Air Pollution Control Innovations

Marine Diesel Engine SO2 Scrubbers

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Wed, Mar 07, 2012 @ 03:04 PM

In 2010 I blogged about a Marine Scrubber system to remove SO2 from marine diesel engine exhaust gas.  This month, Envitech completed a 3MW marine diesel engine SO2 scrubber that will be used to clean the stack gases of ships while at dock at the Port of Long Beach, CA.Marine Scrubber   The scrubber will be used for the Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECs) by Advanced Cleanup Technologies, Inc..    The system will undergo duration tests at the port during 2012 and 2013 with the goal of obtaining a verification certificate by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). 

The AMECs system is a stationary system that uses a bonnet to capture the exhaust gas from the ships stack while at port. The exhaust gases are conveyed to the AMEC system to clean the gases of particulate (PM), NOx and SOx before exhausting to atmosphere. This allows the ship to operate its auxiliary engines and boiler system while at port to provide power to the ship.  The AMECs system provides a cost effective way for ships and port operators to reduce emissions and to meet tougher regulatory standards. 

In a parallel track, the maritime industry is looking for ways to meet tougher standards not only at port but while operating at sea based on the IMO Annex VI MARIPOL Tier III requirements. Envitech continues to develop De-SOx technology options for ship based marine diesel engines.  We are currently building a 3MW marine diesel SO2 scrubber system that will be used in a demonstration unit for a complete after treatment system for SOx and NOx. The system will undergo validation testing in a state of the art marine engineering facility.  Testing will begin before the end of this year.

Please click on the icon below to download a case study on the Envitech HYSEA DeSOx scrubber.

Download  Case Study

Topics: Scrubbers, SO2 Scrubber

Ultra-low SO2 Scrubber

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Tue, May 03, 2011 @ 02:41 PM

I posted previous blogs discussing the South Coast Air Qualitydescribe the image Management District (SCAQMD) Regional Clean Air Incentives Market   RECLAIM program and the A&WMA/AQMD SOx Control Technology Conference held at Diamond Bar, CA on March 17th.  During the conference I participated as a panel member to present Envitech’s Ultra-Low SO2 scrubber design.  I will also be giving this presentation at the upcoming International Conference on Thermal Treatment Technologies (IT3) in Jacksonville, FL, May 10-13, 2011 and again at the Annual Air & Waste Management Conference in Orlando, FL June 21-24, 2011.  Envitech will have a booth at the IT3 conference.

Below is an abstact for discussing the Ultra-Low SO2 scrubber design.  You can click the icon below to download the paper.

High Efficiency SO2 Scrubber Design to Reduce Caustic Consumption

ABSTRACT 

An industrial facility located in Southern California operates a thermal oxidizer to treat vapor recovery and waste gas streams containing sulfur compounds.  The facility has an available source of alkali waste water which could be a potential scrubbing solution.  Several technologies were evaluated to replace the existing control equipment for reducing SO2 emissions.  Incentives exist for similar facilities with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Regional Clean Air Incentives Program (RECLAIM) to reduce SOx emissions below the facilities operating permit limits.  The RECLAIM program is requiring plants to achieve less than 5 ppmv SO2 stack emissions and greater than 99% SO2 removal.

Plans are currently underway to replace the existing control equipment with a two stage packed bed scrubber system.  This arrangement enables the plant to achieve very low emission limits and reduce caustic consumption by as much as 28% compared to a single stage scrubber.  It also provides flexibility for future use of available alkali waste water to reduce caustic consumption by as much as 75% compared to a single stage caustic scrubber.  This reduction will save an estimated $165,000 per year in operating cost. This paper will discuss the system design and how it achieves low outlet emissions while reducing overall chemical consumption.  It will also discuss several other design considerations and benefits.  The design approach provides a viable alternative for other Southern California facilities impacted by the SOx RECLAIM program as well as facilities in other regions.

Click on below icon to download whitepaper.

