An Introduction to Air

Pollution
Chapter 5 Electrostatic
Precipitators
薛人瑋 Ph.D
2nd October 2012
ESP
Inside an ESP
ESP
At the core of the apparatus

drift speed we
 The Process in Electrostatic
Precipitation
• Particle Charging
• Particle Collection
• Removal of Collected Particulate
 ESP Design
• Specific collection area
• Collection plate area
• Collection height and length
• Gas velocity
• Number of fields in series
• Number of discharge electrodes
• Type of discharge electrodes
• Discharge electrode-to-collection plate spacing
Particulate Matter and Gas Stream Data

• Resistivity
• Particle size mass median diameter
• Particle size distribution standard deviation
• Gas flow rate distribution standard deviation
• Actual gas flow rate
• Gas stream temperature
• Gas stream pressure
• Gas stream composition
Theory
Theory
Theory
Efficiency
 Problem
• An ESP is designed to treat 50,000 m3/min
with 97 % efficiency. Assuming an effective
drift velocity of 2.5 m/min, calculate the
required plate area and the number of plates.
The plate size is 10 m by 5 m (height by
length).
 Solution
• Step 1:
Efficiency of an Electrostatic Precipitator is given by

A =-[ (Q/w)*ln(1- η)]

A = 70,000 m2
• Step 2:
Number of plates = total area/plate area
= 1400
Efficiency
 Drift velocity
• As a particle collects more and more charge, it develops its
own electric field, and the charging process slows down due to
growing repulsion. The maximum surface charge is reached
when the net electric field at particle surface = 0
• For a sphere with saturated charge,
• q sat = [3κ/(κ+2)]εoπdp2E
• E = electric field strength (V/m)
• ε o = permittivity of vacuum = 8.854E-12 (Coul/V/m)
• κ = (ε/εo) = relative permittivity or dielectric constant of
particle
 Drift velocity
• Electrostatic force
• Felec = q*E = [3κ/(κ+2)] εo π dp2 E2
• Let Felec = Fdrag
• [3κ/(κ+2)] εo π dp2 E2 = 3 π μ dp v = q*E
• ∴ v = [κ/(κ+2)] εo dp E2 / μ = q E / (3πμdp)
• For small particles, consider slipping effect:
• v = C*[κ/(κ+2)]*εo*dp*E2 / μ = w
• v is often called "drift velocity" (symbol "w") in ESP
An example
An example (Continued)
An example (Continued)
Low, normal, and high resistivity
 High resistivity reduced
• Adjusting the temperature
• Increasing moisture content
• Adding conditioning agents to the gas stream
• Increasing the collection surface area
• Using hot-side precipitators (occasionally)
 Particulate Resistivity
P = (R*A/L) = (V/i)*(A/L)
• Impact of particles’ resistivity on ESP’s performance:
109 - 1010 ohm-cm is desired
• Factors: temperature, composition
• Flue gas conditioning
Effects of sulfur content and temperature on resistivity
Effective of fly-ash resistivity on
effective drift velocity

Use the same Deutsch-Anderson Equation with new we.

 Various types of charging
electrodes and collecting plates
 Overall estimation of ESP
Q
Nd 
uDH
Nd = number of ducts
Q = total volumetric gas flow rate into the ESP, m3/min
u = linear gas velocity in the ESP, m/min
D = channel width (plate separation), m
H = plate height, m

Lo  N s L p  ( N s  1) Ls  Len  Lex
Lo : overall length, m
Ns : number of electrical sections in the direction of flow
Lp: plate length, m
Ls: spacing between electrical section, m
Len: entrance section length, m
Lex: exit section length, m
 Overall estimation of ESP
N s  RH / L p

Ns = number of sections in the direction of flow

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

Aa  2HL p N s N d

Aa : actual collection area, m2

 Power Consumption
• Corona power
PC  I CVavg
• Drift velocity
kPC
we 
AC
Power density ~ 1-2 W/ft2
• Efficiency vs. Corona Power

  kPC 
  1  exp  
 Q 
k = 0.55 for Pc/Q in W/cfs up to 98.5%
 Flue Gas Conditioning

Water spray for cement kiln dust

Typical fly ash resistivity