Programme Objectin Series :

PROBES/45/1992

REPORT ON
DESIGN A ND OPER ATING PA R AMETERS
OF
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Central Pollution Control Board

East Arjun Nagar
Delhi-110032
 Programme Objective Series :
PROBES/45/1992

REPORT ON
DESIGN A ND OPER ATING PA R AMETERS
OF
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Central Pollution Control Board

East Arjun Nagar
Delhi-110032
 -- ___
---
-�

CONTENTS
PAGE

1 .0 f.'lTRODUCTIO� 1

2.0 E.S.P. COMMITTEE 1

3.0 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ACT

4.0 FLY ASH AND FLUE GAS CHARACTERISTICS 2

4.1 INTRODUCTION 2

4.2 COAL 2

4.3 FLUE GAS 3

4.4 GAS FLOW QUAi\rrrrY 4

4.5 FLY ASH 4

5.0 DESIGN CRITERIA FOR ELECfROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS 8

5.1 INTRODUCTION 8

5.2 DESIGN CRITERIA 8

5.3 COLLECTION SURFACE 8

5.4 GAS VELOCITY 13

5.5 ASPECT' RATIO 13

5.6 TREATMENT TIME 14

5.7 HIGH TENSION SECI10NALISATION 14

5.8 NUMBER OF SERIES FIELDS 15

5.9 MIGRATION VELOCITY 15

6.0 PRECIPITATOR EQUIPMENT 16

6.) ELECTRODES 16

6.2 RAPPERS 16
 PAGE

6.3 GAS FLOW DISTRIBUTION MEAr\S 17

6.4 GAS FLOW MODEL STUDIES 18

7.0 REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE OF INSTALLED ESP 18

7 .I INTRODUCfiON 18

7.2 PERFORMANCE OF ESPs !�STALLED EARLIER TO 1976 19

7 .3 PERFORMANCE OF ESPs INSTALLED LATER THAN 1976 19

8.0 REASOf\S FOR POOR PERFOR.\1ANCE OF F.SP 25

�-· INTRODUCfiO� .,
_)-

8.2 FL�DA�1ENTAL PROBLEMS 25

8.3 \1ECHANICAL PROBLEMS _)

-, -

8.4 OPERATlONAL PROBLE.\lS _)

., -

9.0 MEASLRES TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF ESP IN

OLD POWER Pl.ANTS ?..7

9.1 INTRODUCTION 27

9.2 r-ILLJ�G UP THE DUM:-.1Y FIELDS 27

9.3 REPLACEME'\T OF EXlSTING ESP BY NEW ESP 27

9.4 AUGMENTATION 017 COLLECTION SURFACE 27

9.5 IMPROVED ELECTRICAL E�ERGISATIO'l 28

9.6 FLUE GAS CO'\DITIO��G 28

10.0 �1EASL.RES TO L!\SCRE CO:--.:TI:\LATION OF I0;1TIAL GOOD

'•

PERFORMANCE 29

10.1 H\TRODLCTIO:--.: 29

10.2 .\LIGNMENT OF ELECfRODF SYSTEM 30

10.3 CLEA:\1:'\G OF ELECTRODES 30

 PAGE

10.4 GAS TEMPERATURE 30

10.5 SPARK RATE 30

10.6 RAPPING FREQUENCEY 31

10.7 OIL COMBUSTION 31

10.8 AIR CONOfTTONING OF CONTROL CABrNS 31

10.9 HOPPER EVACUATION 31

1 0 . 1 0 DUST CONCENTRATION IN FLUE GAS 32

ANNEXURES - I 33

. II 35

- III 36

- IV 37
 FOREWORD

The present repon on Design and Operating Parameters of Elecrrostatic Precipita­

tors (ESP) was prepared by a committee constituted by the Central Board under tbe
Chairmanship of Dr. Tata Rao. The repon also contains a review of performance of
ESPs already installed in the country and discusses reasons for the poor performance
of some of them. The discussion is followed by suggested measures to improve and
maintain the initial good performance of ESPs. I believe the repon would be useful
for the Thermal Power Plants in the selection, operation and maintenance of ESPs.

I thank Dr. Tata Rao, Ex-Chairman of A.P. Electricity Board and Dr. B. Sengupta,
Member convener of E.S.P. committee and the other members of the Committee for
the painstaking effons taken in preparing this repon.

Delhi N.S. TIWANA

24. 10.91 Chairman
1.0 INTRODUCTION

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is a panicle control device that uses electrical forces
to move the panicles out of the flowing gas stream and onto collector plates. Basically
an electical precipita.tor provides three essential functions:

** the suspended panicles are given an electrical charge

** the panicles are subjected to an electric field to remove them from the gas stream
to a suitable collecting electrode and

** means are provided for removing the panicle layers from the electrode surfaces to
an outside receptacle with as little loss as possible.

Jn practice. electric charging of the particles is accomplished by means of ions produced

in the high voltage d-e corona. The collecung field is also provided b) the high voltge
d-e corona Removal of the collected particle layers 1s accompli<ihed by rapping (by
impact, or by virbation of the electrodes).

2.0 E.S.P. COMMITTEE

Chaim1an. Central Pollution Control Board constituted a committee comprising experts

and representatives of suppliers/manufacturers of the electrostatic precipitators in the
country to evaluate the performance of ESPs and to suggest measures for improvement.
The list of members of the committee has been g1vcn in 1\nnexure-I.

The tem1s of reference of the committee were:

1) To review the design criteria adopted by the manufacturers vis-a-vis the emission
standards evolved by Central Board.

2) To review the performance of the installed ESPs.

3) To identify the probable reasons for poor performance.

4) To suggest measures to improve performance.

5) To suggest measures to ensure continuation of initial good performance.

6) Any other matter considered relevant and assigned by the Chairman, Central
Board.

3.0 AIR POLLUTIO" CO:\'TROL ACT

Th�.: Air (Prevention and ContrOl of Pollution} Act, 1981 sripulates that no person shall
without the previous consem of Swte Board for prevcmion and contrOl of pollution
 operate any indusrrial plant for the purposes of any indu')try in an air pollution control
area (clause 21 of the Act). Every per:.on to whom consent has been gramed by the
State Pollution Control Board shall install the control equipment of such specification
the Stat� Board may approve and aher/replce the existing control equipment, if any, in
accordance with the direction of the State Board.

The Central Pollution Control Board has stipulated the following emission standards for
thermal power station for pulverised coal boilers.

(Ref: Emission Regulation Part-1).

Boiler size Particulate matter, mg!Nm3

Old New Protected

(After 1979) area

Less than 200 MW 600 350 150

200 MW & above 150 150

While the emission standards laid down can be adhered in respect of new thermal
stations, the enure problem lies in complymg with the standards in case of already
running stations where there are not adequate control equtpment installed or the existing
conrrol equipment is inefficient. The designers as well as the power station authorities
are confronted with the problem of rerrofitting new control equipment in the existing
plant.

4.0 FLY-ASH AND FLUE GAS CHARACTERISTICS

4.1 INTROOUCfiON

Electrostatic precipitator performance depends fundamentally on the physical and

chemical properties of the gas and particulates rreated. In a power plant. these properties
are governed by the coal burned, the furnace design and the overall operation of the
bOtler. The composition, temperature and pressure of the nue gas govern the basic
corona ch.tracteristics of the precipitator. while panicle stze, partic1e concentration and
electncal rcsisth,it) of the ash affect both the corona and the particle collecting prop­
emes of the precipitator.

�.2 COAL

Precipitator design and performance are strongly dependant on the properties of the coal
burned 1n the furnace. The major constituents of coal are moisture. volatile matter, fixed
carbon and ash. Typical values for a range of Indian coals are listed in Table- I. All coals
contain significant amounts of ash or residues of combustion consisting chiefly of inert
oxides and silicates. These complicate furnace operation and give rise to the fine

2
 particles known as fly ash. The amount of fly ash produced in a given case depends
on the ash content, the hearing value and other properties of the coal. The variability
and uncertamty of coal properties reflect in the fly ash generated and can m ake the
problem of fly ash collection singularly difficult. In order to cope successfully with
particulate air pollution from coal fired power plant it is necessary to apply consistently
a high order of technology.