Download Paper

Topics: Scrubbers, SO2 Scrubber

SOx Control Technologies Conference & SOx RECLAIM

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Thu, Mar 24, 2011 @ 04:58 PM

This is a follow-up to my blog post last week on SOx scrubbers and the AQMD RECLAIM program.  I was a panel member duringdescribe the imageone of the conference sessions for the SOx Control Technologies & Emissions Monitoring for Stationary Sources hosted by AQMD and the Air & Waste management Association (A&WMA).  The conference was held on March 17th at the South Coast AQMD facility in Diamond Bar, CA.  There were about 90 attendees at the conference and my understanding is that all but one of the 11 major facilities impacted by the AQMD RECLAIM program had someone in attendance.

 

There were interesting presentations given in the morning sessions focused primarily on refinery applications. These included presentations by both INTERCAT and GRACE on additives that can be used in Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCU’s) to reduce SOx emissions without add-on controls.  This type of approach will likely be used by most of the local refineries to meet shorter term requirements. However, the speakers noted limitations for achieving lower outlet emissions in the 5 ppmv range.  These can include higher chemical consumption and impacts on opacity.  This suggests there may still be a need for back end controls to meet longer term requirements to achieve limits below 5 ppmv.

 

PRAXAIR gave an informative presentation introducing their Refinery Gas Processor (RGP) technology.  This technology is targeted at treating non-H2S sulfur compounds (Mercaptans, COS/Sulfides, Disulfides, Thiophenes) for use in conjunction with existing amine H2S removal systems.  The RGP technology can enable a 90% reduction of non-H2S sulfur  from refinery fuel gas.

 

Another issue discussed during the conference was the ability accurately measure and report outlet emissions as low as 5 ppmv.  This will present a challenge for many facilities because most existing monitoring equipment are designed for measuring outlet emissions at higher concentrations.  However, several panel members from the afternoon session on emissions measurements provided useful information on how to address these challenges. These include presentations from:

I gave a talk during the afternoon session on control technologies. This session was dedicated to wet scrubber technology for achieving ultra-low SOx emissions.  Ultra-low is loosely understood to be less than 5 ppmv.  This is generally a longer term target for the AQMD RECLAIM program.  Most the technologies focused on wet gas scrubbers for refinery FCCU units.   I presented an innovative SOx scrubber design to remove SO2 from a thermal oxidizer exhaust at an industrial facility located in Southern California. The exhaust contains more than 1,000 ppm of SO2 and the facility is required to achieve less than 5 ppmv with greater than 99% removal efficiency.  There are several advantages of the scrubber design for applications requiring ultra-low SO2 emissions.  The scrubber design may be a viable option for some of the facilities impacted by the AQMD RECLAIM program including FCCU units and glass manufacturers.  I’ll provide a future blog post that gives more information about the ultra-low SO2 scrubber design.

If you would like to download the white paper on an ultra-low SO2 scrubber design, click the link below.

Download Paper

Topics: Scrubbers, SO2 Scrubber, Acid Gas

SOx Scrubbers and AQMD RECLAIM Program

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Mon, Mar 14, 2011 @ 02:08 PM

A hot topic right now in California is the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Regional Clean Air IncentivesC  Andrew Bartocci Plant Pics LA Smog Market (RECLAIM), adopted in October 1993.  The purpose of the RECLAIM program is to reduce NOx and SOx emissions through a market-based program.  Reduction of these pollutants helps reduce smog and improve visibility.  Recent proposed amendments will affect eleven major facilities which emit and estimated 93% of the total emissions from the SOx RECLAIM facilities.  These amendments will require many facilities to reduce SOx emissions below the level of control they currently have in place.  Financial incentives exist for other facilities to reduce emissions below existing permit limits. 

