What

is
an
ESP???

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or

electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate
collection device that removes particles
from a flowing gas (such as air) using the
force of an induced electrostatic charge.

Electrostatic

precipitators
are
highly
efficient filtration devices that minimally
impede the flow of gases through the
device, and can easily remove fine
particulate matter such as dust and smoke
from the air stream.

Principle behind ESP

Precipitators

function by electrostatically
charging the dust particles in the gas stream.
The charged particles are then attracted to
and deposited on plates or other collection
devices.
When
enough
dust
has
accumulated, the collectors are shaken to
dislodge the dust, causing it to fall with the
force of gravity to hoppers below. The dust is
then removed by a conveyor system for
disposal or recycling.

Six activities typically take place:

Ionization - Charging of particles
Migration - Transporting the charged particles to the

collecting surfaces

Collection - Precipitation of the charged particles onto

the collecting surfaces

Charge

Dissipation - Neutralizing
particles on the collecting surfaces

the

charged

Particle Dislodging - Removing the particles from the

collecting surface to the hopper

Particle Removal - Conveying the particles from the

hopper to a disposal point

Most Basic-The Plate

Precipitator
The most basic precipitator contains

a row of thin wires, and followed by

a stack of large flat metal plates,
with the plates typically spaced
about 1 cm apart.

If the applied voltage is high

enough an electric discharge ionizes
the air around the electrodes.
Negative ions flow to the plates and
charge the gas-flow particles.

The ionized particles, following the

negative electric field created by

the power supply, move to the
grounded plates.

Components
The major precipitator components that
accomplish these activities are as follows
Discharge Electrodes
Collecting plates
Power Supply and controls
Rapping Systems
Hoppers and Dust Handling
Flue Gas Conditioning

Discharge Electrodes - Discharge electrodes emit

charging current and provide voltage that generates an

electrical field between the discharge electrodes and the
collecting plates
Power supply and controls - The power supply system

is designed to provide voltage to the electrical field (or

bus section) at the highest possible level.
Rapping Systems - Rappers are time-controlled

systems provided for removing dust from the collecting

plates and the discharge electrodes
Hoppers and Dust Handling - Precipitator hoppers are

designed to completely discharge dust load on demand.

Parameters of operation

Gas flow rate

A precipitator operates best with a gas velocity of 3.5 - 5.5

ft/sec. At higher velocity, particle re-entrainment increases
rapidly. If velocity is too low, performance may suffer from
poor gas flow distribution or from particle dropout in the
ductwork.
Particle size:
.

Particle resistivity

The higher the resistivity, the harder it is for a

particle to transfer its electrical charge
Gas temperature
Change in temperature changes the electrical
resistivity and also the choice of material for
construction of the ESP.
Interactions
Particle size distribution and particle resistivity
affect the cohesiveness of the layer of
precipitated material on the collecting plates

Design considerations
Precipitator Size

When sizing the precipitator, it is important to provide a crosssection that will maintain an acceptable gas velocit
Gas Velocity Distribution
Improving gas velocity distribution in the precipitator reduces
particle re-entrainment and boosts precipitator efficiency. Gas
velocity distribution can be modified by using flow control
devices and baffles
Particle Re-entrainment
Minimizing re-entrainment of dust particles is important to
improvement of precipitator efficiency.
Corona Power
An optimum amount of power should be supplied taking into
consideration the cost factor and the required efficiency.

Advantages
Versatility-effective performance on a wide range of

industrial processes
Low pressure loss- typically less than 1 bar
Designs can be produced to cover a temperature range
from ambient up to 850C
Low maintenance requirements
Electrostatic Precipitator can be installed on any
existing wet scrubber installation

Disadvantages
It cant be used with materials explosive in nature.
Gases passing through ESP should not contain

entrained droplets & any other sticky material.

It works best for particles having resistivity ranging
between moderate levels(108 to 1010 ohms-cm)
During startup of the unit, warm exhaust gases enter
the precipitator. This can cause the formation of water
or water and acid droplets which could cause severe
corrosion in the unit. (overcome by using a bypass)
Toxic gases such as ozone and oxides of nitrogen may
be produced by negatively charged discharge
electrodes.

Related Techniques

Gravity Settling Chambers

Baffle Chamber
Mechanical Collectors
Particulate Wet Scrubbers
Cyclone Separators
Fabric Filters

Comparison Between ESP and Other Technique

In a ESP the energy input works only on the paticles being

collected but not on the entire gas stream as in other

separators
An ESP can handle input streams at a higher temperature.
ESPs have higher efficiency as compared to any other
collection devices.