Table I
Typical Properties of Indian Coals

Coal mines Moisture Volatile Fixed Ash Sulphur High heat value
% maner % carbon% '*· % Kcal/Kg

{
9 23.92 29.08 38 0.36 3800

Singareni coals 10 24.63 33.37 32 0.35 4300

10 21.46 36.54 32 0.38 4300

Upper Kusumunda 10-12 20-25 21-31 32-49 0.27-0.36 3130-4275

Lower Kusumunda 08-10 20-25 24-25 40-48 0.24-0.28 3530-4020

Turra 16 21.6 32.4 30 0.27 4050

Singmuli coal 10 18.9 26.1 45 0.45 3425

fields upper

10 19.8 25.2 45 0.23 3450

lower

{
16 14.4 23 46 6 0.34 2700

Jharia coal fields 10 21.25 34.16 34.16 0.5 4000

13 16.9 27.5 27.5 0.41 3200

�eyveli lignite 42.52 22-27 17-22 03-12 0.46-0.81 2500-3200

4.3 FLUE GAS

Combustion gases from coal fired boilers consist chtefly of carbon dioxide, water
vapour, nitrogen, oxygen and minor constirutents such as sulphur oxtdes, nitrogen
oxides and arogon. The amount of water vapour is determined by the hydrogen and
•.

moisture content of the coal and the humidity of the combustion air. Oxygen is present
as the result of the excess air used for combustion and air tn- lea kag e through the
furnace, ducts and air preheater. The sulphur trioxide (S03) produced in the combustion
process is imponant in electrostatic precipitator because of its effect in reducing the
resistivity of the fly ash. Dew point of the flue gas is substantially elevated by the

3
 pressure of Soy The elevated dew point can have a profound effect on precipitator
operation owing to the great reduction in fly ash resistivity induced by the adsorption
of Lhe sulphur trioxide on the fly ash particles.

4.4 GAS FLOW QUANTITY

Gas flow rate is a fundamental factor in the design and performance of electrostatic
precipitator. The quantity of combustion gas produced in the boiler depends on the
composition and amount of coal burned, the excess air used for combustion and the air
in-leakage through the furnace, flues and air-preheaters. The volume flow rate through
the precipitator is also a function of gas temperature and pressure.

Dtscrepancies between gas flows measured by pHot rube methods and those calculated
by heat balance or material balance methods frequently cause problems in practice
because precipitator performance data banks are as a rule based on pitot tube measure­
ments, whereas gas flow specifications for new precipitators commonly are calculated
using the balance methods. Therefore, new precipitator designs may be based on gas
flow figures which are too low by 10% or more unless adequate allowances are made
for the differences. The actual deficiency may also be compounded by inadequate
allowances for air in-leakage and the amount of excess air used for combustion. Actual
operating gas flows may then exceed design as much as 15 to 20% thereby causing
greatly increa"ied stack emissions.

4.5 FLY ASH

The amount of fly ash emiued from a furnace depends mainly on the amount and the
composition of the coal burned, on furnace design and on furnace operation.

4.5.1 Chemical Composition

The chemical composition of fly ash varies widely and depends on the coal burned, the
mining and the processing methods used and the degree of cleaning of the coal before
burning. Major constituents of the fly ash are silica, alumina and iron oxides. Typical
\alues of the constituents of Indian fly ash are given in Table-H.

4.5.2 Pa rticle Shape and Size

The particle shnpe is heterogenous and varies with the coal burned and the conditions
of combustion.

Panicle size distribution is an important factor in the design and operation of precipi­
tators. High efficiency removal of micron and sub-micron particles is of greatest im­
portance in meeting today':, requiremems for essentially clean stacks. Particle size
distributions of fly ash from representative power plants are shown in Table-III.

4
�.5.3 Resisthity

Corona current from the high tension electrode must pass through collected dust layers
on the plates to reach grounded plate surfaces. Passage of the corona current builds up
a voltage across the dust layer in accordance wuh Ohm's law. Theory and experience
indicate that when the dust resistivity exceeds a critical value of about 1010 ohm/em
corona currents are limited by electric breakdown of the collected dust layers.

This in tum limits operating voltage and reduces precipitator efficiency. The loss in
performance increases quite rapidly for resistivities greater than 10'0 ohm/cu.m and
resistivity is, therefore, a major factor in precipitator technology.

Fly ash resistivity depends primarily on the chemical composition of the ash, the flue
gas temperature and the water vapour and S03 in the flue gas. At air preheater outlet
gas temperatures ( 135 Deg. to 160 Deg.C.), surface conducuon over the fly ash particles
1s the prevaihng mode and the conductivity depends mainly on the amounts of S03 and
,..,atcr "apour adsorbed on the particles. The resisuvuy 1s very sensuive to the presence
of SO, and water vapour. Although most of the sulphur 111 the coal is oxidized to S02,
about I ''t IS convened to so . In general, the amount of sol' produced increases with
)
the coal sulphur content. but furnace operation and other factors also exen an influence,
so that no one-to-one relation exists between coal su lphur and resistivity. Experience
over many years has shown that fly ash from low sulphur coals usually has high
resistivity and 1s difficult precipitate whereas fly ash from high sulphur coals has low
to

re�1s11vity and is relatively easy to collect. I Iowcvcr, the relationship is statistical

because of the presence of other variables. The sulphur content of the coals is classified
in accord with the following scheme.

Low sulphur coal s< 1%

Medium sulphur coal 1%<S<2.5%

l li gh s ulphur coal s > 2.5%

The relation between coal sulphur and fly ash conductivity is tempered by several
factors. hrst. the amounr of S01 generated depend on furnace conditions as well as on
the sulphur coment of the coal. Second, the amount of SO, adsorbed on the fly ash is
greatly affected by the gas temperature and the surface cond111on� of the particles. There
IS evidence that S03 adSOrption is greater for finer particles bi!Cause Of their greater

spec ific -.urfacc. The variation of dust resistivity with temperature for varying sulphur
content 1s shown in Figure-!.

Field invesugations show that flue gas temperature 1s the most imponant variable in
addilion to �ulphur content of the coal in detemltntng the conductivity of the ash.
Pigure-2 lllustr.Hes the temperature variation of tl} ash res1stivit}.

5
 Table II

Typical Chemical Analysis of Fly Ash from Indian Coal

Chern teal Stngarcni Kusurnunda Smgrauli Jharia Neyveli

consutucnt<; coals Upper Lower Turra Purcwa lignite
uppcr/lo"cr

Si0 59.3 59.77 59 60.15 62.45 56.7 60.9 64.6 57.5 58.2 57.22 65.2
2

Alp3 21.1 22.R9 22.15 27.�4 27.41 27.5 24.8 24.8 26.8 25.48 26.9 13.27

Fep1 7.526 8.23 8.4 5.6 4.96 6.4 7.7 5.1 10.16 10. L2 10.3 3.6

T102 1.53 1.88 1.9 1.9 1.5 1.52 1.28 1.51

Pp$ 0.53 0.55 1.1 0.5 0.5 0.83 0.8 0.84

CaO 6.51 3.16 7.06 1.43 1.42 1.8 0.9 0.9 1.76 I 74 1.85 11.2

MgO 3.034 1.72 2.05 0.91 1.03 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.61 0.59 0.62 5.0

so, 0.36 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.58 0.6 1.37

1'-iap 1.99 0.15 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.16 0.3 0.16 0.32

Kp 2.5 1.5 1.2 -

0.04

MnO 0.06 0.05

6
 Table III

Particle size distribution of Fly-Ash from Typical

Power Plants, Measured by Bahco Classifier

RANGE OF PART ICLE PLANT-WISE DISTRIBUT ION

SIZE (MICRONS)

2 3 4

< 3.4 14.7 17.3 27.5 26.2

3.4 5.2 17.0 13.1 31.8 11.9

5.2 8.5 9.6 8.0 14.7 8.6

8.5 14.5 11.7 16.7 16.5 9.6

14.5 26.5 13.8 8.4 4.6 5.4

26.5 44.0 10.5 7.2 2.7 5.7

44.0 55.0 5.7 3.1 0.8 3.1

55.0 65.0 12.0 2.0 0.6 2.7

65.0 400.0 5.0 24.2 0.8 26.2

7
 The presence of sodium in the ash in amounts greater than about 1.5 to 2.0% as Na20
is sufficient to reduce resistivity of fly ash from low sulphur coal to below
1010 ohm/em. This effect is illustrated in Figure-3.

