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PILOT DEMONSTRATION OF SODIUM CARBONATE CONDITIONING
Citation:
Schliesser, S. PILOT DEMONSTRATION OF SODIUM CARBONATE CONDITIONING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-79/107.
Description:
The report describes a performance evaluation, conducted with a pilot electrostatic precipitator (ESP), studying the effects of injecting anhydrous sodium carbonate into the exhaust of a utility boiler burning Western coal. In situ resistivity measurements, ESP operating conditions, particulate concentration and size distribution measurements, and analyses of fly ash composition constitute the data assembled from this demonstration. The following results reflect the effects of conditioning the base fly ash with a 1-2% concentration as sodium oxide: (1) a sixfold reduction in resistivity; (2) a threefold improvement in average current density; (3) a threefold reduction in emission rate, significant enough to move performance from noncompliance to compliance; and (4) an enhancement in the fractional efficiency characteristics, particularly in the fine particle range. The characteristics of sodium carbonate conditioning are discussed, including the injection considerations, material specifications, and the distinctive rationale for resistivity reduction.