Relationship between the mass concentration and light attenuation of particulate emissions from coal-fired power plants

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/08940630.1988.10466363· OSTI ID:6820254

Conner, W D; Knapp, K T

Data are presented on 40 mass concentration-light attenuation tests of particulate emissions at coal-fired power plants with electrostatic precipitator controls, and on particle size measurements at two plants near the high and low extremes in the range of the mass concentration-light attenuation ratio. Good correlations were observed between mass concentration and light attenuation measurements at most of the plants during the typically three-day test periods. Ninety-three percent of the tests had correlation coefficients of 0.90 or better. Unfortunately, the relationship varied considerably from plant to plant. It varied from a low of 1.14 g/m/sup 2/ to a high of 7.70 g/m/sup 2/. A calculation of the light attenuation to mass concentration ratio from the measured particle size distributions at the two plants near the high/low ratio extremes indicated that particle size differences could account for about half of the measured range. The repeatability of the mass concentration-light attenuation tests at the same plants at different times was inconsistent. However, these tests indicated that more accurate monitoring of the mass concentration of particulate emissions could be obtained with a plant's opacity monitoring transmissometer if an empirically established mass concentration-light attenuation relationship is used to calibrate the transmissometer for the plant.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6820254
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 38:2; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
SIZE
THERMAL POWER PLANTS