Determination of the Salt-Dust Emission and the Efficiency of the Dedusting Installation in the Wieliczka Salt Mine

Abstract

This article presents measurements of the emission of salt dust discharged into the atmosphere in the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Industrial tests have been carried out cyclically since 2004. The research methodology included six measurements of the salt dust’s mass increments on the filters, including three before the inlet to the desalination installation and three measurements at the emitter outlet. In order to limit errors resulting from the diversity of concentrations in the mixture of dosed brine, three series of measurements are carried out each time. The proposed research methodology uses the Aspirator Stationary (AS-50) gravimetric aspirator for measurements with a designed probe adjusted to the characteristics of the dedusting installation used. The conducted tests allowed calculation of the efficiency of the scrubber and confirm the usefulness of the measuring probe used. Moreover, long-term and cyclical measurements make it possible to observe the effectiveness of the installation and salt production using the wet system from brine obtained in the mine. The proposed method is an innovative solution for monitoring salt-dust emissions in mining applications.