 

The West Coast Section of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) is hosting a technical conference on innovative SOx control strategies and technologies for stationary sources on March 17-18, in Diamond Bar, CA.  Part of the conference is dedicated to providing an overview of the regulatory landscape including new federal rulC  Andrew Bartocci Plant Pics LA Clear Day 3es related to SOx and the recently amended SOx RECLAIM program.  I will be giving a presentation on an innovative SO2 scrubber design used at an industrial facility in Southern California to remove SO2 from a thermal oxidizer. The SO2 scrubber is designed to achieve low outlet emissions below 5 ppmv and greater than 99% removal efficiency.  The presentation will discuss the advantages and benefits of the design, including reduction in caustic consumption. Continued efforts to deploy better technology and reduce emissions will enable clearer skies in the face of growing populations.

To learn more about achieving ultra low SO2 emissions, please download our white paper.

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Photo Credit, LA Smog - Recursive_1

Photo Credit, LA Clear Day - Nomadlovebird 

 

Topics: Scrubbers, SO2 Scrubber

Wet Scrubbers for Gasifier Gas Cleaning

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 11:57 AM

I gave recent presentations at the International Biomass Conference in Minneapolis, MN and the International Thermaldescribe the image Treatment (IT3) Conference in San Francisco, CA on wet scrubbers for gasification.  Below is the paper abstract. A free download of the paper and presentation is available by clicking the links below. The paper discusses two common tar management approaches regarding syngas cleaning:

  1. Thermal Tar Destruction Systems 
  2. Tar Removal Systems

ABSTRACT

Concern for global climate change coupled with high oil prices has generated new interest in renewable energy sources.  Many innovative companies are working to commercialize these sources using gasification to convert waste to energy and fuels.  Gasification is a thermal conversion process which produces synthetic gas (syngas).  With proper cleaning, syngas can be used to fuel an internal combustion engine (ICE) to drive a generator, and produce electricity.  Waste heat is recovered from the system to improve the overall plant efficiency. 

During gasification, various pollutants may be produced depending on the type of gasification process and the make-up of the waste feedstock.  The feedstock can vary from biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW), to even medical or hazardous waste.  The pollutants involved can include large to sub-micron particulate matter, tars, and acid gases.  A key challenge to commercializing gasification is designing a syngas cleaning system that removes pollutants to a level that is tolerated by the ICE (or fuels and chemical production system) and also meets emission standards. This paper will discuss different approaches to tar removal and control strategies for the various pollutants. 

Please click on the icon below to download the IT3 conference white paper and the International Biomass Conference presentation. 

Download Paper

Download Free Presentation

Topics: gasification, Scrubbers, syngas, tar removal

Wet Scrubbers for meeting the new HMIWI MACT Standard

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 06:53 AM

Biohaz logoI gave recent presentations at the International Thermal Treatment (IT3) Conference in San Francisco and the Annual AWMA conference in Calgary, Canada that discusses the new hospital/medical/infectious waste incineration (HMIWI) MACT standard and implications for existing systems.  Below is the abstract.  A free download is available by clicking on the link below.  The paper presents emissions data on several scrubber systems and discusses how these relate to the new rules.  I also discuss cost effective strategies to comply with the new rules using add-on controls. 

ABSTRACT

On October 6th, 2009, proposed revisions to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission guidelines (EGs) for the Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) Standards became final. These regulations, originally promulgated in 1997, were established under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and serve as the maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators.

Wet scrubbers are currently used on many hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators in the United States.  The new emission limits exceed the design capability of most of these systems, primarily with respect to particulate matter (PM), lead (Pd), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg). As a consequence, new control strategies are needed to meet the more stringent standards. 

This paper presents a cost effective control strategy for meeting the new limits and discusses how the strategy has been implemented on similar hazardous waste incinerator scrubbers.

