Midwest’s Recently Patented Spray Trough Could Make Coal Transport Safer Than Ever

In Coal Car-Topping System®, Dust Control, Soil-Sement® by Bob Vitale

The BNSF Pasco Respray Trough has officially received its US Patent, bringing Midwest one step closer to making the transfer of coal safer and easier for the entire industry.

Midwest is excited to announce that we were recently issued US Patent 9,834,394 B2 for our BNSF Pasco Respray Trough! The trough is part of a spraying system innovatively designed to more efficiently spray loads of coal being transferred from place to place, ensuring that harmful dust particles are kept down, regulations are met, and that workers and nearby populations are kept safe.

An Innovative New System

Coal mining and utility companies are obviously responsible for preventing harmful coal dust from affecting their employees and the surrounding environment as a result of mining operations, but the challenges with airborne dust don’t end at the mine. Coal being loaded and transferred via railcar must be treated to prevent small particles from escaping into the air. This treatment is usually done using overhead spray systems that spray each railcar’s contents with either water or something far more effective at suppressing dust, like Soil-Sement Engineered Formula® CCT.

Traditional spray troughs for the loading and transfer of coal have included a horizontal spray bar that fails to match the coal profile. What’s more, they allow spray to gather at the bottom of the car and towards its very sides, wasting the material being used to treat the coal. Our system features a spray bar that is curved substantially to match the coal profile, and our recently patented trough is tilted at an angle at the sides so that all of the coal-topping solution reaches the base or sides of the coal. The result is far less solution used, far better coverage of the coal being transferred, and far safer surrounding areas.

A Tradition of Invention

The BNSF Pasco Respray Trough is yet another in our long line of over fifty patented products and solutions. Consider it further proof that we are the industry leader in innovating new solutions to our clients’ biggest dust control challenges. Our robust R&D team is constantly pinpointing new industrial processes that we can help make more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly for our customers.

Having received our patent, we’re excited to begin offering the BNSF Pasco Respray Trough to our customers in the very near future. As the industry leaders in dust control products and solutions, we’re confident that this latest product will do even more to help our customers control dust more efficiently and effectively.

Bob is founder and CEO of Midwest Industrial Supply.