Novel hybrid composite discharge electrode for electrostatic precipitator

Over the last few decades, electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have emerged as effective air pollution control devices for treating coal-fired power plant exhausts. Among the components of the ESP, the discharge electrodes are extremely important in determining the collection efficiency of the ESP. Typically, in wet ESPs, the discharge electrodes used must be made of corrosion-resistant alloys, which makes them extremely expensive and heavy. Hybrid composite discharge electrodes have the potential to be lightweight and corrosion-resistant substitute for traditional metal alloy electrodes used in wet ESPs. In this experimental study, a novel hybrid composite electrode (recently patented at Ohio University) is presented as a substitute for traditional metal electrodes in wet ESPs. The samples of hybrid electrodes were fabricated by using carbon fiber composites, combined with metal mesh, in the shape of a long and thin tape. The electrode’s electrical response was evaluated in open atmospheric conditions, while connected to a transformer-rectifier unit to generate a corona current at voltages exceeding 50 kV. Results of these hybrid electrodes were compared with traditional metal electrodes. The hybrid composite discharge electrode produced a uniform corona at comparable power levels to that of metal electrodes, with additional advantages of being compact, lightweight, and highly corrosion resistant. In addition, hybrid composite electrodes exhibited lower corona onset voltage as compared with metal electrodes. The preliminary experimental data are encouraging and show significant potential for this new inexpensive hybrid electrode to replace metal electrodes in wet ESPs, providing comparable (and in some cases exceeding) collection efficiencies with lower ozone generation.

Implications: The newly invented hybrid composite electrode (HCE) performance was evaluated through experimentation with conventional metal electrodes. The HCE performance was comparable to the metal electrodes. The HCE also exhibited uniform corona fields and steady power while maintaining similar and in some cases superior electrical performance as compared with metal electrodes and thus shows a significant potential to substitute metal electrodes in wet ESP systems.     

Degradation of methylparaben in water by corona plasma coupled with ozonation

The degradation of methylparaben (MeP) in water was investigated using a pulsed corona discharge generated in oxygen, above the liquid. A comparison was made between results obtained in semi-batch corona (SBC) configuration (stationary solution, continuous gas flow) and results obtained in a semi-batch corona with recirculation combined with ozonation (SBCR?+?O₃), where the liquid is continuously circulated between a solution reservoir and the plasma reactor and the effluent gas containing ozone is bubbled through the solution in the reservoir. It was found that MeP was completely degraded after 10–15 min of treatment in both configurations. Oxidation by ozone alone, in the absence of plasma, was a slower process. The energy efficiency for MeP removal (Y _MeP) and for mineralization (Y _TOC) was significantly higher in the SBCR?+?O₃ configuration (Y _MeP?=?7.1 g/kWh at 90 % MeP removal and Y _TOC?=?0.41 g/kWh at 50 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal) than in the SBC configuration (Y _MeP?=?0.6 g/kWh at 90 % MeP removal and Y _TOC?=?0.11 g/kWh at 50 % TOC removal).     

Adhesive Behavior of Dust in Electrostatic Precipitation

In 2-stage precipitators particles are driven to the collecting plates by electrostatic forces but then the electrostatic force reverses and tends to pull the particles off so that dust is held on the collecting electrodes only by adhesion. In Cottrell or single-stage precipitators the corona current can provide a significant force tending to hold the collected dust to the electrode provided that the resistivity of the dust is 10¹⁰ ohm-cm or more. Adhesion is still essential in the collection of lower resistivity dust and is of vital importance in the transfer of dust from the collecting electrodes to the hopper. As the dust falls from the plates to the hopper it must be held in agglomerations or chunks. There are many peculiarities in the adhesive behavior of electrostatically collected dust. A better understanding of this adhesive behavior is essential if we are to improve the transfer of dust from the collecting electrodes to the hopper.     

臭氧洗消化学战剂模拟剂DPCP试验研究

用臭氧对神经性化学战剂的模拟剂氯磷酸二苯酯（DPCP）进行洗消,试验考察了初始酸度、O₂流量、放电功率、放电室压力、反应温度、初始浓度和O₃流量等因素对DPCP降解率的影响。碱性条件下DPCP降解率高于酸性条件下的降解率;反应温度、O₃流量、放电功率的增加,DPCP降解率上升;初始浓度增加,DPCP降解率下降;氧气流量和放电室压力增加,DPCP降解率先上升,后下降。在最佳反应条件下,50 mg/L的DPCP处理16 min降解率达到98%,矿化率40.1%。     

