Field study of a combined NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ conditioning system on a cold-side fly ash precipitator at a coal-fired power plant

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6933731

Dahlin, R S; Marchant, Jr, G H; Gooch, J P; Bickelhaupt, R E; Sears, D R; Altman, R F

This paper describes the results of a field study of a combined NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ conditioning system used to improve the performance of a cold-side electrostatic precipitator at a large coal-fired power plant. The combined NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ conditioning system was placed into continuous service after numerous tests by plant personnel showed that the combined NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ system was more effective than the use of either NH/sub 3/ or SO/sub 3/ alone. In the tests by plant personnel, the effectiveness of various injection locations and injection rates of one or both agents was judged on the ability to maintain an acceptable stack opacity. Based on the results of these tests, the plant management selected a combined conditioning system in which NH/sub 3/ is injected between the air heater and the precipitator at a rate of 5 ppM, and SO/sub 3/ is injected ahead of the air heater at a rate of 9 ppM. This was in addition to 5 ppM of SO/sub 3/ that is produced naturally in the pulverized coal-fired boiler. In most applications of flue gas conditioning, the SO/sub 3/ is injected downstream of the air heater; however, it is believed that injection ahead of the air heater, as was done at this plant, may result in a more uniform distribution of the SO/sub 3/ in the flue gas and more effective utilization of the SO/sub 3/. The combined NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ conditioning process appears to be a feasible and useful method of maintaining acceptable performance levels in a cold-side electrostatic precipitator. Additional work is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which the NH/sub 3/ and SO/sub 3/ act together to condition the fly ash and affect precipitator performance. A more thorough investigation of the NH/sub 3/-SO/sub 3/ conditioning process is justified in view of the potential for improving ESP performance, or reducing the size of a new ESP. 11 references, 6 figures, 2 tables.

• Research Organization: Southern Research Inst., Birmingham, AL (USA); Bickelhaupt Associates, Inc., Carbondale, IL (USA); North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA). Energy Research Center; Electric Power Research Inst., Chattanooga, TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FC21-83FE60181
• OSTI ID: 6933731
• Report Number(s): DOE/FE/60181-47; CONF-840612-4; ON: DE84010472
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
ADDITIVES
ADSORPTION
AEROSOL WASTES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AMMONIA
ASHES
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
CONTROL
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUE GAS
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIGNITE
MATERIALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
RESIDUES
SORPTION
SULFITES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES