In a major city in the Greater Toronto Area, a road sweeping study was made after an air sample revealed that a major source of particulate matter (PM) came from road dust. The study was focused on what road sweeping techniques and technologies can be used to reduce road dust. In addition, it revealed that by using road cleaning vehicles rather than mechanical types, either the airborne PM content will reduce about 90%, or overall air quality will improve by 21% to 30%.
In recent years, cities/municipalities in the GTA have made efforts to purchase approximately 50 new road sweeping machines. In addition, these machines are not just ordinary road cleaners but are ones that utilize regenerative air that is by far the most effective breakthrough to reduce PM content in the air. Because of the study, a dustless procedure of cleaning streets has become an important factor in choosing road cleaners.
Improving Ambient Air Quality:
The most important feature that the majority of regenerative air sweepers have is a water flushing feature within the dust containment hopper. Since this type of technology uses regenerative air, the air that comes into the dust chamber must be filtered with debris and dust so it can be used in road sweeping again. To do this, a flush of water is directed to the incoming air. The effect is that debris becomes heavy with water and drops to the bottom of the chamber. However, water does not filter air particles or air pollutants and they still escape with the outgoing air. This is why a second filtering system-cartridge filters, is mounted on the chamber of most sweepers.
After
the air is cleaned, it goes through a pressure hose into the pressure chamber located in the upper portion of the road sweeping brushes. There, it builds pressure and is then pushed through the blast orifice unto the street surface. This pressure alone works to remove dirt off the street but it does not collect it off the street and dust is formed.
These problems however are addressed by the same pressure that removes dirt off the ground. Because of efforts made by the fan blower in producing this air pressure, a vacuum or an opposite kind of pressure is formed. This vacuum is then used to collect dirt, dust, and debris off the ground. To make this process more effective, many regenerative air sweepers have containment rubber curtains or flaps located behind and in front of brushers. They work to contain durst in the work area and maximize the suction motion. Aside from rubber flaps, some machines also have two suction hoses, which add to the overall efficiency of its dust control during road sweeping activities.
Optional Sweeper Features:
Noise is an issue when using road sweeping vehicles in or near residential areas in Ontario. Many new models of regenerative air sweepers provide an optional, "Sound Suppression" feature. Usually, a material that deadens sound is attached to the inside of the hopper to reduce the amount of noise released in the vicinity.
Another optional feature is a load weight indicator which brightens up when the hopper or containment chamber is about to reach its maximum capacity. This feature can help the operator prepare to unload the hopper or request for another sweeper as a replacement.
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