Advanced Hybrid Particulate Collector Research Articles

Experimental and numerical study of particle deposition on perforated plates in a hybrid electrostatic filter precipitator

The advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC) is a highly promising and novel hybrid electrostatic filter technology that removes particles from flue gas. Perforated plates are used as collecting electrodes to attain better synergism between the electrostatic and bag zones. A laboratory-scale AHPC was built to investigate the dust collection performance of perforated plates with different percentages of open area (POA) and opening types. Particles were deposited on the front, flank, and back sides of the plate. Differences in cake packing density were observed at different locations. With the increase in POA, the collection efficiency of the front side decreases, whereas the collection efficiencies of the flank and back sides increase. The increase in the collection of the flank and back sides compensates for the decrease in the collection of the front side, which only changes slightly the total efficiency with the POA. The opening type exhibits minimal effect on total efficiency. A numerical method was established to simulate the dust collection process in the electrostatic zone. Simulation results indicate that the openings change the electric field near the plate and facilitate particle deposition on the flank and back sides, which result in the characteristics of collection efficiency. The difference in the cake structure results from the distribution of electric field strength on the plate surface.

Mercury control testing in a pulverized lignite-fired system

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is evaluating and developing advanced and innovative concepts for controlling Hg emissions from North Dakota lignite-fired power plants with the goal of achieving 50%–90% Hg removal at one-half to three-fourths the current estimated costs. Pilot-scale tests were performed to evaluate potential sorbents and fuel additives for removing Hg from North Dakota lignite (Freedom and Center Mines) combustion flue gases. The Hg sorbents and Hg 0 oxidation and sorbent enhancement additives were evaluated separately, and most were also tested in combination. A 580 MJ/h (550,000 Btu/h) pulverized coal combustion system was used to conduct sorbent injections and/or lignite additive additions upstream of three particulate control devices (PCDs): 1) an electrostatic precipitator (ESP), 2) a spray dryer and fabric filter, and 3) a retrofit advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC) filter (an ESP followed by an AHPC filter). ASTM International Method D6784-02 (Ontario Hydro method) and continuous Hg monitors were used to measure Hg species concentrations across the control devices. The effects of sorbent injection and coal additive addition rates on Hg removal were evaluated for each PCD option. The effects of continuous injection and batch addition of sorbents on the Hg removal performance of the ESP/AHPC filter system were also investigated. Increasing injection and additive rates and improving contact between the sorbents and flue gases generally promoted Hg capture. Most of the coal additives tested significantly enhanced PCD Hg removal, especially in the presence of a sorbent.

Three-dimensional simulation of electric field and space charge in the advanced hybrid particulate collector

The advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC) is an efficient hybrid system that combines the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and the bag filter in a unique approach. In this study, an unstructured finite volume method (FVM) is used to compute the three-dimensional distributions of the electric field and the space charge density in an AHPC setup for two cases: without the perforated plate and with the perforated plate. The current–voltage characteristics of the AHPC setup are measured. The current on the bag plate has a mean value 7.82 μA without the perforated plate and 0.08 μA with the perforated plate for the measured voltages. The total currents are used to calculate the charge density at the corona wire according to the Peek's formula. For both cases, the numerical predictions of the current–voltage relations of the plates of the model AHPC agree well with the measurements. When the AHPC has the perforated plate, numerical results show that the electric field and space charge density distributions on the perforated plate have the same number of peaks corresponding to the holes. The electric field on the bag plate surface is lower than that of the top plate and the perforated plate. Though the bag plate has low current, its surface still has high space charge density. When the AHPC has no perforated plate, the electric field is higher than six times and the space charge density is higher than three times that of the case with the perforated plate on the bag plate surface.