UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

NAME: SARA ISSAIAH RANDO

REG NO: F21/4021/2019

DEPARTMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOSYSTEMS

ENGINEERING

TITLE: DESIGN OF ECO-HOPPERS TO PREVENT AIR

POLLUTION AS A RESULT OF TRANSPORTATION AND
HANDLING OF BULK MATERIAL AT THE PORT OF MOMBASA

DATE: 24/10/2023

Supervisor’s Name: Mrs. Caroline Ingati

Signature:
Problem statement

The environmental problem of atmospheric pollution caused by transportation and handling of

dust-generating bulk cargo materials is quite common for the whole world. The importation of
the bulk materials through the port of Mombasa which include clinker, coal and gypsum poses a
significant impact on the environment. The offloading and handling of these materials often
results in the generation of airborne dust particles which lowers the ambient air quality standards,
contribute to air pollution and pose serious health and environmental risks. In order to address
this issue, the implementation of eco-hoppers, an innovative dust control technology, is proposed
to reduce air pollution and improve air quality at the port.

Objectives

Overall objective:

To design eco-hoppers that will prevent air pollution as a result of transportation and handling of
bulk material at the port of Mombasa.

Specific objectives:

 Dust suppression – to implement effective dust suppression systems, such as water sprays
or dust collectors that will capture and control dust emissions during material flow.
 Material flow – to optimize the design of the hopper to promote consistent and controlled
material flow hence reducing the generation of air-borne dust.
 Enclosure and sealing – to ensure that the hopper has appropriate enclosures and seals
which will contain dust and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere.
 Ventilation – to design proper ventilation systems to capture and direct any residual dust
emissions away from the environment.

This project aims to:

o Provide environmentally friendly material handling since eco-hoppers are designed to

reduce dust emissions as well as material loading and unloading processes.
o Minimize dust generation during offloading of the cargo which in turn reduces air
pollution.
o Ensure a safe environment for workers by controlling dust.
Literature review

The handling of bulk materials such as clinker and coal generates dust particles that can become
airborne and contribute to particulate pollution. This pollution can pose significant
environmental and health consequences. Implementing environmentally friendly dust control
measures such as water spraying or dust suppressants which can both be incorporated in an eco-
hopper can mitigate particulate pollution. A dust control eco-hopper is a device designed to
reduce the amount of dust generated during the transfer of bulk materials. An eco-hopper works
by creating a sealed environment and negative pressure area that prevents dust from escaping
into the surrounding area. This is achieved through the use of specialized components such as
dust curtains, dust collectors and seals.

A hopper has an upper and lower section which is separated by a dust retention feature. This
divider opens to allow the free flow of material into the hopper and closes to prevent the flow of
air out of the hopper. When bulk material is released by the grab, it falls through the dust
retention feature and accumulates in the inner hopper. The hopper system automatically closes as
a result of the newly created pressure differential between the hopper and the atmosphere,
forming a seal to contain the dust contaminated air. Integral reverse jet filters are positioned
around the inlet of the hopper to extract and clean the dust filled air. Collected dust is then
recycled into the mainstream of material.

This technology has been used in the cement industry for many years to minimize air pollution
by dust when handling clinker or cement.

References

Wheeler,C Krull. Design of ship loading chutes to reduce dust emissions. 2007

Wypych, P. Cook. Controlling dust emissions and explosion hazards in powder handling plants.
2005