High volume electrostatic field-sampler for collection of fine particle bulk samples

A high volume electrostatic field-sampler was developed for collection of fine particles, which easily can be recovered for subsequent sample characterisation and bioassays. The sampler was based on a commercial office air cleaner and consisted of a prefilter followed by electrostatic collection plates operating at 2.7 kV. The sampler performance was characterised for 26 nm to 5.4 μm-size particles in urban street air. The collection efficiency reached a maximum (60–70%) between 0.2 and 0.8 μm and dropped to ∼25% at 30 nm and 2.5 μm, respectively. After extraction in water, the particle loss was<2%. The extraction efficiency for dry lyophilised particulate matter was above 80%, allowing retrievement of ∼12 mg day⁻¹ in urban street air at PM₁₀ levels of ∼24 μg m⁻³. The ozone generating capacity of the corona discharge during operation was on the order of 10 ppb. A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) degradation test using benzo[a]pyrene as a model showed that ∼85% was degraded after 24 h. However, similar results were observed when the corona discharge was switched off. Hence, the ozone and other corona discharge reactants do not appear to contribute considerably to PAH-degradation. The overall results show that the sampler type is a promising alternative to traditional sampling of fine particles for bulk analysis and bioassays. The main advantages are simple operation, high stability, high quantifiable particle recovery rates and low cost.     

The Efficiency of Electrostatic Precipitators Under Conditions of Corona Quenching

The suppression of corona by particle space-charge is of considerable importance in electrostatic precipitators dealing with medium to high concentrations of particulates. However, the effect of the dust concentration on collection efficiency has found no direct answer in the literature. In addition to the expected reduction in corona current due to low mobility dust particles, the presence of these charged particles has two other main effects: 1. The electric field in the vicinity of the discharge electrode is weakened and hence the concentration of ions originating in the ionization zone and forming the charging current is decreased. 2. The resulting space-charge build-up causes an increase in the field strength adjacent to the collecting surface of the precipitator. The importance of each of these effects on the collection efficiency will be dependent on the relative decrease in particle charge as compared to the increase in the collection field. Experiments were carried out under both positive and negative corona with aerosol concentrations having specific surfaces in the range 0 to 44 m²/m³. These results showed: 1. For low values of corona current densities, as the specific surface area increases, the efficiency decreases. In this cqse, the charge per particle decreases as the particle concentration increases and becomes far below the normal charge attainable. Here the increase in the collection field is more than counteracted by the jarge reduction in particle charge. 2. For higher values of initial corona current densities, as the particle specific surface area increases, the efficiency either increases slightly or stays constant, in spite of major reductions in the measured corona current. In this case there should also be a reduction in the charge per particle with the increase in particle concentration, however, this is apparently offset by the increase in the collection field strength. Analysis of the results, coupled with an interpretation of existing theories, indicates that a major parameter that must be considered is the ratio of the initial corona current density and the specific surface of the particles.     

COS,CS2 and SO2 in aluminium smelter exhaust

Measurements of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbondisulfide (CS₂) were carried out on samples drawn from a smoke stack of an aluminium smelter. Volume mixing ratios of 6 ppm COS and 0.1 ppm CS₂ were measured for gases from the electrolysis unit that had previously passed an Al₂O₃ fluid bed reactor and electrostatic precipitators. Specific emissions of 1.6 kg COS and 0.03 kg CS₂ per ton of primary aluminium were found. Extrapolating from this particular smelter’s conditions to a world mix specific COS emissions of about 4 kg/t(Al) are calculated resulting in emissions of annually 0.08 Tg COS into the atmosphere due to electrolytic aluminium production in 1995. Besides the photochemical conversion of anthropogenic CS₂ aluminium production is established to be the second major industrial source of COS probably exceeding automotive tire wear’s and coal combustion’s contributions.     

Fine particle migration and collection in a wet electrostatic precipitator

Electrostatic precipitation is considered as an effective technology for fine particle removal. A lab-scale wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) with wire-to-plate configuration was developed to study particle migration and collection. The performance of the wet ESP was evaluated in terms of the corona discharge characteristics, total removal efficiency and fractional removal efficiency. The corona discharge characteristics and particle removal abilities of the wet ESP were investigated and compared with dry ESP. Particle removal efficiency was influenced by discharge electrode type, SO₂ concentration, specific collection area (SCA) and particle/droplet interaction. Results showed that the particle removal efficiency of wet ESP was elevated to 97.86% from 93.75% of dry ESP. Three types of discharge electrodes were investigated. Higher particle removal efficiency and larger migration velocity could be obtained with fishbone electrode. Particle removal efficiency decreased by 2.87% when SO₂ concentration increased from 0 ppm to 43 ppm as a result of the suppression of corona discharge and particle charging. The removal efficiency increased with higher SCA, but it changed by only 0.71% with the SCA increasing from 25.0 m²/(m³/s) to 32.5 m²/(m³/s). Meanwhile, the increasing of particle and droplet concentration was favorable to the particle aggregation and improved particle removal efficiency.

