The multi-utility context
Working alongside Italian multi-utilities, we have learned that integrated management of local public services requires specialist skills and reliable technical partners. Companies active in energy, integrated water services and the environment operate complex supply chains, with plants and production sites that must ensure operational continuity, regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability. Those who manage waste, water and energy at the same time deal every day with very different needs: atmospheric emissions, dust management, operator safety, optimisation of operating costs and compliance with permit requirements.
A site in a sensitive location
Our work took place at a storage site in the Bologna area, located in a particularly delicate position: the facility runs alongside the motorway. This made dust control even more demanding. Outward dispersion was not only an environmental issue within the site, but a potential visual and atmospheric impact near a heavily used piece of infrastructure, with obvious implications in terms of safety, image and management responsibility.
Technical analysis and site inspection
As usual, we began with a thorough technical site inspection: analysis of the structure, dimensional survey of the bays, assessment of the usable heights and operating distances, and direct discussion with the plant staff. Dialogue with the people who work on the site every day is fundamental for us, because it allows us to understand not only the obvious problem, but also the operational dynamics that generate it.
The operational issue
The issue concerned dust control in two separate bays: one used for storing wood waste and the other for street sweepings. During unloading from tipper trucks and stockpiling with a loader, the fine material was lifted, generating significant dispersion. In a context already made delicate by the proximity to the motorway, a solution was needed that could act effectively and uniformly over the entire operating area.
From misting line to cannon
The customer had initially considered installing a perimeter misting line, a curtain solution positioned along the edge of the bays. During the survey, however, we highlighted a crucial aspect: the size of the piles and the depth of the area to be treated made this a partial solution. A fixed line would have mainly covered the area immediately adjacent to the perimeter, and would have been less effective in the innermost unloading and handling phases, precisely those most critical in terms of airborne dust.
To ensure comprehensive and dynamic coverage, we therefore proposed a solution based on a dust suppression cannon. The adjustable range and fine atomisation enable the dust particles in suspension to be intercepted directly at the point of generation, adapting to the varying size of the piles and the different operational phases. We designed the positioning of a single cannon between the two bays, configured with a 180° rotation angle, so as to serve both areas from a single, optimised installation point.
The machine installed: Conrad LC30R in bikini configuration
The machine chosen is a Conrad LC30R with a nominal range of up to 30 metres, sized according to the depth of the bays and the height of the piles. The configuration adopted is the so-called “bikini” configuration, i.e. separate: the cannon with slewing ring installed at height, to maximise the working angle and distribution of the jet, while the pump block and control panel have been positioned on the ground. This solution allows easier maintenance, greater protection of electromechanical components and simplified operational management, while maintaining high atomisation performance and uniform coverage.
Automation and control
The system has been equipped with a radio remote control for manual operation by operators and integrated with a PLC for daily programming and the work-pause cycle function. This makes it possible to modulate activation according to schedules and real operational needs, avoiding water wastage and optimising energy consumption.
Installation and Testing
The installation was carried out by our technical staff, equipped with a mobile workshop, lifting equipment and an aerial platform. We took care of every step, from assembly to functional testing, verifying rotation, coverage and misting parameters under real operating conditions.
A result in line with the customer's expectations
The result is a flexible system, consistent with the needs of a modern multi-utility plant: effective at containing dust, suited to a sensitive logistics setting such as one next to a motorway, easy to manage and able to be integrated into existing processes. It is in this approach, based on technical analysis, operational dialogue and tailor-made design, that we see the value of our collaboration with large local public service companies.
