INDUST R IA L WA S T E

A G E M E N T A N D C ON TR O L
MA N
POL L UTION CONTROL D EVICES
LECTURE 4: AIR
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• Unique among air pollution control devices in that the
forces of collection act only on the particles and not on
the entire air stream. This phenomenon typically results in
high collection efficiency with a very low air pressure drop

• Was used successfully in the removal of H SO2 4 mist from

air stream (Dr. Cottrell)

• Applications include removal of cement kiln dust, lead

smelter fumes, tar and pulp and paper alkali salts.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• Advantages
• Very high efficiencies, even for very small particles
• Can handle very large gas volumes with low pressure drop
• Dry collection of valuable materials, or wet collection of fumes
and mists
• Can be designed for a wide range of gas temperatures
• Low operating cost, except at very high efficiencies
• Can handle heavy dust load
• Durable – have long service life with relatively little maintenance
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• Disadvantages
• High capital cost
• Will not control gaseous emissions
• Not very flexible, once installed, to changes in operating
conditions
• Take up a lot of space
• Might not work on particulates with very high electrical resistivity
• Very dependent on ash resistivity
• Operate much better when at steady state
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
TYPES OF ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• Dry Electrostatic
• Wet Electrostatic
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• DESIGN EQUATIONS

Where:
Ci = inlet particle concentration, g/m3 A = active plate area, m2

Co = outlet particle concentration, g/m3 Q = volumetric gas flow, m3/min

w = drift velocity (terminal velocity in the y-direction), m/min

CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• DESIGN EQUATIONS (DEUTSCH EQUATION)

Where:
n = fractional efficiency
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• DESIGN EQUATIONS (DRIFT VELOCITY)

Where:
w = drift velocity K = 3ε/(ε + 2) || ε = dielectric constant for the particle
B = Cunningham correction factor Ech = charging field strength, V/m

μ = gas viscosity Eco = collecting field strength, V/m

εo = permittivity of free space = 8.85 x 10-12 C/Vm

Drift velocity equation is only accurate for smooth, spherical particles subject to constant gas flows and electrostatic fields.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• Typical values of drift velocities:

• Coal fly ash: 2 to 20 cm/s
• Sulfuric acid mist: 6 to 8 cm/s
• Dry cement dust: 6 to 7 cm/s
• Blast furnace dust: 6 to 14 cm/s
 CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
Mechanical fields – section of ESP in the direction of gas
flow

Bus Section – smallest number of plates energized by one

transformer-rectifier set

Each mechanical field can be subdivided into several bus

sections.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• DESIGN EQUATIONS (ACTIVE PLATE AREA)

Where:
Ap = two-sided plate area (A p = 2HLp)

n = number of plates in parallel across the width of the ESP

N = total number of plates in the ESP
Ns = number of sections in direction of flow (mechanical fields)
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• Effect of Particulate Resistivity on Collection

• If the resistivity is too low (the dust is a good conductor), the electrostatic charge is drained off too quickly and dust
is re-entrained into the gas stream.
• If the resistivity is too high (the dust is a good insulator), the charge does not drain off at the collecting plates.
• Development of back corona, reducing the ionization and migration of particles in the gas
• The particles remain strongly attracted to the plate and are difficult to rap off

Corona is the ionization of gas molecules by high-energy electrons in the region of a strong electric field.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Corona is the ionization of gas molecules by high-energy electrons in the region of a strong electric field.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
Resistivity Range of Measurement
Description
Low between 104 and 107 ohm-cm
Normal between 107 and 2×1010 ohm-cm
High above 2×1010 ohm-cm
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• FLUE GAS CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• Chemical conditioning is the most economical way of conditioning flue gas system
• Chemical conditioning involves addition of compounds such as SO gas, sodium salts, ammonium salts
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and even water.

CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• FLUE GAS CONDITIONING SYSTEM
OF CEMENT INDUSTRY
• Cement gas stream is commonly
conditioned using water
• Addition of water can be
accomplished either by steam
injection or by liquid water spray
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DESIGN (NUMBER OF DUCTS)

Where:
Nd = number of ducts u = linear gas velocity in the ESP, m/min

Q = total volumetric flow rate into the ESP, m3/min D = channel width (plate separation), m
H = plate height, m

Estimate Nd by assuming a value for H and choosing representative values of u and D

CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DESIGN (OVERALL LENGTH OF THE PRECIPITATOR)

Where:
Lo = overall length, m Ls = spacing between electrical sections, m

Ns = number of mechanical fields Len = entrance section length, m

Lp = plate length, m Lex = exit section length, m

Spacing between section can be 0.5-1.0 meter, the entrance an exit length each can be several meters long.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
 CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DESIGN (NUMBER OF FIELDS)

Where:
Ns = number of mechanical fields

R = aspect ratio (total plate length/plate height)

Number of mechanical fields ranges between 2 and 6. Number of fields must be sufficient to provide the minimum total collection area
required but not a great excess of area.
 CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

• INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DESIGN (ACTUAL COLLECTION AREA)

Where:
Aa = actual collection area, m2

During the design process, several plate sizes and number of ducts are tried until one combination is found such that Aa is equal to or
slightly greater than the required collection area, and the final geometry of the ESP is reasonable.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• POWER CONSUMPTION OF ESP

Where:
Pc = corona power, W

Ic = corona current, A

Vavg = average voltage

 CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• POWER CONSUMPTION OF ESP AND DRIFT VELOCITY

Where:
k = adjustable constant

White (1977) has shown that k = 0.55 for Pc/Q in units of W/cfs of gas flow to be reasonably accurate for efficiencies up to about
98.5%. To determine the power ratio for higher efficiencies, use the graph presented in the next slide.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• ESP Performance improves with increasing
sectionalization.
• Electrode alignment and spacing are more accurate for
smaller sections
• Smaller rectifier sets are more stable and can operate
at higher voltages
• Large number of electrical sections allow for meeting
the overall efficiency targets even if one or more
sections are inoperable (at the expense of increase
capital cost)
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• Plates and Wires of ESP
• Plates are usually steel sheets with stiffeners
• Baffles are added to reduce turbulence in the vicinity of the plates
• The plates should be perfectly flat and should be hang straight and
parallel so that the spacing between plates at any point is uniform to
within 0.5 cm.
CONTROL DEVICES FOR PARTICULATE MATTER:
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
• WET ESP
• WESPs operate similarly with dry ESP in that they charge PM with negatively
charged electrodes, collect PM on the grounded electrodes and clean those
electrodes to dispose off the collected PM.
• The difference is that WESPs clean the electrodes by washing with water rather
than rapping.
• WESPs have been used when dry ESPs are not suitable – PM is sticky, moist,
flammable, explosive or has a very high resistivity
• Can be of wire-pipe or wire-plate design
EXAMPLE 1

• Calculate the total collection area for a 98% efficient ESP that is treating 10,450 m /min of air. The effective
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drift velocity is 6.0 m/min. Assuming the plates are 6 m high and 3 m long and that there are two sections in
the direction of flow, calculate the number of plates required.
EXAMPLE 2

• Estimate the total collection areas required for two 99% efficient fly-ash ESPs that treat 8000 m /min. the
3

ash resistivities are 1.6 x 1010 ohm-cm and 2.5 x 1011 ohm-cm.
EXAMPLE 3

• For a 99% efficient precipitator treating 20,000 m /min of gas needing a total collection area of 14,000 m ,
3 2

estimate the overall width, length, and height of the ESP. Use typical values for plate height, channel width,
gas velocity, and aspect ratio. Assume plates are available in heights from 6 to 12 meters and are 3 meters
long.
EXAMPLE 4

• An ESP is to be designed to treat 9,000 m /min of gas to remove particles at (a) 98% efficiency or (b) 99.8%
3

efficiency. Estimate the required corona power in kW.

SEATWORK 1

• A 98% efficient ESP is to treat a gas stream flowing at 5,000 m /min. If the effective drift velocity is 6.0 cm/s,
3

calculate
• The plate area (required and actual) in m2

• The number of plates if each plate is 6 m by 10 m, and there are 3 mechanical fields
SEATWORK 2

• An ESP must treat 500,000 cfm with 99% efficiency. Assuming an effective drift velocity of 0.4 ft/s, calculate
the required plate area in ft2, and the number of plates if each is 20 ft tall by 10 ft long, and there are 4
mechanical fields.
SEATWORK 3

• Provide a reasonable design for a 99% efficient ESP treating 7,500 m /min of gas. The particles have an
3

effective drift velocity of 10.0 cm/s. Specify the total plate area, channel width, number and size of plates,
number of electrical section (total and in the direction of flow), total corona power to be supplied and
estimate the overall dimensions.