5.0 DESIGN CRITERIA FOR ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

A fundamental task in precipitation technology is the design of optimum precipitation

systems for given application. Precipitator design has changed in character during the
past several years from a rather routine and casual function to a more serious enterprise
involving high performance and high financial stakes. This change has been forced by
the implementation of stringent air pollution control standards which requires substan­
tially invisible stack emissions for new units. ll is, therefore, prudent that the design
criteria of electrostatic precipitators to meet a colJection efficiency of 99.5% and above
only are discussed.

5.2 DESIGN CRITERIA

The basic design criteria for electrostatic precipitators is the determination of the prin­
cipal parameters for precipitator sizing, electrode arrangement and electrical energisa­
tion needed to provide specified levels of performance. Auxiliary factors such as rap­
pers, gas flow control methods, dust removal system and performance monitoring must
also be considered.

5.3 COLLECTION SURFACE

The collection surface required for a given gas Dow and efficiency is usually computed
from the modified Deutsch-Andersson equation.

E = ( 1 - e ·(wlc.SCA)O.S) X 1 ()()

Where, E = Collection efficiency, per cent.

wk = Migration velocity. m/sec.

SCA = Specific Collection Area

= Total projected collecting electrode surface area (A,m2).

Gas flow rate (Y,m3/sec)

e = Naperian logrithmic base

The relation between SCA and efficiency for a range of values of WK is shown in
Figure 4.

8
 X
0
� 0. 7 5%
X
I I f
I SULPHUR
:X:: IN COAL
0

� 10
11

1.75%
-

>
t; I I /' "\..� \{
-

10
.......
&2

.x; 10
l\ \i 2.?5%
w

E-
I I I y-- '�
:J
�

130 150 170 210 250

FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE 0c
FIGURE -1: VARIATION OF DUST RESISTIVITI' WITH TEMPERATURE
FOR VARYING SULPHUR CONTENT

-- - .
 �
0
12 I
6.6 96
0
I

�
1 WATER
I
:X:: \•
0 BYVOLUME D RY AIR
�

//'"-*
-

"i/
�
I
>
......
t;;
......
ll2
1&1
10
11

�
13.5 96 "'
\
WATER

�,,
,

g:;
�
t;;
10 I � �
�
10
Q
9
10 1 >
1 1 1
95°C 2�0°C °
s o C
/
TEMPERATURE - 0c
FIGURE- 2. VARIATION OF DUST RESISTIVITY WITH TEMPERATURE
FOR VARYING MOISTURE CONTENT
 1014 --
--

1 Q13
0
:E

:E
I

:I:
0

>- 1012
1-
�

>
t=
�
en
w
a::
1011
:I:
en
<
>-
....1
LL 1010

109
0.1
0.2 0.3 0.5 0. 7 1 3 5 7
10
SODIUM CONTENT AS Na20, PERCENT
FIG. 3 VARIATION OF RESISTIVITY
WITH SODIUM CONTENT FOR FLY
ASH FROM POWER PLANTS BURNING
COALS
 99.9

wk = 0.30 m/sec.

99.5
...
z
w
wk 0.20 m/sec.
0
a: =
w
Q.� 99.3

()
>

z
w
u 99.2
LL: wk 0.15 m/sec.
LL.
=

0
z

t; 99.1
w
..J
0
..J

()
<

99.0
100 125 150 175 200 225 250

SPECIFIC COLLECTION AREA, m2Jm3Jsec

FIG. 4 SCA V5 m FOR VARYING WK

 The specific collection area is expressed in m2/m3/sec. Pracucal values of SCA usually
mnge between abour 140 and 250 m2/rn3/sec.

Considering the high resistivity of the fly ash encountered in our coals. the need for
capturing submicron particles at higher efficiencies and to avoid defficient equipment,
minimum specific collection area shown in Table 4 must be specified by the purchaser
correspondmg to the collection efficiencies indtcated for the worst possible coal burnt
in Indian power plants.

Table 4

Minimum Specific Collection Area vs Efficiency

Collection efficiency Specific Collccuon Area

(Per cent) (m2/m1/sec )

99.5 140 - 150

99.7 170 - 180

----
99.9 235 - 250

SA GAS VELOCITY

The average gas velocity is calculated from the gas flow and th e cross section of the
precipitator. The cross-section is taken as the open area for gas flow between the
collecting plates, disregarding the plate baffles. The importance of the gas velocity is
its relation to rapping and re-entrainrnent losses. Above some critical velocity, these
losses tend to increase repidly because of the aerodynamic forces on the particle. The
critical velocity depends on the q uality of gas flow, plate configuration, precipitator size
and other factors, but for most fly ash preci pitators
does not exceed 1 . 1 m/sec This sets
a design limn on gas velocity of not more than OJ� m/sec. for high efficiency fly ash
.

precipitators.

5.5 ASPECT RATIO

Thts pammeter ts defined as the ratio of the total acuve length of the fields to the height
of the field. h 1s imponant in precipitator design because of Its effect on rapping loss.
Collected dust released from the plates is carried forward b} the flow of the gas. If the
tmal field length ts too shon compared to the height. �orne of the falling dust will be
carried out of the precipitator before it reaches the hopper: thereby substantially increas­
mg the dust loss. For efficiencies of 99.5% or higher, the aspect rauo should be as per
th�: followmg Table 5.

13
 TAISL� 5

Collection efficiency, Aspect ratio

% (minimum)

99.5 - 99 .6 1.4 - 1.6

99.7 - 99.9 1.8 - 2.4

5.6 TREATMENT TIME

This parameter 1s defined as time taken by the flue gas to pass through the length of
the collecting electrode zone. For efficiencies of 99.5% and higher, the minimum
treatment time should be at least as shown in the Table-6 below:

TABLE 6

Collection efficiency, Treatment time,

% (Sec.)
------ ------

99.5 20

99.7 24

99.9 33

5.7 HIGH TENSION SECTIONALISATION

Theory and practical experience confmn the fact that precipitator performance improves
with degree of high tension sectionalisation. There are several fundamental reasons for
th1s improvement. Small sections have less electrode area for sparks to occur. Electrode
alignment and spacing are inherently more accurate for smaller sections. The amount
of sparking caused by dust build-up on the plates and by rapping is less for smaller
sections. Smaller rectifier sets needed are inherently more stable under sparking con­
ditions and the sparks which occur are less intense and damaging to perfonnance.
Outages of one or two electrical sections has a much smaller effect on efficiency where
a relatively large number of high tension section are used.

Prudent design criteria for modem high efficiency fly ash precipitators requires that the
outage of two or three corona sections should not reduce collection efficiency below
the guarantee level. Beyond this requirement, the optimum degree of high tension
sectionahsation 1s a balance between the increase in efficiency obtained with more
section and the increased cost of providing the additional sections. This balance is
h1ghly dependent on ash propenies, gas temperature and efficiency required. For effi­
ciencies of 99.5% and higher, the number of high tension sections per 1000m3/mt of
gas flow rate small be as per the Table 7.

14
 Table 7

Number of High Tension Sections ,.s Efficiency

Collection efficiency No. of high-tension

% section per 1000 m3/mt
of gas flow rate

99.5 0.73 - 0.78

99.7 0.89- 0.94

99.9 1.22 - 1.30

65

5.8 NUMBER OF SERIES FIELDS

The number of fields in series needed for a precipitator installation depends mainly on
the efficienc) reqUlred and on the redundancy necessary to ensue performance with
secuon outages. For high collection efficiencies and h1gh ash concenrrations the ash
loadmg in the gas stream changes greatly between the inlet and outlet of the precipi­
tator. At the precipitator inlet the corona current denslly is significantly reduced because
of space charge suppression in the gas srrearn and the heav) collection of ash on the
plates.

At the precipitator outlet the amount of ash is very small so that both these effects are
negligible and the corona current density approximates that of the clean gas. Good
design practice based on field experience calls for at least 5 or 6 separately energised
series of high tension sections for efficiencies of 99.5% and above.

