Impactor, reduced pressure

Improved control devices now frequently installed on conventional coal-utility boilers drastically affect the quantity, chemical composition, and physical characteristics of fine-particles emitted to the atmosphere from these sources. We recently sampled fly-ash aerosols upstream and downstream from a modern lime-slurry, spray-tower system installed on a 430-Mw(e) coal utility boiler. Particulate samples were collected in situ on membrane filters and in University of Washington MKIII and MKV cascade impactors. The MKV impactor, operated at reduced pressure and with a cyclone preseparator, provided 13 discrete particle-size fractions with median diameters ranging from 0,07 to 20 pm with up to 6 of the fractions in the highly respirable submicron particle range. The concentrations of up to 35 elements and estimates of the size distributions of particles in each of the fly-ash fractions were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis and by electron microscopy, respectively. Mechanisms of fine-particle formation and chemical enrichment in the flue-gas desulfurization system are discussed. 

Sampling. Four aerosol samples were collected isokinetically on July 26, 1979, at ports on the inlet duct of the ESP at Plant A two were taken with 62-mm fluoropore filters and two were taken with the University of Washington MKV Cascade impactor (1 ). At plant D, samples were collected over a 6-day period at ports both in the outlet duct of the ESP (i.e., upstream of the FGD system) and at the 91-m level of the stack. Eleven fluoropore filter, 1 MKV, and 4 MKIII impactor samples at each location, giving a total of 22 filter, and 8 MKIII samples. A single MKV sample was also collected in-stack at reduced pressure at plant D during the 6-day period. Polycarbonate material coated with apiezon L vacuum grease and 62 or 47-mm-diam, l-pm pore Fluoropore filters were used as back-up filters in the MKV impactor. 

Table IV. Characteristics of Three Reduced Pressure Impactors...

Aerosol samples for composition measurements were collected using the Caltech low pressure impactor (LPI) (21,22). This fully calibrated instrument classified particles into eight size fractions between 0.05 and 4 ym aerodynamic diameter. Collection of particles smaller than 0.3 ym is achieved by reducing the pressure and increasing the velocity of the jets. 

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