Air Leakage in Dust Collection System | Aerodyne Environmental

Rethinking Airlock Technology: Aerodyne’s Solutions to the Rotary Valve Conundrum

DC — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:39:45 +0000

Rethinking Airlock Technology: Aerodyne’s Solutions to the Rotary Valve Conundrum

Industrial dust problems are business problems, because dust collection is an inherent part of manufacturing. Known for being maintenance and repair money pits, rotary valves are a common source of frustration.

Common problems we notice with the average rotary valve:

Air leaks— By design, as dust enters the material inlet and travels through the rotors, air leaks out through both the rotor pockets and the gap between the rotor tips and the housing. This disrupts airflow and reduces dust collector efficiency.
Got power?— Rotary valves require continuous power to operate, which can create issues for manufacturing operations like mining, which often operate in remote areas where electricity is limited and finnicky at best. When every kilowatt counts, the rotary valve isn’t always ideal.
Maintenance money pit— Because parts and motors wear out and will always need lubricated, maintained, and eventually replaced, servicing can mean full system shutdowns.
Worn out traditional rotary airlock valve

There are simpler, less frustrating solutions—solutions that Aerodyne’s engineers have designed to alleviate these issues for the maintenance managers, technicians, supervisors, process engineers, plant operators, and safety and environmental officers that deal with them.

When traditional rotary valves and their airlocks fail, the Vacu-Valve and the tougher Double Dump Valve shine.

Aerodyne’s Vacu-Valve

The Vacu-Valve is a passive, gravity-based trickle valve designed for fine, free-flowing material under negative pressure systems like baghouses and cyclones. Instead of using motors or tight tolerances, the Vacu-Valve seals using vacuum pressure. When enough material builds above the sleeve, gravity gently pulls it through, maintaining a consistent flow without leaking air or jamming, common issues that come with traditional rotary valve design.

Aerodyne’s Vacu-Valve

Key Benefits:

No motor, bearings, or electricity required
No air leakage thanks to vacuum-sealed flexible sleeve
Minimal maintenance—just a quick sleeve swap
Quiet operation
Handles up to 550°F
Best for fine, non-bridging material

**Please note that the Vacu-Valve is not suitable for explosive environments or bulky solids.

In the right environment, this valve delivers unmatched simplicity and reliability. Aerodyne has seen particular success with the Vacu-Valve in mining operations, one of the most challenging environments for dust collection equipment. In mining, large volumes of dust, abrasive or extremely fine material, and demanding operating conditions can push equipment to its limits.

The Vacu-Valve was created with a motor free design to avoid the inevitable wear and tear failures associated with traditional rotary valves, because it can run longer and more reliably without rotors grinding against housings or seals failing.

Download Vacu-Valve Brochure

Aerodyne’s Double Dump Valve

When applications deal with tougher dust, like chunky, fibrous, abrasive, or irregular materials notorious for jamming and wearing out rotary valves, a smarter alternative is needed. Aerodyne’s engineers designed the Double Dump Valve as a heavy-duty solution, built with an alternating flap design that keeps one of two chambers sealed while the other discharges material and provides a tight airlock that doesn’t rely on a fragile rotor clearance. Like the Vacu-Valve, the Double Dump is easy to service, but is customizable for hazardous, high temperature, or high-pressure environments.

GatorGate Double Dump Valve

Key Benefits:

Ideal for material that would normally jam rotary valves
Minimal air leakage with alternating chamber design
Handles abrasive, fibrous, or large solids
Build for rugged, high-demand environments
Stainless-steel options available
Easy maintenance with quick-remove doors

The Double Dump Valve uses tandem gates to maintain proper pressure above and below the valve and has a reinforced closure mechanism to prevent air seepage. This double flap valve can be configured to operate using air or electricity and requires little maintenance. It’s designed with heavy duty carbon steel fabrication, a heavy-duty gear reducer and cam mechanism, and low air leakage technology.

As the motor driven cam rotates, it actuates the upper and lower flap gates in sequences to allow the discharge of material with minimal air leakage. The unique cam-operated drive mechanism provides reliable service without the use of expensive and problematic pneumatic controls. Quick removal inspection doors provide easy access to internal components for regular maintenance. Available in a variety of sizes, this valve is a cost effective, reliable alternative for applications struggling with traditional rotary airlock valves.

Download Double Dump Brochure

This is your reminder that traditional rotary airlock valves are not suitable for every application!

If your operation is looking for a quality alternative to rotary valves, the Aerodyne Vacu-Valve is a cost-effective, simple solution built for fine, flowing materials in lower maintenance applications. In operations where heavy-duty reliability is the priority, Aerodyne’s Double Dump Valves are built to handle tough, irregular materials where jams, leaks, and wear are par for the course.

The right valve can help you eliminate air leakage (and many more!) issues at the source, and our experienced engineers are here to help you every step of the way. Call us at 440-543-7400 to schedule your free consultation today.

The post Rethinking Airlock Technology: Aerodyne’s Solutions to the Rotary Valve Conundrum first appeared on Aerodyne Environmental.

