# US 11,029,239 B2 · Test apparatus and method for testing dust suppression systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,239 B2 - Document ID: US11029239B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/326,472 - Filed: 2017-08-24 - Published: 2019-09-05 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-24 - Assignees: Fuchs Petrolub SE - Applicants: Fuchs Petrolub SE - Inventors: Paul Roger Littley; John Stirland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029239B2 ## CPC - G01N 13/00: Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects (scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q) - G01N 15/0205: by optical means - G01M 9/04: Details - G01M 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G01N 15/14: Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry - G01N 17/002: {Test chambers} - G01N 2015/0096: {Investigating consistence of powders, dustability, dustiness} - G01N 2015/1486: {Counting the particles} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The invention as herein described discloses a test apparatus (1) for testing dust suppression systems and a method for testing dust suppression systems using said test apparatus (1). Said test apparatus (1) comprises a housing (100) with at least two chambers (101,102) being separated from each other by a window (103) which comprises at least one transfer vent (104). Therein particle counting means (110, 120) are detachably mounted to at least one of said two chambers (101,102). Further, the first chamber (101) of said at least two chambers (101,102) comprises a door (121) and is equipped with supply means for supplying the first chamber (101) with particulate free air, and wherein the second chamber (102) of said at least two chambers (101, 102) is equipped with exit means for releasing air from the second chamber (102). ## Claims ### Claim 1 Test apparatus (1) for testing a dust suppression system, said test apparatus (1) comprising a housing (100) with two chambers (101,102) being separated from each other by a window (103) which comprises at least one transfer vent (104), wherein particle counting means (110,120) are detachably mounted to at least one of said two chambers (101,102), and wherein a first chamber (101) of said two chambers (101,102) comprises a door (121) and is equipped with supply means for supplying the first chamber (101) with particulate free air, and wherein the first chamber (101) is configured to receive a dust-comprising test object, wherein the dust-comprising test object is provided with the dust suppression system to be tested, and wherein a second chamber (102) of said two chambers (101,102) is equipped with exit means for releasing air from the second chamber (102); wherein the at least one transfer vent (104) is a rotating air vent (104). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the two chambers (101,102) comprises air filter means. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the two chambers (101,102) comprises a temperature measuring device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that inside the first chamber (101) a holding device for holding a test object comprising dust is arranged. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Test apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said holding device is a table (5), selected from a movable table or a vibrating table, and wherein said dust comprising test object is a plate or a dish (2). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) Test apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said holding device comprises at least one of a table (5), a tube, or a spray box or a combination of two components selected from the table (5), the tube or the spray box. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the holding device comprises a rectangular spray box comprising at least one spray jet and the holding device further comprises a vibrating table coupled to a vibration sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the holding device is a rectangular spray box comprising at least one spray jet, or the holding device (5) is a vibrating table coupled to a vibration sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the particle counting means (110,120) is an optical particle counter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the optical particle counter is a laser particle counter (110,120). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (100) is, at least partially, made of a transparent material selected from glass or a glassy polymer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the supply means for supplying the first chamber (101) with particulate free air comprise an air control valve (10) coupled to a mass flow meter (13) which is fitted into a wall of the housing (100) constituting the first chamber (101), and a hose (12) being coupled to the mass flow meter (13). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber (101) comprises a first filter unit (21) fit into a wall of the housing (100) constituting the first chamber (101) and wherein the second chamber (102) comprises a second filter unit (22) fit into a wall of the second chamber (102), wherein the second filter unit (22) is said exit means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) Test apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber comprises a first temperature probe and the second chamber comprises a second temperature probe. ### Claim 15 Method for testing dust suppression systems using a test apparatus (1) comprising a housing (100) with two chambers (101,102) being separated from each other by a window (103) which comprises at least one transfer vent (104), wherein particle counting means (110,120) are detachably mounted to at least one of said two chambers (101.102), and wherein a first chamber (101) of the two chambers (101,102) comprises a door (121) and is equipped with supply means for supplying the first chamber (101) with particulate free air, and wherein the first chamber (101) is configured to receive a dust-comprising test object, wherein the dust-comprising test object is provided with the dust suppression system to be tested, and wherein a second chamber (102) of said two chambers (101,102) is equipped with exit means for releasing air from the second chamber (102); the method comprising the steps of a) providing the housing (100) with the first chamber (101) and the second chamber (102) and b) placing the dust comprising test object provided with the dust suppression system and a weighed amount of dust particulates inside the first chamber (101), c) providing a particulate free air flow (A1) into the first chamber (101), thereby disturbing releasable dust particulates (4) from the dust comprising test object, and providing an airflow (A3) comprised of the particulate free air flow (A1) and air borne dust particulates (4), d) allowing the airflow (A3) to pass the transfer vent (104) in a controlled way and to enter the second chamber (102), e) activating the particle counter (120) at the second chamber (102) and quantifying dust particulates (4) in the airflow (A3), and f) based on a number of quantified particulates (4) in relation to the weighed amount of dust particulates (4), determining an efficiency of dust retention of the dust comprising test object. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Method according to claim 15, comprising, before performing step b), the step b′) of performing calibration of the first chamber (101) by using a first particle counter (110) at the first chamber (101) with no test object comprising dust inside, and counting particles; thus providing a particle background of the first chamber (101). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Method according to claim 16, wherein during performance of any of the steps b′), b) to e) punctually or continuously measuring a temperature of at least one of the two chambers (101,102). ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) Method according to claim 15, wherein airborne dust particulates (4) in the airflow (A3) or dust particulates (4) in the first chamber (102) with no test object comprising dust inside are quantified versus time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) Method according to claim 18, wherein the airborne dust particulates (4) in the airflow (A3) or the dust particulates (4) in the first chamber (102) are quantified over at least two particulate sizes.