Please click on the below icon to download a white paper on this topic: "Wet Scrubber Control Strategy to Meet the New Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerator Standard"  

Download Free Paper

Photo Credit: bravosixninerdelta

 

Topics: Venturi scrubbers, Scrubbers, MACT Standards

Seawater Scrubber Removes SO2 from Marine Diesel Engine Exhaust

Posted by Andy Olds on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 12:32 PM

On March 18th, 2010 I participated on a panel discussion for the Cruise Lines International Association's Inc. (CLIA) Exhaust Gas Scrubber (EGS) Workshop in Miami, Fl. The workshop was professionally managed by BMT Designers & Planners, a navycruise ship architecture and marine engineering firm.   The panel was comprised of potential marine exhaust gas scrubber vendors.  The intent of the workshop was to provide information to cruise line participants to assess the maturity of the industry and the likelihood that exhaust gas cleaning systems will be a feasible response to the challenges of changes in regulations.

The industry is evaluating alternatives for meeting upcoming SOx emission limits under Annex VI of Marpol 73/78.  The SOx emission limits will require ships to achieve at least a SOx reduction equivalent to 0.1% sulfur fuel by 2015.  This requirement can be met by using more expensive, low sulfur fuel, or by scrubbing the exhaust gas stream.  The rules essentially require > 97% SOx removal assuming 3.5% sulfur fuel.   The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems, Annex 4, Resolution MEPC.170(57), adopted April 4th, 2008 to specify the requirements for testing, survey certification, and verification of exhaust gas cleaning (EGS) systems to ensure compliance with Annex VI.   

Envitech first started evaluating the marine scrubber application in early 2008 at the request of one of the major cruise lines.  The cruise line was interested in working with a company that could apply industrial air pollution control equipment experience to marine diesel exhaust streams on board a ship.   Envitech has deployed many particulate and acid gas scrubbers on a wide range of combustion processes including a seawater scrubber for an industrial waste incinerator at a pharmaceutical plant.  Many of these systems are similar process requirements for a diesel engine exhaust.   As a result of our evaluation Envitech developed, and recently filed a patent application for, the Hysea Marine Scrubber which is a hybrid seawater scrubber system.  We introduced this technology to the industry during the CLIA EGS workshop.

The Hysea Marine Scrubber uses available seawater alkalinity to scrub SOx.  The system is chemically assisted with caustic solution (NaOH) to achieve high SOx removal and reduced water flow rates.  The chemical consumption is minimal and estimated to be less than 7% of the usage of a closed loop, recirculation system.  The system is designed to provide flexibility to operate in two modes:

  • Open Loop/Caustic Reduced Mode - Continuous, once-though liquid discharge.
  • Closed loop/bunkering Mode - Re-circulated seawater with a small discharge stream that can be temporarily bunkered on board the ship.

The discharge liquid in both operating modes is treated to meet regulatory requirements.  Because chemical assistance with caustic substantially reduces the water flow rate, the water treatment system becomes more manageable on board a ship.  The water treatment system also re-oxygenates the water to meet chemical oxygen demand (COD) standards.

The table below shows a comparison of three different marine scrubber configurations, including:

  • Open Loop - Using once through seawater
  • Closed Loop - Using re-circulated water
  • HySea Marine Scrubber - Using chemically assisted Seawater

 

 

ITEM OPEN LOOP CLOSED LOOP HYSEA
Water
   Open Loop Mode
   Closed Loop Mode
Sea Water
Once-Through
-
Fresh Water
Re-circulated
-
Sea Water
Once-through
Re-circulated
Blowdown, gpm
    Open Loop Mode
    Closed Loop Mode

10,000
-

-
5

2,300
5
Energy Consumption, kW
    Open Loop Mode
    Closed Loop Mode

290
-

45
-

90
45
Caustic Consumption
  (est. average), gph
    Open Loop Mode
    Closed Loop Mode


0
-


-
60


4
60

A comparison of the operating parameters highlights the reduced water and power consumption of the hybrid system compared to an open loop system.  It also shows the substantial caustic reduction compared to a closed loop system.  The main advantages of the Hysea Marine scrubber include:

  • Reduced seawater flow rates - 75% - 80% Reduction
    • Reduced power consumption - 70% - 75% Reduction
    • Smaller piping - Simplified installation
    • Smaller water treatment system - Simplified installation
  • High removal efficiency -  0.1% sulfur fuel equivalent
    • Including low alkalinity seawater conditions
  • Operating flexibility to bunker a low flow discharge stream
  • Reliance on reliable and proven process technology
  • Water discharge that exceeds  discharge requirements
  • Water treated for chemical oxygen demand (COD)

Although the Hysea scrubber was designed for ship board use for a diesel engine exhaust, the same design principals also apply to acid gas scrubbing for land based industrial processes that have access to seawater.