Implications: This work tends to study the particle migration and collection under spraying condition. The performance of a wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is evaluated in terms of the corona discharge characteristics, total particle removal efficiency, and fractional particle removal efficiency. The effects of water droplets on particle removal, especially on removal of particles with different sizes, is investigated. The optimization work was done to determine appropriate water consumption, discharge electrode type, and specific collection area, which can provide a basis for wet ESP design and application.     

A comparison of model photochemical ozone formation potential with observed regional scale ozone formation during a photochemical episode over the United Kingdom in April 1987

A photochemical trajectory model has been employed to calculate the maximum potential for ozone generation in air parcels passing over the U.K. during a photochemical pollution episode in April 1987. In all, 11 trajectories have been studied and the model results compared against an objective analysis of the integrated ozone generation based on the observations reported from the U.K. Department of the Environment ground level O₃network. There is apparently good correlation between the observed O₃formation and the model O₃formation potential although the latter overestimates the former by a factor of about 2.8. The solar illumination conditions employed in the photochemical trajectory model may have caused this overestimation, since the model is formulated for O₃control strategy assessment and simulates the ‘worst case’ situation likely to give the maximum potential for secondary pollutant formation. In addition to the model results for O₃, a wide range of primary and secondary pollutant concentrations from the model were examined, together with the influence of precursor pollutant emissions.     

臭氧预氧化处理葡萄酒废水

葡萄酒废水的季节性波动常造成生化处理系统不稳定,使传统的生化处理工艺难以满足新的污水排放标准的要求。研究了臭氧预处理工艺对葡萄酒废水的处理效果及主要控制参数,结果表明,单独的臭氧预氧化对COD几乎无去除效果,但对色度的去除可达到90%;采用O3/H2O2组合工艺可使COD的去除率提高4倍。经臭氧预处理的出水再采用SBR进行好氧处理时,出水COD能降至80 mg/L以下,COD的降解速度及程度都高于未经臭氧处理的稀释原水。高效液相色谱(HPLC)分析显示,经臭氧处理后,除麦芽糖成分被完全去除外,其他各种成分的数量变化不大;GC/MS对废水中多酚类有机物的分析显示,臭氧预处理可将大量难降解的多酚类有机物分解,从而有助于后续生化处理的出水达到更高的污水排放标准。     

Economic Comparison of Selected Scenarios for Electrostatic Precipitators and Fabric Filters

Compliance with particulate standards for utility boilers burning low sulfur western coal has resulted in the installation and proposed installation of several fabric filter collectors where cold or hot electrostatic precipitators would have traditionally been applied. Recently, SO3 conditioning has been used to improve cold precipitator performance resulting in considerable reduction in specific collection area (SCA). All this suggests that trade-offs exist indicating ranges of SCA, A/C ratio, and power plant size (Mw) where fabric filters become competitive with electrostatic precipitators. Conceptual cost models are presented which indicate total capital investment and annual costs for the control devices. Precipitator costs are correlated with collecting area, gas flow rate, and power input and are presented as functions of SCA and Mw. Fabric filter costs are keyed to gross filter area, pressure drop, and gas flow rate. Fabric filters become competitive when a cold precipitator requires SCAs in excess of 600 to 800 and competitive when a hot precipitator requires equivalent cold precipitator SCAs in excess of 600 to 1000 depending on A/C ratio, Mw, and hot precipitator SCA credit allowance. The S0₃ conditioned precipitator scenario is shown to be economically competitive with fabric filters.     

Laboratory and field measurements of NOx produced from corona discharge

This research consists of a laboratory study and a field study. The laboratory research reports the formation of NO_x from a point to plane corona discharge. Discharge polarity and relative humidity determined the amount of NO_x that was produced. The positive point discharge caused more NO_x to form than the negative point discharge. For both polarities NO_x production showed a nonlinear increase with current. Relative humidity enhanced the NO_x formation for both polarities. In each case, the amount of NO_x formed was comparable to the quantity of N₂O produced from corona discharge. The research also reports the results from a field study that measured the amounts of 03 and NO₂ produced by corona discharge during a thunderstorm. The study found that the ambient concentrations of 03 and NO₂ increased several fold due to corona discharge and returned to original levels after the thunderstorm.     

Removal of SO2 from Simulated Flue Gases Using Non-Thermal Plasma-Based Microgap Discharge

Abstract

The removal of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from simulated flue gases streams (N₂/O₂/H₂O/SO₂) was experimentally investigated using microgap discharge. In the experiment, the thinner dielectric layers of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) were used to form the microgap discharge. With this physical method, a high concentration of hydroxyl (OH·) radicals were produced using the ionization of O₂ and H₂O to further the conversion of SO₂ into sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) at 120° C in the absence of any catalysts and absorbents, which were captured with the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). As a result, the increase of discharge power and concentrations of O₂ and H₂O increased the production of OH· radicals resulting in enhanced removal of SO₂ from gas streams. With the test and analysis, a number of H₂SO₄ droplets were produced in experiment. Therefore, a new method for removal of SO₂ in semidry method without ammonia (NH₃) additive was found.     

Ozone Transport

Elevated concentrations of ozone, often above the national ambient air quality standard for photochemical oxidants, have been measured in both urban and rural areas of Connecticut. One such episode took place on June 10, 1974. Ozone levels, after stabilizing at values slightly above the standard (i.e., 80 to 110 ppb; Connecticut generated ozone concentrations), rose sharply late in the afternoon reaching concentrations as high as 310 ppb (almost 4 times the standard) in Hartford. The trajectory of the air mass, which arrived in Hartford at the time of maximum O₃ occurence, had its origin in the metropolitan New York area during the early morning rush hour on the episode day. This illustrates that the advective transport of O₃ and O₃ precursors into Connecticut from New York are probably responsible for a significant portion (approximately two-thirds) of the elevated O₃ concentrations measured throughout Connecticut on days when winds are from the south-southwest direction. The fact that peak O₃ levels occur late in the afternoon, several hours after maximum sunlight intensity, reinforces the conclusion that excessive O₃ concentrations developed as O₃ and ozone precursors were generated in the vicinity of New York City and then drifted inland into Connecticut on the afternoon sea breeze.

It appears to be unrealistic to develop a hydrocarbon control strategy for Connecticut in order to meet the photochemical oxidant ambient air quality standard when O₃ and/or ozone precursors ad-vectively transported into the State cause oxidant levels to exceed the standard. The complete cessation of all anthropogenic hydrocarbon emissions in Connecticut would not necessarily assure that the standard would be attained here. The implication is that a regional (i.e., the eastern part of the United States) hydrocarbon control strategy is needed to reduce adequately ozone formation and transport so as to allow Connecticut to meet the current oxidant standard.     

泛比电阻电除尘器收尘性能实验研究

泛比电阻电除尘器是一种具有辅助电极和交错平板收尘电极的新型电除尘器.通过对其伏安特性及除尘效率的试验研究,并与传统线板式静电除尘器进行比较,结果表明辅助电极对电晕电流具有明显的抑制作用,在相同的外加电压下,泛比电阻电除尘器对高比电阻锅炉飞灰的收尘效率比普通的线板式电除尘器明显要高.     

Simple model for estimating dry deposition velocity of ozone and its destruction in a polluted nocturnal boundary layer

Determining the destructions of both ozone and odd oxygen, O_x, in the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) is important to evaluate the regional ozone budget and overnight ozone accumulation. This work develops a simple method to determine the dry deposition velocity of ozone and its destruction at a polluted nocturnal boundary layer. The destruction of O_x can also be determined simultaneously. The method is based on O₃ and NO₂ profiles and their surface measurements. Linkages between the dry deposition velocities of O₃ and NO₂ and between the dry deposition loss of O_x and its chemical loss are constructed and used. Field measurements are made at an agricultural site to demonstrate the application of the model. The model estimated nocturnal O₃ dry deposition velocities from 0.13 to 0.19 cm s^?1, very close to those previously obtained for similar land types. Additionally, dry deposition and chemical reactions account for 60 and 40% of the overall nocturnal ozone loss, respectively; ozone dry deposition accounts for 50% of the overall nocturnal loss of O_x, dry deposition of NO₂ accounts for another 20%, and chemical reactions account for the remaining 30%. The proposed method enables the use of measurements made in typical ozone field studies to evaluate various nocturnal destructions of O₃ and O_x in a polluted environment.     

