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Dust Solutions, Inc.
103 Industial Village Road
Beaufort, SC 29906
Tel: 1 (843) 846-3700
Fax: (843) 846-3701
www.nodust.com
Executive Summary
Study Overview
Dust Solutions, Inc. (DSI) conducted a site-specific Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study for
Dominion Terminal Associates and Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals (Newport News, VA) to evaluate
porous wind fences as a mitigation strategy for fugitive coal dust. Using SolidWorks Flow Simulation, 21
scenarios were modeled: a no-fence baseline plus 3 fence layouts (half-wrap, three-quarter wrap, full
wrap) at 2 heights (80 ft and 100 ft) under 3 dominant wind directions (SW, SSE, WNW), all at a
representative 15 mph wind speed. Particle tracking was performed for 10 µm (PM10) and 50 µm coal
particles.
Site Context and Dust Challenge
Fugitive coal dust from open stockpiles at the Newport News terminals generates fine particulate matter
that, without intervention, escapes the terminal boundary at high rates. CFD modeling shows that 87–
99% of coal dust particles leave the terminal under prevailing wind conditions, transporting fine particulate
matter toward surrounding areas. Uncontrolled fugitive dust emissions from bulk material terminals are
broadly recognized as a source of fenceline community concern, with potential air quality and nuisance
implications.
Key Findings
Baseline (No Fence): Particle escape rates are extremely high across all wind directions—up to 99% of
fine 10 µm particles leave the terminal under SSE and WNW winds.
Best-Performing Configurations: An 80 ft, 50% porous half-wrap or three-quarter wrap fence delivers the
strongest overall performance. Under the dominant SW wind direction, a half-wrap 80 ft fence reduces 10
µm particle escape from 94.7% (no fence) to just 10%—an 89% reduction. Fifty micron particle escape
drops from 87.7% to 28% (68% reduction).
Taller Is Not Always Better: Counterintuitively, 100 ft fences often underperform 80 ft fences. For
example, under SW winds, a half-wrap 100 ft fence allows 55% of 10 µm particles to escape versus only
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