A lot of interest in Marine exhaust gas cleaning systems was expressed during the EGS workshop. However, the cruise line industry is still evaluating the full range of options for complying with Annex VI of Marpol 73/78.  The general consensus of the panel participants is that exhaust gas cleaning is not only technically feasible, but provides a compelling financial case as a means for meeting the new regulations.

Please read our case study on reducing SO2 emissions for ships docked at ports by clicking the link below.

Download  Case Study

Photo Credit: Saint Seminole

Topics: Scrubbers, cleaning systems, Acid Gas

NOx Scrubbers Using Packed Bed Absorbers

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Tue, Mar 02, 2010 @ 02:22 PM

NOx refers to a class of pollutants that is any binary compound of nitrogen and oxygen and is a main contributor to what is commonlyNOx Smog referred to as smog.  It is most commonly produced in combustion processes, but can also be generated in non-combustion processes like metal refining, picking baths, or nitric acid manufacturing to name a few.  The following link: EPA NOX technical bulletin, provides a good overview of NOx as a pollutant, but focuses mostly on NOx formed by combustion processes.

This blog post focuses on non-combustion NOx abatement using packed bed scrubbers.  In general a NOx Scrubber System can be comprised of a single packed bed absorber to several other system components, including:

  • Quencher
  • Stage 1 Packed Bed: Conversion of NO to NO2
  • Stage 2 Packed Bed: Absorption and Reduction of NO2
  • Stage 3 Packed Bed: H2S Odor Control.

The actual configuration will depend on a combination of factors including:

The temperature of the inlet gas

  • The ratio of NO/NO2
  • The Outlet NO limit
  • Preferences of the plant regarding the risk of H2S odors.

Each component is further described below.

Quencher - The quench stage is used to cool the gas to the saturation in the case the inlet gas is hot. This is done with an evaporative quencher constructed of metal.

Stage 1 Packed Bed: Conversion of NO to NO2 - This stage is used in the case there is a sufficiently high concentration of NO in the inlet gas stream or sufficiently low outlet concentration limit for NO.  NO is essentially insoluble in water, but it can be quickly oxidized to NO2 by chlorine dioxide (ClO2) or ozone (O3).  This can be done using a packed bed, but the reaction of NO actually occurs in the gas phase. The packed bed functions as a ClO2 generator and static mixer, or as a static mixer for ozone injected in the form of an aqueous solution. ClO2 can be generated by the reaction of sodium chlorite (NaClO2) with a strong acid. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is commonly used, but if the air being scrubbed contains enough nitric acid fumes, it may not be necessary to add much H2SO4.  Most NOx scrubbers don't have an oxidation stage. When NOx is generated by the reaction of nitric acid with metals, it usually consists mainly of NO2. NO is invisible, and it is much less toxic than NO2. (The Threshold Limit Value for 8-hour workplace exposure to NO is typically 25 ppmv, vs. 3 ppmv for NO2.)

Stage 2 Packed Bed: Absorption and Reduction of NO2 - NO2 reacts only slowly with caustic solutions, and when it does, a competing reaction with water converts part of the NO2 back to NO. So scrubbing NO2 using NaOH alone is very inefficient.  For efficient removal of NO2, a strong reducing agent that reacts faster (usually sodium hydrosulfide: NaHS) is added as required to maintain an ORP of about -400 mV in the scrubbing solution. NaOH is added as required to maintain pH ≥ 12.5, in order to minimize H2S emissions.

