BHA’S PATENTED

BHA Ladder Bar LADDER BARS: THE

Plate Straightening System ALTERNATIVE TO
NEW PLATES

When collecting plates become warped, the electrical clearances and performance
of your precipitator can be compromised:
◆ Warped plates reduce the electrical clearances to the discharge electrodes,
resulting in sparkover. Sparking can be localized in the area of the distortion,
which may lead to discharge electrical failure.
◆ Reduced electrical clearances can severely limit the attainable power level in the
fields. Even one close clearance will limit the entire field’s collection efficiency.
◆ Excessive sparking related to poor clearances can be concentrated at one or two
discharge electrodes, causing electrical erosion and frequent electrode failure.
◆ Plates warped at the walls can leave gaps at the anti-sneak baffles, allowing gas
to flow behind the bowed plates. Severely bowed collecting plates can block off
entire gas passages.
◆ Warped plates do not transmit rapping forces effectively, and when the dust is
released, it does not drop through the quiescent zone formed by the plate baffles.
Dust re-entrainment can result.

Discharge electrodes are often removed from between bowed collecting plates to
increase power levels and reduce sparking. However, if too many discharge electrodes
are removed, the dust can flow through the vacant gas pas-
sages with no treatment. Overloading of downstream fields
can result.
Figure 1
Of course, replacing your collecting plates is one solution. However, it requires
extensive downtime and labor costs.

BHA developed the Ladder Bar Plate Straightening System to uniformly straighten
plates without removing them. This patented system can be installed quickly, mini-
mizing downtime and effectively straightening plates to their design specifications.

HOW BHA’S PLATE STRAIGHTENING SYSTEM WORKS

Ladder bars, as the name implies, are ladder-like modules which are inserted into
the gas passages between the ribs of bowed collecting plates. Each module is about
3-ft. (91.5 cm) long and has two horizontal spacers which grasp the plate rib and
push it back into original position. Each module interlocks with the one above and
below to form a continuous, full-length stiffener system, from top to bottom of each
collector plate.

When the assembly is completely installed, top-hook retention devices are used to
hold the stiffeners in position. The ladder bars are then a permanent part of the
plate, and prevent future distortion or bowing. No welding is required for installa-
tion, and the discharge electrodes do not have to be removed. Ladder bars are fab-
ricated from smooth round stock, and all ends are rolled and smoothly terminated
Figure 2 to discourage sparking.
 Since ladder bars cross the gas stream and are in close
LADDER BARS FIT MOST OEMS proximity to the discharge electrodes, BHA designed
BHA’s Ladder Bar Plate Straightening System will them with no sharp edges or points that will promote
work on most OEM precipitator collecting plates, premature sparkover. Welds and terminations are
including: Research-Cottrell, Joy Western (including neatly tucked away.
M-Channel plates), Belco, UOP, and Koppers/Enelco.
TOP HOOKS
LADDER BAR SYSTEM COMPONENTS Each ladder bar plate straightener assembly comes
with top attachment hooks made of 1/4-in. (6.35 mm)
The Ladder Bar Plate Straightening System consists of cold-rolled stock. The top hooks hold the ladder bar
a series of components engineered to straighten col- assembly snug in position, providing a permanent and
lecting plates and prevent future warping. They were positive means of holding the straightener assembly in
designed to become an integral part of your precipita- the gas passage. This ensures that the assembly cannot
tor, working to increase its efficiency and decrease slide down the plates and contact the energized lower
maintenance. frames.
LADDER BARS BOTTOM RETAINING BAR
Ladder bars are interlocking spacers made of 1/4-in. The bottom retaining bar is made of 3/8-in. (9.5 mm)
(6.35 mm) and 3/8-in. (9.5 mm) cold-rolled round cold-rolled round stock. It not only spreads the
stock. Each spacer section is approximately 3 ft. warped collecting plates, it automatically centers
(91.5 cm) long. downward force between the two adjacent collecting
The ladder bars plates. This design avoids locking the spacer assembly
are lowered into and jamming it between the collecting plates.
place perpendicu-
ADJUSTABLE PLUMB WALL
lar to the plates
and interlock with Plumb walls are used whenever there is a solid casing
each other approx- wall next to the collecting plates. The plumb walls
imately every properly space and straighten the first plate by bearing
three feet (91.5 cm) on the rib of the collecting plate, not the flat panel por-
(see Figure 2 on tion of the plate. They are designed to be readjusted
front). They are after all the plate straighteners have been placed,
suspended from allowing for optimum straightening. Plumb walls are
the top with hooks supported by cables to ensure they stay in their per-
to avoid the possi- manent position.
bility of the plate
Figure 3 straighteners ever SIDE SPACERS/LINK BARS
sliding out of Side spacers are installed to keep leading and trailing
BHA’s Ladder Bar Plate Straight- position. edges straight. They are designed so that when they
ening System uses ladder bars, are installed, the distance between the discharge elec-
Ladder bars are
top hooks, side spacers, bottom trodes and any sharp edges of the side spacers is at
designed to be
retaining bars, and adjustable least one and a half times the distance between the
loosely attached
plumb walls to uniformly straight- discharge electrodes and the collecting plates. Link
to the collecting
en collecting plates without “grip- bars are use to help maintain rapping bundle
plate ribs without
ping” the plate stiffener ribs. intetgrity.
the use of any
weld or screw attachments. This avoids any damping
of rapping effectiveness and enables the ladder bars to For additional information, call your BHA representative.
be installed quickly.

8800 East 63rd Street • Kansas City, MO 64133 USA • +1-816-356-8400 • FAX +1-816-353-1873 • 800-821-2222 • www.bha.com
P6MK126 5-30-97