Cyclone collector particulate removal

A very important analytical tool that is overlooked by many sourcetesting personnel is the microscope. Microscopic analysis of a particulate sample can tell a great deal about the type of material collected as well as its size distribution. This analysis is necessary if the sample was collected to aid in the selechon of a piece of control equipment. All of the efficiency curves for particulate control devices are based on fractional sizes. One would not try to remove a submicron-size aerosol with a cyclone collector, but unless a size analysis is made on the sampled material, one is merely guessing at the actual size range. Figure 32-8 is a photomicrograph of material collected during a source test. 

Emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulates from coal combustion are problems of increasing concern and regulation. Coal combustion contributes about 25 percent of the particulate matter, 25 percent of the sulfur oxides, and 5 percent of the nitrogen oxides emitted to the atmosphere. Much of the particulates are derived from the mineral content of the coal, but some particulates also result from sulfur and nitrogen oxides that react to form various sulfate and nitrate salts. A major concern about particulate matter is that the smallest particles are respirable and may pose a health hazard. Particulate matter is recovered in most power plants by the use of electrostatic precipitators, which have been developed to very high efficiencies (>99%). Other methods of particulate removal include baghouses and cyclone collectors. 

The proper operation of a spray dryer-scrubber also requires that a dry product be formed and subsequently removed from the gas stream. Pilot tests have shown that the product salts will be dry and collectable if the gas temperature at the dryer outlet is maintained about 20 °F above its dewpoint. This also tends to minimize plume formation. The cyclone collectors used in the pilot tests removed 89-99% of the product. Although this was excellent performance by mechanical collectors, particulate emission standards will require either replacement of the cyclones or additional collection devices in series with the cyclones. The system design presently favored involves using cyclones to remove the bulk of the product and adding a small electrostatic precipitator for final particulate removal. The sodium salts produced in the spray dryer-scrubber... 

Particulate removal equipment includes electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, or mechanical particulate collectors, such as cyclones. SOx removal equipment includes sorbent injection technologies and wet and dry scrubbers. Both types of scrubbers result in the formation of calcium sulfate and sulfite as waste products. 

Many types of particulate collection devices are available commercially (see Table 53.2). Each operates on a different principle for accomplishing removal of particulates from the gas stream. Four basic types are common in drying systems (1) the drying vessel itself (in the case of vessel dryers), (2) cyclones, (3) bag filters, and (4) wet scrubbers. Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are not used widely in drying installations in spite of their low-pressure drop and high collection performance. The initial cost of purchase and construction is high. For this reason, the emphasis in Section 53.3 will be on the three most widely used devices, e.g., cyclones, fabric filters, and wet scrubbers. For a concise discussion of various types of solid-gas separation equipment and guidelines for selection of dust collectors,... 

The mixture of flue gas and dry particles (including fly ash) flows out of the top of the reactor into a cyclone separator. Most (about 90%) of the entrained particles are removed in the cyclone. A major portion of the collected material is recycled to the reactor, while the balance is discharged as byproduct. Gas from the cyclone next passes through a high efficiency particulate collector system then to the stack. Material from diis collector is added to the cyclone discharge to form the total byproduct stream. The process has been used in several waste incineration units in Europe, and a 10 MW demonstration plant was started up at TVA s National Center for Emissions Research in November 1992 (Aiipol, 1993). 

---