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FORNY20-FORNY2020

Sensor system for PM measurements in the Norwegian recycling industry

Awarded: NOK 0.50 mill.

Project Manager:

Project Number:

346853

Project Period:

2023 - 2023

Funding received from:

Location:

Subject Fields:

A system for measuring fine particulate matter in the categories PM2.5, PM10 and PM100 (Particles with aerodynamic diameter below 2.5, 10 and 100 um respectively) have been developed and now thoroughly tested within the recycling industry. The system has been proven to be able to measure the relevant dust concentrations and yield useful data within the aformentioned dust categories both in the manual sorting room for metal waste and near the sorting machine in the "Fluff building". The dust concentration was found to change rapidly, with typical "peaks" above the threshhold value lasting around 10-15 minutes, which makes constant measurements with a warning system able to drastically reduce the amount of dust being breathed through the use of respiratory protection in limited periods. Challenges with the stability of the system was found in the harsh environment at the recycling plant, but changes to the hardware and improvements to the system have already been planned based on the experiences and data from this project.

The outcome of the project has been a PM measurement system that is well suited to the needs of the targetet industries, including viability confirmation and usefullness of results, and with an agreement with at least one industrial partner for further cooperation. During medium-term length testing of the system over the course of the project, some stability flaws were found that needs to be improved upon for the product to be commercially viable. Work has been done with industrial partners to combine the data from the project with local experience to create plans for measures aimed to reduce PM loads in the working environment. This work is expected to continue in coming projects together with improvements to the system to ensure stability. Long term impact is still expected to include a reduction on fume-related pollution from recycling plants and mineral extraction, with less focus on processing cities so far, and especially a health improvement for people working at and living nearby such areas.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020

Thematic Areas and Topics

No thematic area or topic related to the project