piece of hydraulic fracturing equipment receiving sand from a sand source.

A system for contained sterile/aseptic transfer of materials comprises a coupler assembly (6) including an active valve assembly (9) having an active valve and docking part and a passive valve assembly (7) which comprises a passive valve and a complimentary docking part, the two docking parts enabling the two valve assemblies to be secured together in a first position with a void formed between the two facing surfaces of the closed valves. A sterilisation device (20) including a UV emitter assembly is arranged to emit UV light into the void such that the exposed outer surfaces of at least the passive valve and active valve are exposed to UV light emitted by the emitter assembly after the two docking parts are secured together in the first position, and prior to moving of the passive/active valve to a second position where material may transfer through the opened valves.