ASSIGMENT# 01

METHODS AND EQUIPMENTS

USED FOR

CONTROLLING PARTICULATE EMISSIONS

SUBMITTED BY:

WASEEM KHAN.

CLASS:

(D-11-CH-03)
DEPARTMENT of CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
FINAL YEAR, 8TH SEMESTER.

SUBJECT:
SUBMITTED TO:

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING.
SIR HANIF MEMON.

DAWOOD UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

DEGREE AWARDING INSTITUTION, KARACHI

Methods and equipments used for controlling

Particulate emissions:

Primary particulate matter is generated by a variety of physical and chemical

processes. It is emitted to the atmosphere through combustion, industrial
processes, fugitive emissions and natural sources. Secondary particulate matter is
formed in the atmosphere from condensation of gases and is predominantly
found in the fine range. During coal combustion, the mineral matter (inorganic
impurities) is converted to ash. Part of the ash is discharged from the bottom of
the furnace as bottom ash. The particles suspended in the flue gas are known as
fly ash. Fly ash constitutes the primary particulate matter, which enters the
particulate control device. Particulate matter is in general referred to as "PM",
"PM10", "PM2.5" (particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic equivalent
diameter of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less, respectively).
Technologies used to control particulate emissions from coal combustion are:

electrostatic precipitators (ESPs)

fabric filters (baghouses)
wet particulate scrubbers
mechanical/inertial collectors (cyclones/multicyclones)
high temperature, high pressure (HTHP) particulate control

Quantity and characteristics of the fly ash and particle size distribution depend on
the coal mineral matter content, combustion system, and boiler operating
conditions. Mineral composition of the coal and the amount of carbon in the fly
ash determine the quantity, resistivity and cohesivity of the fly ash. Combustion
technique mainly determines the particle size distribution in the fly ash and hence
the final particulate emissions. Common combustion systems in pulverized coal
firing include dry bottom, wall (front, opposed) and corner (tangential) burners
and wet bottom cyclone furnaces. In dry bottom boilers, 10-20% of the ash is
discharged as dry, bottom ash. In wet bottom boilers, 50-60% of the ash is
discharged at the bottom of the boiler as slag. However, the higher temperatures
in cyclone boilers result in higher emissions of NOx. The combustion
temperature may also affect the cohesivity of the fly ash. Higher operating
temperatures can result in greater particle cohesivity leading to improved fly ash
cake removal by reducing re-entrainment. Boiler operating conditions can affect
the amount of unburnt carbon in the fly ash.

1. Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP):

Cold side (dry) ESP is located after the air preheater and operates in a
temperature range of 130-180C. The cold side ESP, with fixed/rigid electrodes,
makes up a large portion of the current market although ESP with moving
electrodes are becoming more widely used. Hot side (dry) ESP, used mainly in
the USA and Japan, is located before the air preheater where the operating
temperature range is 300-450C. A 1990 study showed 150 hot side ESP were
built in the USA between 1935 and 1990. In wet ESP, a liquid film is maintained
on the collection plates using spray nozzles. The process eliminates the need for
rapping as the liquid film removes any deposited fly ash particles. Thus, problems
with re-entrainment, fly ash resistivity and capture of fine particles become
obsolete. However, wet ESP require saturation of the flue gas stream with water,
generate waste water and sludge and operate at low temperatures.
Both ESPs and fabric filters are highly efficient particulate removal devices with
design efficiencies in excess of 99.5%. Particulate removal efficiencies in ESP and
fabric filters can be further improved by flue gas conditioning.
ESPs are the particulate emissions control technology which is most widely used
on coal-fired power generating facilities. The trend is expected to continue at least
for the next couple of decades. The choice between ESP and fabric filtration
generally depends on coal type, plant size and boiler type and configuration. Both
technologies are highly efficient particulate removal devices with design
efficiencies in excess of 99.5%.
Conditioning the fly ash in the flue gas is an established technique used to restore
the performance of an ESP in coal-fired power plants with high-resistivity fly ash
resulting from burning low sulphur coals. Elemental sulphur, ammonia (NH3),
and sulphur trioxide (SO3) are the main conditioning agents currently used.
Removal efficiency >99->99.99%
Particle size range 0.01- >100 m