Stage 3 Packed Bed: H2S Odor Control - This stage is optional. If the pH and ORP settings in Stage 2 are adjusted properly, there will be little H2S released from that stage. However, the strongly alkaline hydrosulfide solution in Stage 2 is a severe environment for pH and ORP probes, so the probes will tend to get out of calibration faster than they would in a scrubber operating at lower pH levels. Some customers with NOx scrubbers prefer to install a caustic scrubbing stage as a second line of defense against odor emissions.  This may be more important to plants located near other businesses or a residential community.  The wastewater from Stage 3, containing excess NaHS and excess NaOH, can be recycled to the sump of Stage 2 in order to reduce chemical usage there.

Please click the icons below to view a video of a packed bed scrubber and a horizontal quencher video.

Free Video

packed bed scrubber

Photo Credit: monovinyl

Topics: Scrubbers, Acid Gas

Venturi Scrubber Operation for Variable Flow Conditions

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 09:59 AM

Venturi scrubbers are commonly used in pollution control systems as particulate control devices. Particles are collected primarily according to their aerodynamic size through inertial mechanisms.  Good particle collection is achieved by maintaining a high differential velocity between particles in the gas stream and water droplets in the Venturi throat.  A high differential velocity is created by reducing the cross sectional area in the Venturi throat and thereby creating a pressure drop.  The reduction in area accelerates the particles relative to water that is injected into the throat perpendicular to the gas flow.  As particles collide with the water droplets they become entrained. The particle laden droplets are then collected in the Venturi sump and are purged in a blowdown stream.  

A key to Venturi performance is therefore maintaining a constant pressure drop across the throat. This is relatively straightforward if you have a process with a constant flow rate. However, many processes have variable flow rates.  An incinerator or kiln comes to mind where there are changing flow rates throughout the process cycle. In many cases the variation may be as high as 4:1 or 6:1 from the maximum to minimum flow rate.  This ratio is often called the turn-down ratio.  Three methods of maintaining a constant pressure drop for variable flow conditions are discussed below:

  • Reflux Damper
  • Variable Throat
  • Manual Inserts

Reflux Damper - A reflux damper is often used on Venturi scrubber systems for solid waste combustors.  A solid waste combustor can be an incinerator, kiln, gasifier, or plasma reactor.  The Venturi is designed for the maximum flow condition.  When the gas flow decreases, ambient air is recycled to the Venturi inlet through a pneumatically actuated damper to make up the difference.  The ambient air is recycled from the downstream side (clean side) of an induced draft fan which is used to pull the gas through the system.  The damper modulates to maintain the combustor draft pressure based on a 4-20 mA control signal from a draft sensor mounted in the combustor chamber.

The flow rate is equal to the design gas velocity times the cross sectional area.  As the flow rate decreases the cross sectional area must be reduced to maintain the design gas velocity.  For this reason a reflux damper is particularly recommended for smaller gas flows because it is easier to modulate than for a variable throat. This is because the gas velocity of a reflux damper is about 1/6th the gas velocity of a Venturi throat.  A reflux damper is therefore less sensitive to flow rate variation.  This makes it easier to tune and maintain the control loop.  Another advantage of a reflux damper is the recycled gas is clean because it has already passed through the Venturi. Therefore there is no potential for fouling the damper blade from particulate in the gas.

Venturi ScrubberThe adjacent photo shows a 400 lb/hr medical waste incinerator scrubber with a Venturi inlet flow rate of 1,200 scfm.  The reflux damper can be seen as the white horizontal duct from the ID fan outlet to the Venturi inlet on the right hand side of the rectangular condenser/absorber box.

Variable Throat - A variable throat Venturi is another common method of maintaining a constant pressure drop across a Venturi scrubber system.  A valve is integrated into the Venturi throat.  At maximum flow, the valve is fully open. As the flow decreases, the valve closes to reduce the cross sectional area accordingly.  The variable throat can be a damper blade, butterfly valve, plumb bob, or pinch valve.  As discussed above, variable throats are generally more suitable for larger gas flow processes.  Consideration should be given to the potential for fouling from particulate build up on the valve.  Particulate can accumulate and get stuck behind a butterfly valve, damper blade or on the shaft of a plumb bob. This can impede the ability to adjust or modulate the throat.  The potential for this type of fouling may depend on the nature of the particulate. Envitech often uses variable throat Venturi's on industrial dryer applications.  Variable throat Venturi's were discussed in a previous blog post, Venturi Scrubber: Adjustable Throats

Manual Inserts - A third approach for maintaining a constant pressure drop is the use of manual inserts.  This approach might be taken for a process that has distinct flow rates for long periods of time. It might also be used in situation where the design conditions are uncertain, say for a pilot or demonstration plant.   The use of manual inserts provides a way of designing flexibility into the equipment.

Please click on the icon below to view a video of a variable throat Venturi.

Free Video

 

Topics: particulate control, Venturi scrubbers, Scrubbers, videos, cleaning systems

Wet Electrostatic Precipitator Control for Meeting Metals Emissions

Posted by Andy Bartocci on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 09:10 AM

There are several industrial processes that face the challenge of meeting increasingly aggressive metals emission standards.  In many cases these standards exceed the capability of existing air pollution control equipment which can include bag-houses and packed bed absorbers. Some of these processes include:Refinery

  • Secondary lead smelters
  • Lead refining
  • Refinery sludge incinerators
  • Geothermal energy plants

Some of the metals of concern can include mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, nickel and others, depending on the process.  To achieve more stringent metals emission standards, three features should be designed into the air pollution control system. 

  • Removal of the bulk particulate load
  • Sub-cooling the gas
  • Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) for polishing

Geothermal EnergyRemoval of the bulk particulate load - Removal of the bulk particulate load may be required if there is a high particulate concentration from the upstream process.  This will be the case for secondary lead smelters, lead refining, and refinery sludge incinerators.   Geothermal energy plants will not have this requirement.  A bag-house will be used for secondary lead smelters and lead refining.  A wet Venturi scrubber system can be used for refinery sludge incinerators   Removal of the bulk particulate minimizes space-charge effects inside the WESP. Space-charge effects occur when particles interact and repel each other. This reduces WESP performance because it interferes with the migration of charged particle to the tube wall for collection.

Sub-cooling the gas - Some of the volatile metals may be in the vapor phase when they pass through a bag-house at higher temperature.  In this case they will pass right through the bag-house and will not be collected.   Sub-cooling the gas is done after the bag-house and uses a condenser/absorber to cool the gas below the saturation temperature.  Sub-cooling is beneficial because it condenses as much of the volatile metals as possible so they can later be removed as particulate.  In the case where a Venturi is used to remove bulk particulate, like for a refinery sludge incinerator, it has the added benefit of condensing water onto the particulate and condensed metals.  This increases their diameter making them easier to remove in a Venturi scrubber.  Sub-cooling also reduces the gas volume, which helps to reduce the size and cost of a downstream WESP.

Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) for polishing - A wet electrostatic precipitator is used as a final particulate polishing stage.  The performance is relatively independent of the particle size so it is highly effective at sub-micron particulate control.  In some cases, a condenser/absorber (C/A) for sub-cooling can be integrated into the conditioning section of an upflow WESP.  This was successfully done at a secondary lead smelter downstream of bag-house.  The C/A was also used to neutralize SO2 in the gas stream. The integrated C/A and WESP achieved > 98% removal of arsenic and > 92% removal of lead and other condensed metals after the bag-house.  This substantially reduced the plants cancer risk index and helped to meet more stringent fence line lead emission standards. 

To download a free white paper on wet electrostatic precipitator for a secondary lead smelter, click the link below.

wet electrostatic precipitator

Download Free White Paper

 

To view a free wet electrostatic precipitator video, click on the link below. 

wet electrostatic precipitator
 
Free Video

Geothermal by Louis Falcon

Refinery by Szeke

Topics: Venturi scrubbers, Scrubbers, wet electrostatic precipitators