5.9 M IGRATION VELOCITY (wk)

The most 1mponant variables which determine \\.k in t!nginecring pr.tctice are: resistiv­
it) and panicle size distribution of the fly ash, gas "elocHy distnbution through the
precipitator, particle losses due to re-entrainment, rappmg and gas leakage, precipitator.
Gas velocity distribution and particle losses due to re-entrainment etc. are controlled
through proper design of the precipitator and associated nues. Precipitator electrical
conditions can be optimised b} maintaining accurate electrode ahgnmem. sufficient
high tensiOn secuonalisanon and lhe use of appropnate rectifier sets and automatic
control systems. In practice, the values of migration velocny arc determined by the
various precipitator manufacturers from bodies of experience accumulated over the
years.

15
6.0 PRECI PJT ATOR EQUIPMENT

6.1 ELECTRODES

Precipitators for fly ash collection are of the duct type because of the relatively large
gas flows treated, the high collection efficiencies necessary and the great amounts
of fly ash to be handled. Collecting electrode spacings range between 250 mm and
500 mm, wirh the wider spacings preferred for installations having very large collecting
plates. Wider spacings help maintain electrode spacings and alignment tolerances. Wide
spacings also reduce corona cu!Tent densities at the plate surfaces which is a significant
advantage when collecting higher resistiviry ashes.

Collecting elecrrodes probably have received even more attention than corona elec­
trodes. fundamentally there are four basic technical requirements for effective collect­
ing electrode design:

a) high sparkover vohage characteristics

b) aerodynamic shielding of collecting surfaces to prevent particle re-entrainment

c) good rapping characteristics

d) high mechanical strength coupled with light-weight construction.

1L seems evident that collecting electrodes should be rated in terms of these properties.
Solid sheet collecting plates with structural stiffeners are standard throughout the indus­
try.

In some design these stiffeners have contours designed to improve gas flow and to
lower gas turbulence in the collecting space near the place surfaces. Aerodynamic
effectiveness of the baffles can be important in minimising re-enrrainment losses. Srruc­
rural rigidity of the plates should be sufficient to maintain electrode spacing tolerances
of properly mounted plates within acceptable limits. Distorted and misaligned elec­
trodes whether due to inadequate design or to improper installation lead to reduced
operating voltages and loss of efficiency.

6.2 RAPPERS

Removal of the accumulated deposits of fly ash from the electrodes is an essential
feature of efficient elecrrostatic precipitator. This is necessary not only to remove the
.
collected material from the precipitator but also to maintain optimum elecrrical condi­
tions in the precipitator zones. The deposits are dislodged by mechanicaJ impulse or
vibrations of the electrodes, a process generally known as rapping. A rapping system
must be highly reliable, adjustable as to inrensity and/or frequency and capable of
maintaining uniform rapping over long periods of rime without attention.

16
 Substantial differences exist between the various rapping methods and philosophy
adopted by different manufacturers. In the case of magnetic impulse rappers, a steel
plunger 1s raised by a current pulse in a coil and lhen allowed to drop back by gravity,
striking a rapper rod connected inside the precipitator to a number of plates. Both the
intensity and frequency are easily adjusted through the electrical control system for the
rappers. Mechanical rappers consist of hammers mounted on a rotating shaft in such a
way that the hammers drop by gravity and strike anvils attached to the collecting plates.
Rapping tntensity is governed by the weight of the hammers and length of the hammer
mounting arm. The frequency of rapping can be changed through electrical control
system of the rappers.

Rapping intensity of the hammer rappers has been much greater than that of magnetic
impulse type1• The later type generally is designed with sufficiem power to provide
intense blows but in pracnce is operated at low intensities to m1mmise rapping losses
of the collected fly ash. An argument sometimes putforth for heavy rapping is lhat the
plates are kept cleaner which could be an advantage when dealing with high resistivity
ash. However, it is well known lhat it is impossible to keep the plates clean no matter
how heavy rapptng blows are used and even thtn layers of htgh res1stivny ash can cause
heavy sparking and back corona.

It is necessary to rap the corona electrodes also, to prevent build-up of excessive ash
deposits which interfere with the corona. Particle deposus on wires frequently tend to
form 'doughnuts' These formations interfere with the corona dtscharge and thereby
reduce collectton effic1ency.

6.3 GAS FLOW DISTRIBUTION MEANS

Optimum performance of precipitators requires well balanced flow distribution through

the precipitator zones and a lower level of turbulence. However, tn practice the quality
of gas now in a precipitator depends only slightly on the precipitator itself, but strongly
on the plant flue duct system and its connections to the precipitator. Because of space
limitations and equipment location constraints, the flue connections to the precipitator
in a typical power plant usually are contorted, asymmetrical and otherwise unfavourable
to good gas flow. For these reasons, special means and studies are nearly always
necessary lO achieve the level of gas flow quality needed for high efficiency perfor­
mance. Poor gas flow can cause any or all of the following adverse effects viz.

•.

l. (a) "Eicctroswuc Prcctpiwion of ny ash from Io� sulphur coal in power swtions" h y Mr. A.N. Lamb
& Mr. K.S. Watson, Electricity commission of New South Wales, Australta. Symposium on the
"Changmg Tcchnolog}' of clectrosw tic Precipiwuon" Adclatde, \lovcmbcr 1974.

(b) " Role of Elcctro�lal.tc Precip itators in particulate control - A rctrospcc t•vc and pro.,pcclivc view"
HafT) J White sympos1um on Elcctrosw tic Prectpt!Altors for the control ol fine paruclcs, Pensacola
Dcach, Flonda, September 1974.

17
 a) lower collection rates of the particles from the gas stream

b) re-entrainment of collected panicles due to aerodynamic scouring of the collecting

plates

c) excessive rapping losses

d) gas sneakage past the collecting zones and

e) loss of dust from the hoppers.

Techniques available for controlling and correcting gas flow patterns include chiefly the
use of guidevanes to change gas flow direction, flue transitions to couple flues of
different sizes and shapes and various types of diffusion screens and device to reduce
turbulence. Guidevanes are used to prevent the flow separation which would otherwise
occur at turns and changes in flue cross sections. Diffusion screens are effective in
reducing turbulence and improving the uniformity of flow. Basically, a diffusion screen
comprises plate/plates with a periodic pattern of holes. The effect of the diffuser is to
breakup large scale turbulence into a large number of small scale turbulent zones. These
in turn decay rapidly and in a shon distance coleaps into a relatively low intensity
turbulent flow field. In some situations 2 or 3 diffusion plates may be used in series
to provide better flow distribution and lower turbulence than could be achieved with
only one diffuser.

6.4 GAS FLOW MODEL STUDIES

Many years of experience have shown that precipitator gas flow systems can seldom
be successfully designed by intuitive methods. The cramped space and asymmeo-ic
irregular shaped flues ntle out mathematical and fluid dynamic design methods. This
leaves scale model laboratory studies as the most reliable and practical approach to
precipitator gas flow systems. Model techniques are well documented and the close
correlation between model study results and field gas flow performance has been
demonstrated by experience with many insrallations. The models are usually con­
structed of transparent plastics such as plexiglass for easy visualisation. Accuracy of
constntction is paramount and all significant parts of the flue system are included.
Geometric sirnilarity is maintained using typically a l: 1 0 scale.

Gas flow model studies are mandatory for modem high efficiency fly ash precipitatOrs
where the stakes are high and the cost of non-perfom1ance intolerable.

7.0 REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE OF INSTALLED E.S.P.

7.1 INTRODUCTION

The review of the perfom1ance of the installed electrostatic precipitators in various

thermal power stations must be considered under atleast two categories viz.

18
 i) the perfonnance of the precipitators installed earlier to 1976 and

ii) the perfonnance of the precipitators installed later than 1976 and in particular after
the enactment of pollution control act.

7.2 PERFORMANCE OF THE PRECIPATORS £:\STALLED EARLIER TO 1976

Many of the ex1sting generating stations installed earlier to 1976 were initially designed
and erected with minimal dust collection equipment. The boiler units supplied have
either mechanical dust collectors having a collection efficiency of 80% or a combina­
tion of mechanical and electrostatic precipitators having an efficiency of 95%. These
dust collecting plants were required only for the functional reqUirement of the boiler
viz. to reduce the erosion of the impellers of the induced draft fans and consequent
down time of the boiler. These dust collectors therefore, do not meet the requirement
of air pollution control regulations. Due to the many problems faced with inenial and
combination dust collectors like high power consumption. inadequate size, poor relia­
bilit} of the system etc. many of these dust collectors have been retrofitted with
electrostatic pn!clpitators of adequate size.