Purification characteristics of fine particulate matter treated by a self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator equipped with a flexible electrode

A self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator was developed to investigate the removal performance for fine particles. Flexible material (polypropylene, 840A) and carbon steel in the form of a spiked band were adopted as the collection plate and discharge electrode, respectively. The particle concentration, morphology, and trace-element content were measured by electric low-pressure impactor, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, respectively, before and after the electrostatic precipitator. With increasing gas velocity, the collection efficiency of fine particles (up to 0.8 μm in diameter) increased, while it decreased for particles with diameters larger than 0.8 μm. Increasing the dust inlet concentration increased the collection efficiency up to a point, from which it then declined gradually with further increases in the inlet concentration. The particulate matter after the wet electrostatic precipitator showed different degrees of agglomeration. The collection efficiency of trace elements within PM₁₀ was less than that of the PM₁₀ itself. Notably, the water consumption in the current setup was significantly lower than for other treatment processes of comparable collection efficiencies.

Implications: Wet electrostatic precipitators, as fine filtration equipment, were generally applicable to coal-fired plants to reduce PM_2.5 emissions in China. However, high energy consumption and unstable operation, such as water usage and spray washing directly in the electric field, seriously restricted the further development. The utilization of self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator can solve these problems to some extent.     

The effect of ozone photochemistry on atmospheric and surface temperature changes due to large atmospheric injections of smoke and NOx by a large-scale nuclear war

A coupled one-dimensional radiative-convective and photochemical diffusion model (RCP model), which takes into account the interaction of ozone photochemistry on climate, is used to investigate the possible effects of smoke and NO_x generated by a large-scale nuclear war, on vertical temperature and ozone structure and surface climate. From the results of initial experiments with fixed O₃ it is found that for the nuclear smoke injection scenario adopted in this study (similar to the base line case of Turco etal., 1983), the average sunlight intensities would be reduced drastically (up to 97%), leading to a large cooling near the surface (up to 38 K) and intense heating (up to 110 K) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Variation of surface albedo, water vapour and clouds with time following the smoke injection would further enhance the surface cooling and prolong the temperature perturbation.Further experimental results with O₃ photochemistry interaction indicate that for the smoke and NO_x nuclear injection scenario considered in this study, the total O₃ column would decrease up to 50%, with a half recovery time of about 2 y. However more than half the total O₃ column reduction is caused by the heating of the stratosphere by smoke injection. The effect of stratospheric O₃ reductions on surface climate is not significant (less than 2.5 K. additional cooling). However the vertical temperature profile is altered in such a way that it would lead to a large increase in the thermal stability of the troposphere, while decreasing it in the stratosphere more than in the case of fixed O₃. Also discussed are the solar u.v.-B flux changes at the surface which result from the presence of smoke in the atmosphere initially and from stratospheric O₃ depletions as the smoke particles are removed from the atmosphere in time.     

Decomposition of Gas Phase 1,3-Butadiene by Ultraviolet/Ozone Process

Abstract

A pilot-scale plug-flow reactor was built to investigate its performance in treating airborne 1,3-butadiene (BD) via ozonation (O₃) and ultraviolet (UV)/O₃ technologies. Governing factors, such as the initial molar ratio of ozone to BD, UV volumetric electric input power, and moisture content in the influent airstream, were investigated. Experiments were conducted at an influent BD concentration of ～50 ppm, an ambient temperature of 26 °C, and a gas retention time of 85 sec. Results show that an initial molar ratio of ozone to BD of 3.5 and 2 sufficed to obtain BD decompositions of >90% for ozonation and UV/O₃, respectively. The UV irradiance did not directly promote the decomposition of BD, rather, it played a role in promoting the production of secondary oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals. Kinetic analyses indicate that both types of BD decomposition are peudo–first-order with respect to BD concentrations. Moisture content (relative humidity = 40–99%) and UV volumetric electric input power (0.147 and 0.294 W/L) are both factors that weakly affect the rate of BD decomposition. Economic evaluation factors, including both energy of ozone production and UV electric input power, were also estimated.     

Calculation Of Electric Field Strength Distributions For New Electrostatic Precipitator Discharge Electrode Designs

New collecting and discharge electrode configurations are being used in electrostatic precipitators. In order to mathematically model preclpitators with these arrangements, it is necessary to develop reliable models of the field strength distributions of these electrodeplate geometries. This paper presents the concept of an equivalent wire diameter and attenuation functions, permitting use of the well-known wire-plate calculations. Experimental data presented in this paper shows the approximation techniques are sufficiently accurate.