2. Fabric Filter (Baghouses):

Fabric filters, which generally operate in the temperature range 120-180C, have
been more widely used since the 1970s, especially at industrial scale. The choice
between ESP and fabric filtration generally depends on coal type, plant size and
boiler type and configuration. There are three types of fabric filters based on the
cleaning mechanisms of each. The two fundamental parameters in sizing and
operating baghouses are the air to cloth (A/C) ratio (m/s) and the pressure drop
(mm water gauge, Pascals or in.H2O). Other important factors which affect the

performance of the fabric filter include the flue gas temperature, dew point and
moisture content; particle size distribution and chemical composition of the fly
ash.
Both ESPs and fabric filters are highly efficient particulate removal devices with
design efficiencies in excess of 99.5%. Particulate removal efficiencies in ESP and
fabric filters can be further improved by flue gas conditioning.
Fabric filters are increasing their market share year by year but mainly in industry.
The choice between ESP and fabric filtration generally depends on coal type,
plant size and boiler type and configuration.
Conditioning the fly ash in the flue gas is an established technique used to restore
the performance of an ESP in coal-fired power plants with high-resistivity fly ash
resulting from burning low sulphur coals. The benefits of flue gas conditioning in
fabric filters include achieving lower emissions at higher bag air to cloth ratio,
reducing pressure drop and improving fly ash cake cohesivity thus leading to
better dislodgement in larger agglomerates and less re-entrainment. Elemental
sulphur, ammonia (NH3), and sulphur trioxide (SO3) are the main conditioning
agents currently used.
Removal efficiency>99- >99.9999%
Particle size range 0.01- >100 m

3. Wet Scrubbers For Particulate Control:

Wet scrubbers for particulate control at coal-fired power plants are used in a few
coal-fired plants with most of these installations located in the USA to capture fly
ash in addition to sulphur dioxide (SO2). In the most widely used venturi
scrubber, water is injected into the flue gas stream at the venturi throat to form
droplets. Fly ash particles impact with the droplets forming a wet by-product
which then generally requires disposal. Wet scrubbing for particulate removal
depends on particle size distribution. The system efficiency is reduced as the
particle size decreases. The process can also have a high energy consumption due
to the use of sorbent slurry pumps and fans. The forceful contact resulting from
the droplet dispersal (spray tower), contraction of the gas stream (venturi) or
counter current flow (collision), removes some of the particles as well as SO2
from the flue gas. Many of the wet particulate scrubbers are designed to control
both SO2 and particulates by utilising the alkaline fly ash as sorbent. Lime is
frequently used to boost SO2 removal efficiencies.
Removal efficiency 90-99.9%
Particle size range 0.5 - >100 m

4. Mechanical/Inertial Collector (Cyclones/Multicyclones):

In the past, industrial plant operators tended to fit mainly cyclones. More
recently, fabric filters have increased their market share in industry in the various
processing fields. Cyclones are robust technologies that can deal with the cyclic
operation and load changes, which is quite common in these types of plants.
However, their efficiency is moderate when compared with ESP or fabric
filtration. A cyclone is a cylindrical vessel, usually with a conical bottom. The flue
gas enters the vessel tangentially and sets up a rotary motion whirling in a circular
or conical path. The particles are 'thrown' against the walls by the centrifugal force
of the flue gas motion where they impinge and eventually settle into hoppers.
Removal efficiency 75-99%
Particle size range 1.0-100 m

5. High Temperature, High Pressure (HTHP) Particulate

Control:
During the last decade, there have been significant advances towards the
commercialisation of combined cycle systems, such as the integrated gasification
combined cycle (IGCC) and pressurised fluidized bed combined cycle (PFBCC).
Commercial- and demonstration-scale designs are currently being used for power
generation in the United States, Europe, and Japan. An important component in
combined cycle power systems is a high temperature, high pressure (HTHP)
particulate control device. Efficient hot gas particulate filtration is necessary to
protect the downstream heat exchanger and gas turbine components from fouling
and erosion to meet emission requirements. A range of technologies has been
proposed for hot gas particulate filtration but few have been developed
sufficiently to enable commercial exploitation in combined cycle power systems.
Mitchell (1997) discusses in detail the developments of these technologies.