7.3 PERFORMANCE OF THE PRECIPITATORS INSTALLED LATER THAN 1976

For units installed in late seventies and onwards, the indigenous manufacturer M/s.
BHEL has supphed the 1mproved design of electrostatic precipitators. A bener under­
standing of the "anous propenies of coal and fly ash parucles that profoundly influence
the selection and sizing of the precipitators, rev1ew of various design philosophies and
methods used earlier in the engineering design of precipitators for fly ash panicularly
in the light of increased unit ratings and environmental standards and the need to meet
increasingly higher efficiencies and much greater reliability have witnessed the intro­
duction of precipitators with large specific collection area. The precipitators designed
and installed afler 1976 have been found to provide a satisfactory performance with
efficiencies between 99.5% and 99.9%.

Precipitator practice is best illustrated by means of data for a variety of power plants.
The example listed in Tables 8 to 11 co"er the main features and provide a broad cross
secuon of design pracuces. Some point:> of particular 1n1erest to be noted are the great
increases m gas now rate capacity and collecuon efficiencies over the years.

19
 Table 8

Summary of Desigh data for Representative Fly-Ash Preci pitators

Unit Rating : 500 MW

SL PA!{A�iETER SI�GRALU KORBA RA.'AAGUNDA.'.1 RIHA.'lD FARAKKA CHANDRAPUR

No.

0 1 . Gas now rate, m3/scc. 980 1030 710 768 785 750

02. 1cmpcraLurc of flue gao;, •c 140 140 ns 140 133 123

03. Inlet dusL concenLralion, 54.08

gm/Nm1
73.5 82.56 42 70.2 74.51

04. Efficiency, % 99.5 99.52 99.9 99.81 99.95 99.93

05. :-.:o. of casings 4 4 4 4 2 4

06. f'.o. of scncs lields 7 6 6 6 6 6

07. Manufacturer of ESP BH.EL BHEL BHEL LODGE.- MARTIN- BHEL

COTfRELL ELL!

U.K . C01TRELL,
ITALY

'•

20
 Table 9

Summary of Design data for Representath·c Fly-Ash Precipitators

Unit Rating : 200/210 M W

SL. PARAMETER VIJAYAWADA MEJIA GANDHINAGAR RAICHUR KORBA CHANDRAPUR

No. 3&4 3&4 3 WEST 1&2 3&4

01. Gas now rate, m1/SJX 382 380 338 352 367 356

02. TemperaLurc of gas, •c 146 142 136 148 144 137

03. lnlcL dust concentration 90 56 58 73 57 39

gm/Nm,

04. Efficicncy,<J
�
99.89 99.73 99.74 99.88 99.48 99.24

05. No. of casings 4 2 2 2 2 2

06. No. of series fields 6 6 7 6 6 5

07. ManufaclUrcr of ESP BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL

21
Sl. PARAMETER RAMA· DADRI ROPAR KOTA METIUR ANPARA KOLA- KOLA
No. GUN DAM 3&4 3&4 GHAT GHAT

5&6 1,2&3

0 I. Gas now rate. m3/sec. 341 332 370 347 361 361 356 306

02. Temperature of ga._, ·c 145 134 127 134 145 145 133 141

03. Inlet du�t concentration 62 62 62 39 42 43 51 51

gm/Km1

04. Efficiency.% 99.52 99.9 99.75 99.62 99.6-t 99.3 99.7 98.5

05. :\o. of casmgs 2 4 2 .., 2 2 2 2

06. �o. of scric� fields 4 6 7 6 6 '7 5 4

07. Manuracturcr of ESP Flakt, BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL VOLTAS

Il.aly.

22
 Table 10

Summary of Design data for Representative Fly-Ash Precipitators

Unit Rating : 100/110/120 MW

SL PARA�1F1T:.R MUZAFFAR· SABAR· KORADI KALCO 8\SORE PARICIIA I'A'IiKI SIKKA OUR-
'lio. PUR \1ATIIY GAPUR
PROJ.
Ecrs
LTD

0 1 . Gas now rate. m'/sec. 202 197 242 217 275 207 230 220 182

02. Temperature or gas. •c 145 152 180 140 200 143 180 137 142

gm/Nml
03. Inlet dust concentration 50 40 50 43 70 41 62 72 78

04. Efficiency. % 99.50 99.74 99.7 99.4 99.R6 99.1 99 84 99.79 99

05. No. of casings 2 2 2 2 2 2

06 No or �eric.� field 7 6 4 6 6 6 4 6 5

07. Manufacturer of ESP BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL BHEL VOL-
TAS

23
 Table 1 1

Summary of Design data for Representative Fly-Ash Preci pitators

Unit Rating : 60/62.5/67.5 MW

SL PARAMETER RAMAGU RAJG- INDRAP· ENN- CESC RENu- KOlliA· KOTiiA

NO. NOAM 'B' HAT RASTHA ORE SARAR GUDAM GUOAM

0 1 . Gas now rate, mlfs 132 132 150 150 143 145 106 106

02. Temperature of gas °C , 152 138 150 200 140 160 ISO 150

03. Inlet dust concemn. 9-1 66 66 70 68 85 108 108

gm/Nm'.

04. Effictency, % 99.63 99.8 99.81 99.86 99.8 99.8 99.63 99.61

05. No. or casings 2 2 2 2 2

06. No. or series fields 4 5 4 6 5 5 4 4

07. Manufacturer of ESP BHEL BHEL BliEL BHEL BHEL BHEL APHMEL VOLTAS

24
8.0 REASONS FOR POOR PERFORMANCE OF ESPs

8.1 INTRODU<..IION

Many year� of experience have shown that problem of some magnirude are

encountered in a s•gnificant percentage of fly ash precipitators These problems fall

into three major categories: Fundamental, mechanical and operational. The underlying
causes of poor performance are attributable to deficiencies m one or more of these
pnmary areas. Diagnosis and cure of problem proceeds most smoothly and expe­
ditiously by sc1entific and systematic methods. A list of frequently encountered
problems 1s given in Table- 12.

8.2 FUNDA \1ENTAL PROBLEMS

Fundamental difficulties include high resJsuvuy particles, panicle re-entrainment,

poor gas flow, poor rapping, badly designed electrode equipment and i n some
cases undersize precipitators. Scientific procedures exist for determining and
isolaung these difficulties.

8.3 MECHA "'-ICAL PROBLEMS

�echamcal troubles comprise principally poor alignment of clecmxles, vibrating

or swinging corona wires, bowed or distorted collecting plates, excessive dust
build up or deposits on the collecting and corona electrodes, air in leakage in
hoppers, gas ducts etc. and dust mountains or piles in connecting gas ducts. The
correction of these difficulties usually is fairly obvious, once they are located. Again,
systematic methods based on symptoms, measurements and observations are most
effective.

8.4 OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS

Difficulties attributable to operational factors cover such items as hoppers full or

overflowing with collected dust poor electrica l settings, failure to empty hoppers,
over loading precipitator equipment by excessive gas flow or dust
concentration and upsets in operation of boiler to which the precipitator is con­
nected.

Table 12

Summary of Precipitator Problems and Difficult ies

A. Fundamental problems

0I . lligh resistivity particles

02. Rc-enrrainmenl of collected panicles

25
 03. Poor gas flow

04. Inadequate rapping equipment

05. Badly designed electrode systems

06. insufficient or unstable rectifier equipment

07. Insufficient number of corona sections

08. Undersize precipitators

09. Gas velocity too high

10. Aspect ratio too small

B. Mechanical problems

0 1 . Poor electrode alignment

02. Vibrating or swinging corona wires

03. Distoned or skewed collecting plates

04. Excessive dust deposits on collecting electrode and corona electrodes

05. Air in leakage into hoppers, shells or gas ducts

06. Formation of dust mountains in precipitator inlet and outlet ducts.

07. Gas sneakage through hoppers and around precipitator zones.

C. Operational problems

0 1 . Full or overflow hoppers

02. Shoned corona sections

03. Precipitator overloaded by excessive gas now

04. Predpitator overloaded by excessive dust concentration

05. Process upsets (poor cumbusrion, steam leaks etc)

06. Rectifier sets or controls poorly adjusted

07. Poor adju�tment of rapper intensity/frequency.

26
9.0 MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF ESP I N OLD POWER
PLANTS

9.1 INTRODt:CfiON

As demands on particulate erruss10ns become more and more stringent in order

to comply with the requirements of pollurion control act, many electricity boards
and power generating corporations have to improve the efficiency of the existing
electrostatic precipitator. In electrostatic precipitator technology it is called
upgrading/retrofitting.

