BACK-CORONA AND ITS CONTROL IN ELECTROSTSTIC PRECIPITATOR

Abstract The Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) is worldwide the most common dust collector to clean flue gases after coal fired boilers. A new patented concept to define back-corona has been introduced which enables the microprocessor controls to energize each ESP bus section individually, automatically and continuously to optimize the voltage and current to maximize the overall collection efficiency under varying process conditions. The new concept selects current and duty cycle in intermittent energization mode, based on continuos sampling and mathematical analysis of the secondary voltage from each bus section, referenced to the corona onset voltage. Maximal corona charging with minimized back-corona is achieved. This paper presents the philosophy of the optimizing softwares, and reports some recent emission improvement results from operation of ESPs, mainly after Pulverised Coal Fired boilers firing low-sulfur coals. The modular ESP control system approach The EPIC II ESP control system utilizes one EPIC II controller per ESP bus section, and needs one or more Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) as user interface. The RTU is a portable user interface that allows the operator to read or modify data from any node on the system. The FlktBus is a twisted wire cable used to interconnect the nodes- maximum 120 - in the control system. Figure 1 shows a typical EPIC II control system layout with two additional options, ProMo-II an IBM PC based software package for operators overview monitoring, logging and control, and Gateway II - an interface to eg the existing boiler control computer (DCS).

EPIC-II

Figure 1:

Typical EPIC II Control system, showing some possible nodes in an ESP with 8 Bus Sections

All new ProMo -II have modem communication possibility. This means that ESP remote control via standard telephone lines can be made - upon ESP owners demand - including ESP
1

process diagnostics, changing and upgrading of ProMo-II software etc. Todays state of the art is to diagnose normal ESP problems via this remote without the necessity (or cost) for a site visit by an ESP process expert. Back-corona how it happens and its reduction of the ESP collection efficiency The corona current from the discharge electrodes must penetrate the flyash layer on the collecting electrodes before reaching the grounded plate. The current through this layer generates a voltage drop proportional to the current and the resistivity of the fly ash. When the voltage drop across the fly ash layer is high enough, an electrical break-down is initiated in the fly ash, resulting in generation of positive and negative ions. The positive ions will create a corona current that moves in the direction towards the discharge electrodes. This positive charge corona is called back-corona because it moves in the wrong, undesired direction.

Back Corona in Dust Layer on Collecting Plate

Back-corona decreases the ESP collection efficiency in two ways: Some collected flyash is reentrained into the gas flow by the explosive nature of the voltage break-down in the collected fly ash Positive ions generated by the voltage break-down in the fly ash layer move to the discharge electrodes thereby discharging the negatively charged particles in the gas stream.

Back-corona can be minimized in basically two ways, both with the target to reduce the voltage drop across the dust layer on the collection plates: Either by reducing the resistivity of the dust that causes the ionization on the collecting plates. This can be made in different ways, eg by conditioning the gas that enters the ESP with eg SO3 or ammonia Or by reducing the average current from the T/R. This can be made with the use of Semipulse or full pulse technology. Semipulse is an intermittent charging of a conventional T/R, so made that the average current is kept low while the peak current is still high, giving a better distributed corona along the discharge electrodes. 2
2

Related options with same target (to reduce the voltage drop across the dust layer on the collecting plates) can be conditioning with (large) amounts of moisture that will increase the dielectrical strength of the gases entering the ESP, or exchange the ESP internals to a better designed ESP electrode geometry that will give a more even current distribution.. Figure 2, shows a Semipulse charging ratio (CR) of 1:3, or one used pulse per three possible (each pulse is a part of the mains half- wave). The charging ratio can be increased to cater for even the highest dust resistivities associated with very severe back-corona conditions.
T/R Current secondary current

time

Figure 2:

Semipulse, operating the T/R at CR 1:3

The EPOQ algorithm - suppresses Back-Corona to increase the ESP collection efficiency A disadvantage, up to now, has been that the optimal CR and current level for maximum ESP collection efficiency have been difficult to determine, because they change with changing flue gas conditions. By using optimal CR, sufficient current can be maintained to achieve a proper current distribution, while at same time keeping the back-corona to a minimum. The selection of optimal CR and current level assume that a correct estimation of the presence and severity of any back-corona in any bus section of an ESP has been made. With the help of powerful microprocessors that allow fast sampling and analysis of voltage and current curves, and advanced insight into the detection criteria of back-corona, it is now possible to determine and implement the best CR and current level, automatically and continuously. In this way the CR and current level that for each individual bus section give maximized ESP collection efficiency is always very closely maintained - for any ESP process change or variation. The outlined maximizing of the overall ESP collection efficiency is performed by a software in each individual microprocessor unit, called EPOQ (Electrostatic Precipitator Optimization of Q [Q = charging]). Typically each subsequent ESP section will have a more difficult flyash than the previous field (in some unusual cases an easier flyash may be seen in a subsequent field). The continous optimization of each bus section automatically leads to the best overall collecting efficiency of the whole ESP. To further reduce some other problems caused by back-corona, a software PCR (Power Control Rapping ) has been introduced in every microprocessor controller. Altering the T/R power during the rapping will alter the electro-mechanical forces that keep the dust adhered to the collecting plates.
3