A Simple Way to Check Airflow in Your Dust Collection System | Aerodyne

dust-admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 19:30:00 +0000

Dust collection systems require the proper airflow to operate correctly. Without the correct air flow, dust will not be removed from collection points and the collection equipment (baghouse, cartridge collectors, cyclones, etc.) will not operate with maximum efficiency. However, if too much air is being pulled through the system, a variety of issues might ensue, such as product being lost, removal efficiency lowered, utility usage increased.

Conventional Way to Measure Airflow

The normal way to measure airflow is to insert a pitot tube in the ductwork to measure the air velocity in an airstream, and then calculate the velocity (and airflow). This is a manual process that requires a trained individual. It is time consuming and to a certain degree an art, since the velocity in a ductwork changes depending how close to the wall you are.

Effective Way to Measure Airflow

Obviously, you cannot walk next to a piece of equipment or meter and check the velocity through the ductwork. However, if you have a cyclone dust collector you can. Cyclone pressure drops are based on the airflow through them. The more air you send through a cyclone, the higher the pressure drop. Each cyclone design has its own equation to determine pressure drop based on the airflow. With this equation, you can estimate the airflow based on the pressure drop in your cyclone.

The GPC Dust Collector is an efficient way to handle your dust collecting needs. Simply click below for direct access to the GPC spec.

Exhaust Fans: The Motive Force of a Dust Collection System

In this video, Aerodyne discusses how system changes and fan performance affect your dust collection system.

The post A Simple Way to Check Airflow in Your Dust Collection System | Aerodyne first appeared on Aerodyne Environmental.

Five Major Air Leakage Issues That Cause Problems to Your Dust Collection System

dust-admin — Thu, 17 May 2018 21:40:00 +0000

When selecting the airlock for your dust collector, it is important to think about air leakage. A little air leakage through the airlock isn’t a usually a big deal with many baghouse applications, but air leakage can cause major issues with some applications. So it is important that you identify if your system will have issues with air leakage and then select the proper airlock valve.

Some dust collection system issues that could come with air leakage include:

Decrease airflow at pickup points – If an airlock leaks too much air into a system, it could decrease the airflow at the pickup point, thereby causing less dust to be collected.
Blowing dust out of the airlock – If too much air leaks out of the system through the airlock, the collected dust might be blown out of the airlock, causing the collected dust scatter on the ground around the dust collector.
Dust that reacts with water – Humidity from outside the process can cause dust to become sticky, bridge, or even explosive in special circumstances.
Systems that are oxygen deficient for reaction or explosive prevention – Outside air can introduce oxygen to the system which could feed a reaction or move the process into the explosive zone.
Systems that have a high pressure or low vacuum – Leaking airlocks can bleed pressure or allow outside air into a high vacuum, requiring the pressure control system to work harder.

If you have an issue like this, you might want to look at your airlock. While rotary valves are the industry standard, and currently the only valve approved for explosion isolation in the NFPA, they do constantly leak air into or out of the system. The reason is the rotor has a small clearance between it and the valves housing. This allows a path for air to travel. So while this path is small you will always get some leakage into or out of the system with a rotary valve.

Other valves that will minimize leakage include

Double dump / knife valve – This valve uses what is essentially two valves in series. And while one of the valves is open, the other is closed. This prevents air from leaking in or out since there is no direct opening through the valve. The major drawback of this valve is that the capacity of the valve is severely restricted. A rotary valve will have a higher flowrate through the same diameter valve. The other advantages include that these are better with chunky or fibrous materials.
Trickle valve – A trickle valve (like the Vacu-Valve®) uses the vacuum of the system to seal a sleeve. This prevents air from leaking into the system. Gravity will then pull the dust through the sleeve once enough material is built up above the valve. This valve can be used if: the system has negative pressure; the dust is free-flowing dust and won’t bridge; and the dust is not explosive. The advantages of a trickle valve include no moving parts, low cost, low maintenance, and no power is needed.

In summary, when designing your dust collection system, don’t just pick a rotary valve, make sure that air leakage will not cause an issue. And if it does, then look for an alternative that will minimize the leak leakage.

Evaluate your current dust collection system for operational efficiency. Fill out our consultation form to get started.

The post Five Major Air Leakage Issues That Cause Problems to Your Dust Collection System first appeared on Aerodyne Environmental.

Reduce Air Leakage with the Aerodyne Double Dump Valve

dust-admin — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 19:01:00 +0000

When your dust collection system is having issues, one of the first places to look is the airlock valve for your dust collector. Often, dust is hygroscopic, and when outside air leaks into the system, humidity follows. This can cause the dust to absorb moisture and become sticky or harden like cement. This can lead to plugged filters, hoppers, reduced dust collection efficiency, and damage to rotary valves.

While rotary valves are the industry standard airlock, they constantly allow air leakage. A low-leakage valve is required. Double dump valves, however, are very low leakage since there is no direct connection to the outside atmosphere. The valve always isolates the conditions above it from the conditions below it. This minimizes air leakage, thereby reducing humidity from affecting the dust and improving the performance of your industrial dust collection system.

So, if you have a non-explosive application that is hygroscopic, look into a double dump valve (flap valve) for your dust collector.

Find out more information now.

If you are having operational issues with your dust collection system, contact Aerodyne at 440-543-7400 or dc@dustcollectorhq.com.

The post Reduce Air Leakage with the Aerodyne Double Dump Valve first appeared on Aerodyne Environmental.