Least Cost to Maximise Dust Collection in Electrostatic Precipitators

Abstract

Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs) are widely used to contain the particle emission from industrial plants, with coal-fired boilers as the largest user. Human health requires reduced particle emission. This paper lines up the most commonly used means to reduce the particle emission, and compares their relative cost. A deeper analysis focuses on relatively low-cost means to improve the ESP collection efficiency by energising and operating the ESP in new ways. This technology development has recently, at an accelerating pace, occurred during the last 5–7 years, and is still ongoing. Achieved emission reductions are really large, seldom smaller than 30%, and usually larger. New ESP operation-beginning by changing the way in which collecting plates are cleaned (but usually not changing mechanical components)-necessarily must be combined with co-ordinated operation of both conventional TRs and high-frequency energisers. This is today an emission-predictable means for which emission guarantees can usually be given on a plant-specific basis. This paper provides recent examples, both from USA and Europe.