There are various approaches available to upgrade the electrostatic precipi­

tators. The technical and organisational capabilities required by major retrofit
projects are similar to or even more complicated than those required by new systems.

9.2 FILLING UP TilE DUMMY FIELDS

A number of earlier precipitator installations have been provided with an added

feature of a dummy field (empty section) at inlet/outlet end of the precipitator.
This was included in case it proved desirable to increase precipitator size at a later
date.

The empty secuons can be filled with electrodes to provide additional collection
surface needed. Annexure- II furnishes a list of projects where th1s philosophy has been
adopted.

9.3 REPLACEM ENT OF EXISTING ESP BY NKW ESP

Many of the existing generating stations were located in urban areas necessitating
a compact plant general arran gement. When these stations were· initially designed and
erected, minimal dust collection equipment only were installed and no provisions
have been made for future installations. The dust collecting plants installed were
required only for the functional requirement of the boiler viz. to reduce the erosion
of the impellers of induced draft fans and consequent downtime of the boiler.

Consequent to the awareness on controlling particulate emission control, the existing

precipitators which were found inadequate to meet the emission regulations have
been replaced with adequately sized elecrrostauc precipitator. Annexure-ill
furnishes a list of projects taken up under this category.

9.4
•.

AUGME"JTATION OF COLLECTION SVRFACE

This approach entails the installation of additional retrofit electrostatic precipitators

after thorough study of site conditions by prov1ding more collection area and
thereby reducing the emission. This approach has the unique advantage in that the new

27
 equ1pment can be erected without disturbing the operation of the boiler. The
installation of additional precipitator independent of the existing boiler system is
advantageous from the point of vie"' of reduced downtime and consequent loss of
revenue. Prior to the installation of the new additional precipitator a detailed
stud)' of the effect of the additional pressure drop in the ducong and the
precipitator on the operation of the boiler unit will have to be essentially carried out
to ascenain the suitability of the induced draft fan to meet the present requirement.
Many of the renovation of electrostatic precipitators carried out by reputed
manufacturers of electrostatic precipitators fall under this category of approach. A list
of projects where such renovation through augmentation of collection area has been
taken up is furnished in Annexure-TV.

9.5 IMPROVED ELECTRICAL ENERGISATION

Being an electrical equipment, the electrostatic precipitaLOr will work only if the
electrical equipment and particularly the rectifiers work. The technology incorporating
the sem1pulse and multi-pulse concepts yield 1mproved precipitation, increased
rehabiluy and unparalleled convenience for the operation These advantages are often
ach1eved with substantially reduced power consumption.

9.5.1 Semipulse Energisation

By changing the mode of operation of transformer rectifier control. an appropriate

number of half waves can be blocked between the firing of the rectifier thyristOrs.
Thus the charging of the precipitator is made an an mtermment \\ay which means
that a pulsating corona with pulse width of some milli-seconds IS fom1ed in the ESP.
D1fferent charging modes can be switched on from a pmentiometer to suit the
andtvidual field. Semi-pulse energisation is today in operation in many power plants
and a lot of experience has been achieved.

9.5.2 Multi-Pulse Energisation

Pulsed encrgisation of elecrrostatic precipitator is a way of improving the perform­

ance of the precipitator especially when high resisti\it} dusts are present The
equipm�;nt bemg used creates pulses of shon duration of approximately 1 00 mtcro
s�;conds High spark over \:Oltages compared to convcnuonal energisation can,
thl!reforc, be usl!d. A reduction m power consumpuon when switchmg to pulsed
encrgisation can also be achieved. The serious drawbacks for the pulsed TR sets so
far have been high cost comparen to conventional eqUipment. If the precipitator can
be made smaller. the total cost is attractive however.

9.6 FLUE GAS CONDITIONING

Control if particle resistivuy by moisture and chemical condl!loning of the earner

gases is achtcved by adsorption of moisture and chemical su bstances. The

28
 -
----
-

adsorpuon and hence the conductivity is a surface effects and ts greater at lower
temperatures.

9.6.1 Moisture Conditioning

Conditioning by steam injection or \\Jter sprays is a standard method and can be

more effective at temperatures below about ISO Deg. Cent. as would be expected
because of the grl!ater adsorption of the water vapour on the panicles at these tempera­
tures.

9.6.2 Chemical Conditioning

Chemtcal agl:nts such as S03, NH3 and t-\aCI have found considerable use as condition­
ing agents but have definite limitations owing to cost and apphcation factors. By
far the most 1,\:idely used conditiomng agent i'\ SO, (or H2S04). However, the
application ol SO, conditioning to large coal fired power plants burning low sulphur
coals is beset wuh a number of problems. These are related to the handling of the
large quantities of the chemicals required. maintenance problems. the unfamiliarity of
power plant engineers with chemical techniques and under some conditions the
posstble cmtssion of sol.

Ammonia conditioning was tried m one of the power plants but showed no
observable effect of any kind.

10.0 MEASLRES TO E'St;RE CO�T�UATION OF 11\ITIAL GOOD PERFORM­

ANCE

10.1 11\IRODU(.IION

The number of elcctro<;tatic precipitator mstallations have grown at an accelerated pace.

While much has been discussed and ,.,ritten on attaining collecting performance with
the precipitator, a major '01d has occurred in the idennfication and transfer of
infonmllion needed to keep reduce maintenance costs and to prevent deterioration
of the collector perfom1ance through the failure of C<.tUtpment. This section is intended
to highlight many of the repllitive problems that have plagued the users of
precipitators. The existence of these problems could be related to the complexity of
the process or to a le1ck of well defined operating techniques among other reasons.

The perfonnance of the precipitator is influenced by a number of factors, many of

wh1ch an.: controllable. Bas1cally a precipitator may seem to be a rather static piece·of
e4uipment. involving only a few moving pans. Howt!vcr. the mtemals are rather
heavily loaded and operate in a dirty environment under relatively high and unfavour­
able temperature conditions.

29
10.2 ALIGNMENT OF ELECTRODE SYSTEM

Accurate alignment of corona and collecting electrode is of major importance for good
performance. Off-center and misaligned elecrrodes may easily result in a loss of 10%
or 15% in operating voltage of a precipitator. Electrode alignment should be one of
the major checks to be made by operators during equipment outage and overhaul
periods.

10.3 CLEANJNG OF ELECTRODES

The performance of an electrostatic precipitator depends on the amount of elecrrical

power absorbed by the system. The highest collection efficiency is achieved when
maximum possible elecrrical power for a given set of operating conditions is
utilised in the precipitation process. During the operation of a precipitator, the applied
vollage is reduced by the potential drop across the deposited dust layer on the
collecting electrodes due to the current flowing through it. This results in reduction of
the effective voltage which consequently reduces the collection efficiency. Too
thick a dust layer on the collecting electrodes will also lead to unstable operating
conditions. The dust deposited on the emitting wires results in non-uniform corona.
Therefore, the efficiency decreases with increased or abnormal dust deposits on the
collecting and emiuing electrodes. This necessitates that the rapping system of both
collecting and emitting electrodes are kept in working conditions.

10.4 GAS TEMPERATURE

Operation of the precipitator at gas temperaturs below the acid dew point results in
the following:

- Failure of emining electrodes due to stress corrosion cracking

- Corrosion of the internals

- Collection of wet dust on the electrodes leading to fonnation of 'hard-to-rap'

layers and consequent reduction in the performance of ESP.

10.5 SPARK RATE

The operating voltage and current keep changing with operating conditions. This is
taken care of by an automatic voltage controller in the electronic controller unit.
Too high a flash-over rate will not only result in reduction of useful power and
interruption of precipitation process but will also cause snapping of emitting
electrodes due to elecrrical erosion. It is recommended that for the best performance
the flash-over rate shall not exceed 5 sparks per minute.

30
10.6 RAPPI'JG FREQliENCY

The frequency and sequence of rapping of collecting and emitting electrodes are
programmed by the synchronous programme/master controller.

The time intervals between the raps for the various fields can be optimally chosen to
permit build-up of sufficiently thick layer so that when rapped, the dust is dislodged
in the form of agglomerates.

Too high a rapping frequency will dislodge the dust layer before formation of agglo­
merates, resulting m a re-enrrainment and puffs through the stack.

10.7 OIL COMBUSTION

The quality of oil used during start-up or stabilisation of coal firing can have an
important impact on precipitator operation. Unburnt oil if passed into ESP can coat
the collecting and emitting electrodes.

This fouling of ch:ctrodes deteriorates the electncal conditions 1.e. reduces the pre­
cipitator operating voltage due to high electrical resisuvity and consequently the
ESP performance deteriorates. The precipitator performance remains poor untill the
oil vaponses and the layer gers rapped off, which usually takes a few weeks time.

Also the unbumt oil in the ESP poses the danger of fire hazard. Hence. 1m
..
· current
settings (without any flashover) are recommended during oil firing.

10.8 AIR CONDITIONING OF CONTROL CABINS

The ESP control room houses sophisticated electronic controls apart from the related
switch gear and control gear. The reliable operation of these controls directly reflects
on the precipitator performance. In order to ensure the controls in proper working
conditions, it is essential to maintain a dust free atmosphere with conrrolled
ambient conditions. Therefore. the air conditioners should be kept in proper working
condition.

10.9 HOPPER EVACUATION

Improper/incomplete hopper evacuation is a major cause for the prectpitator mal­

function. If the hoppers are not emptied regularly, the dust will build up to the
high tension emitting system causing shons. Also the dust can push the internals
up causing misalignment of the electrodes. Though the hoppers have been designed
for a storage capacity of 8 hours under MCR condiuons. this provision shalJ be
used only in the case of emergency. Normally the hoppers should not be tre<hed as
storage space for the collected dust.

31
10.10 DUST CONCENTRATION IN FLUE GASES

The dust concentration in the gases is much higher in the front part of the precipitator
than in the rear. The current distribution is influenced by the dust concentration. Where
it is high, the current is suppressed i.e. inlet fields will rake less current than the outlet
fields.

32
 ANNEXURE - I

LIST OF MEMBERS OF ESP COMMITTEE

Dr. N. Tata Rao . . . . Chairman

Ex-Chairman
Andhra Pradesh State Elecoiciry Board
Vidyt Soudha
Hyderabad-500 049

Sri A. Raman . . . . Member

Director
Central Electricity Authority
Sewa Bhawan
R.K. Puram
New Delhi- 1 1 0 066

Sri R.K. Narayan . . . . Member

General Manager
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.
Sk1pper House
62 - 69 Nehru Place
New Delhi - 1 1 0 019.

Sri S.N. Krishna . . . . Member

Addl. General Manager
Boiler Auxiliaries Plant
Bharat Heavy Elecrricals Ltd.
Ranipet-632 406

Sn S. Balagurunathan . . . . Member
Engg & Devpt Manager
Air Quality Conrrol Systems
Engineering & Development Centre
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Ranipet-632 406.

Sri M.S.K. Prasad . . . . Member

Chief Engineering Manager
Engineering Projects Division
Manakji Building
127 Mahatma Gandhi Road
Bombay - 400 023

33
Sri Anup Guha . . . . Member
General Manager
M/s. Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd.,
Air Pollution Control Unit
225-E, A. J. Chandra Bose Road
Calcutta - 700 020

Sri S. Ghosh . . . . Member

Manager
ESP Depanment
M/s. F1akt (India) Ltd.,
Post Box 4 1 1
Calcuua - 700 02 1 .

Sri N. Bagchi . . . . Member

Director (CP)
Ministry of Environment & Forests
'Paryavaran Bhawan'
C.G.O. Complex
Locii Road
New Delhi - 1 10 003

Dr. B. Sengupta . . . . Member Convener

Senior Scientist
Central Pollution Control Board
Ministry of Environment & Forests
East Arjun Nagar
Delhi- 1 1 0 032.

34
 ANNEXURE-ll

LIST OF THERMAL POWER STATIONS WHERE THE DUMMY FI ELDS EXISTED

IN THE PRECIPITATOR HAVE BEEN/ARE BEING FILLED UP

SL. Plant Name/ Capacity

No. Unit No(s). (MW)

01. Turicorin 1,2 2 x 210

02. Kolhagudam 7,8 2 x 1 10

03. Koradi 5 1 x 200

04. Bhusawal 2 1 x 2 10

05. Parli 3 1 x 210

06. Nashik 3,4,5 3 x 21 0

35
 A!'iNEXURE-111

LIST OF THERMAL STATIONS VVH ERE TilE ELECTROSTATIC PRECI PITATORS

OF INADEQUATE SIZE HAVE BEE1'i/ARE BEil\G REPLACED WITH ONES OF
ADEQUATE SIZE TO J\.1EET THE EMISSION REG ULATIONS

SL. Plant �arne/ Capacity (MW)

No. Unit No(s)

01. Koradi 1 ,2,3,4 4 x 120

02. Ennore 1 ,2 2 x 60

03. Ennore 3,4,5 3 X 1 10

04. Panki 3,4 2 x 1 10

OS. Faridabad I ,2 2 x 60

36
 ANNEXURE-IV

LIST OF THERMAL STATIONS WHERE RENOVATION OF ELECTROSTATIC

PRECIPITATORS THROUGH AUGME:\TATIO� OF COLLECTION AREA
HAVE BEEN/ARE BEING TAKEN UP

SL. Plant ::-\arne/ Capacity (MW)

No. Unit �o(s)

OL Gandhinagar I ,2 2 x 120

02. Bada.rpur 1 .2.3 3 x 100

03. Gurunanak Dev 1 ,2,3.4 4 x 100

04. Al)larkamak 3.4 2 x 120

05. Indraprastha 2.3,4.5 4 x 60

06. Kothagudam 5.6 2 x l l0

07. Pathrathu 7,8 2 x 1 10

37
 l.IST OF PUBLICATIONS

CONTROL OF URBAN POLLUTION SLRJCS

l . Union Territory of Delhi (Detailed): CUPS 2 1 978-79 Rs. 80/­

2. Industrial Survc} Lmon Territo!) of Delhi: CUPS 3 1 978-79 Rs. 40/-
3. Waste\\ater Collection. Treatment & Dtsposal m Class I
Ciue� CliPS 4 1 978-79 Rs. 100/-
4. Status of Water Suppl) and Wastewater Collection. Treatment &
Disposal in class-11 TO\\ns m lndta: CCPS 6 1979-�0 Rs. 100/-
5. Inventory & Assessment of Pollution Emission in and Around
Agra-Mathura Reg10n (Abridged): CUPS/7' 1 98 1 -82 Rs. 50/­
6. Umon Territor} of Chandigarh:Prelimmar) Rcpon:CUPS 8 1981 -82 Rs. 50 -
7. Union Territory of Pondichcrr): CUPS 9/1 9R3-f<� Rs 50 -
8. Vehicular Air Pollutton m Delhi - A Preliminan study
1 982-83:CLPS 1 0/ 1 982-83 Rs. 40/-
9. Asstmilation Capactt} of Point Pollution Load. The River
Yamuna, U.T of Delhi:CUPS1 1 2 f l982-83 Rs. 40/-
10. A Method to Determination of Minimal Stack Height: CUPS/ 1 3/ 1 984-g5
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVE SERlE.�

1. Episodal Pollution: A case study Union Territory of a Goa: PROBES

511979-80 Rs. 1 5 -
.., Proceedings of the Workshop on Biological Indicators and Indices
on Emironmental Pollution: PROBES 6 1982-83 R�. 65 -
3. Ocean Outfall for Pondicherr} Paper Ltd. A Case Study Union
fcrritory of Pondtcherry: PROBES 7 1 982-83 Rs. 30/-
4 lmtial En'vironmental Evaluation - Otl Drilling and Group Gathcnng
Station�: PROBFS g 1981 -82 Rs 30/-
5 Stmplc Guide CodL of Pracucc for Bcuer Hou e Keeping and
Pollution Control in Electroplating lndustl) ( Engitsh Hindi):
PROBES 9 1981 -82 Rs. OS -
6 Water Pollution Control - An Ovcrvie\\ . PROBES/ I I 1 982-83.
7 Report on Caustic Soda untls: Hindustan Heavy Chemicals:
West Bengal. PROBES/ 1 2 / 1 982-83 Rs. 20/-
8 . Status of Environmental Pollution: Kcsoram Rayon. West Bengal
PROBES 1 3 1982-83 Rs. 25 -
9. Pt!rformance Study of Wastcv.aLer Treatment Plant of Gancsh
Floor Mills. PROBES 1 5 1982-83
1 0. Environmental Status: Barapani Lake. Meghala}a. PROBES 1 7/1 983-84
I I . Assessment of Generation and Control of Water Pollution in
. J . K. Rayon Industry. Kanpur:PROBES/18/1 982-83 Rs. 1 5'-
1 2. Pollutton Control m Man-Made Ftbrc Industry wtth special Reference
to Zmc. at Harihar ?oly-hbre. Karnataka. A Case Stud) :
PROBLS 1 9 1 9 3-84 Rs. 1 5 -
1 3. Procced1r.gs of the National Workshop on \tarine Outfall::.
(April 26-2 1984. Panaji. Goa): PROBES 20 1 983-84 Rs. 50 -
1 4 Dust Pollution From Stone Crushers (Sohna Tourist Camp.
Gurgaon Distl. Haryana: PROBES 2 1 1 983-84 Rs. 30,-
1 5. Performance Study of Vanaspati Wastewater Treatment Plant at M/s
Shriram roods and Fertilizer� lndustr;.. PROBES 22 1983-8� Rs. 30/-
1 6 State of Progress of ProJect "Operation Pollution Control in Damodar
Rt\erN As on March 3 1 .1 984: PROBES 23 1984-85.
1 7 . Charactensttcs and Treatment of Waste\\ater From on Electric Bulb
Manufactunng L'nit: PROBES 24 1983-84.
1 8. Control of Air Pollution from Coal Fired Reverberatory 1-urnal:c·
PROBES/25/ 1984-85.
19. Brochure on Effiuenl Treatment Plant Built in Karnataka State. As in
1984: PROBES 26 1985.
20. Zonal Committee Repon on Assessment of Pollution Control Measures in
Chlor-Alkali Industries (Mercuf) Cell): PROBES 27 1985.
2 1. National Inventory of Water Polluting Industries and Effiuent Treatment
Plant Status: PROBES 28 1984-85.
22. An Assessment of Mercury Problem at Kothari lndustnes Ltd. Madras - A
case study. PROBES 29 1985.
23. Episodal Pollution caused by a Barrier Across Eloor branch of Periyar
River PROBES 14/ 1982-83.
24. Performance study of Wastewater Treatment Plant at Mother Datry
PROBES/ 16/ 1982-83.
25. Performance study of Ton-Exchange Resin Treatment System for Mercury
Removal From Wastewater at Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited,
Baroda, GuJarat
PRO BES/30/ 1985-86.
26. A Study on the Environmental Damage Due to Lethal Chemical
Catastrophe in Bhopal
PROBES 3 1 1985.
27. Report on Identification of Import component of Waste Treatment
Technolog} and Know-how
PROBES 32/1985-86.
28. Impact Study and Evaluation of Pollution Status of Oil Dnlling and
Group Gathering Stations of Assam
PROBES 33/1985.
29. Groundwater Quahty in the Union Territory of Delhi - Abridged Repon
PROBES/34/ 1985-86
COMPREHENSIVE INDUSTRY DOCUMENT SERIES

1 . Comprehensive Industry Document Man-Made Fibre Industry:

COINDS/ 1/1979-80 Rs. 100/-
2. Minimal National Standards Man Made Fibre I ndustry:
COIN DSt2/ 1979-80 Rs. 40/­
3 . Comprehensive Industry Document Oil Refineries: COINDS 3,1981-82 Rs. 100.'­
4. Minimal National Standards: COINDS/4 1981-82 Rs. 40/-
5. Comprehensive Industry Document, Chlor-Alkali (Abridged) Industry:
COINDS/5/1979-80 Rs. 50 -
6. Minimal National Standards Caustic Soda Industry: COINDS
6 1979-80 Rs. 40/-
7 . Comprehensive Industf) Document Khandsari Sugar Industry:
CO E'•-i OS 7 1980-8 1 Rs. 40 -
8 . Minimal �attonal Standards Sugar Industl): COII\DS 9 1980-8 1 Rs. 50 -
9. Comprehenst\'e Industry Document Fermcntauon (Moltcnes. Breven� and
Distilleries) Industr} Series: COINDS 10/198 1-82 Rs. 100/-
10. Mmimal Nat10nal Document Fermentation (Moltenes, Breweries and
Distillenes) Industry Series: Rs. 20 -
1 1. Emission RegulatiOns (July 1984) Part I : COJNDS/17/1983-84 Rs. 20t-
12. Minimum National Standards Pesticide Manufacturing and
Formulating Industry
COINDS!l5/ 1985-86
13. Emission RegulatiOns (July. 19H5) Part II:
COINDS 18. 1984-85
14 Minimal li,Jational Standards Straight Phosphatic fertiliser Industry
COIND() '1 91 1984-85
\SSLS:\-1£
S :\T & DE\ E.LOP:\IL''T Sf 0\' OF RIVI:I� BA' I� SERlE...�

I. Un'c.r Territory of Daman. Dadra & '\.Jgar 1-fa...eli (Abridged):

A DSORBS I 1 ?78-79 Rs. 40 -
2. Basm Sub-Basm Inventor) of \Vater Pollution. The ganga Basin
part One. The 'r umun .. Sub-Basin: ADSORBS 2 1 978-79 R:-t. lOO -
3. Scheme for Zoning ana Cl<.ts�ification ot Indian Rhcrs Estuaries and
Coastal Waters (Pt. One Sweet Water). ADSORBS 3 1978-79 Rs. 40 -
4. Comprehensive Pollution Survey and Studies of Ganga River Basin
m West Bengal: ADSORBS14/1980-8 1 Rs. 200/-
5 Union Territory o.' Goa. Daman and Diu (Dist. Go<.t) Abridged:
ADSORBS 5/1982-83 Rs. 50 -
6. Stream Water Quality in Major Rivers (Gujarat St•.tc} During
Btennium 1 979-80 Survey: ADSORBS/6/1 982-83 Rs. 50/-
7. Ganga Basin Report (Part If-Entire Ganga Bastn): ADSORBS/7 1982-83 Rs. 500 -
8. Ionic Balance of ·water Quality at Uttarakhand Ganga Forming
Tributaric�: ADSORBS 9 1 982-83 Rs. 50 -
9. Quality and Trend of River ) amuna 1 979-�Q: ADSORBS 10 1 982-83
10. Basm Sub-Basin Inventory of Water Pollution: The Brahmaputra Basin
Part-1. The Dilli-Disanl! Sub Basm: ADSORBS I I 1983-8.., Rs. 25 -
I I . Water Quality Monito.mg. .\n Indian Experience: ADSORBS 12 19R4- 5 R!). 20 -
1 2. \Va c Po'lu 'on from Mass-Bathing - Case Studic.;; in Ganga
ADSORBS 8 1983-84
1 3 . Atlas (River Ba�in) Rs. 550 -
ADSORBS/ 1 3/ 1 984-85
COASTAL POLLl!TIO� CO:\TROI. SERIES

l. lJse Classification of Indtan Coast and ConOtcts Part I : Tamil Nadu

Coast: COPOCS/ 1 ' 1982-83
2. Use Classification of India Coast and Conflicts Part I I . Kanya
Kumari to Goa: COPOCS 2 1984-85
RESOURC� RECYCLING SERIES (RERES)

1. Recycling of Sewage and Industrial Effiuent on Land - Monitoring

and Survcillanc.� Report on Chandigarh Sewage Fam1
RER ES I /1985
LABORATORY <\NALYTICAL TECHN1QUES SERIES (I.ATS)

1. Measurem�:nts of Mercuf) by Cold Vapour Atomic A borption

Technique
LATS/ 1 / 1 985-86
2. Lindane Analysis by Gas Chromatograph Technique
LATS 2/1 985-86
Printed at SHAKTI PRIMTING PRESS
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Phone : 3272837, 3261533