The flue gases produced due to combustion of solid pulverized fuel in the furnace

contain plenty of dust particles. When a chimney releases these flue gases in the
atmosphere without filtering these dust particles, the atmosphere may get polluted.
Hence, these dust particles need to be removed from the flue gases as much as
possible before these flue gases get discharged to the atmosphere. By removing the
dust particles from flue gases, we can control the air pollution. Electrostatic
precipitator does this work for a furnace system. We install this device in the way
of flue gases from the furnace to the chimney so that the device can filter the flue
gases before they enter the chimney.

Working Principle of Electrostatic Precipitator

The working principle of the electrostatic precipitator is quite simple. It has two
sets of electrodes one is positive, and another is negative. The negative electrodes
are in the form of rod or wire mesh. Positive electrodes are in the form of plates.
The positive plates and negative electrodes are placed vertically in the electrostatic
precipitator alternatively one after another.

The negative electrodes are connected to a negative terminal of high voltage DC

source, and positive plates are connected to the positive terminal of the DC source.
The positive terminal of the DC source may be grounded to get stronger negativity
in the negative electrodes. The distance between each negative electrode and
positive plate and the DC voltage applied across them are so adjusted that the
voltage gradient between each negative electrode and adjacent positive plate
becomes quite high to ionise the medium between these.

The medium between the electrodes is air, and due to the high negativity of
negative electrodes, there may be a corona discharge surround the negative
electrode rods or wire mesh. The air molecules in the field between the electrodes
become ionized, and move towards the positive plates and deposited on positive
plates. Here, the extra electron from the dust particles will be removed on positive
plates, and the particles then fall due to gravitational force. We call the positive
plates as collecting plates. The flue gases after travelling through the electrostatic
precipitator become almost free from ash particles and ultimately get discharged to
the atmosphere through the chimney. An electrostatic precipitator does not
contribute directly to the production of electricity in the thermal power plant, but it
helps to keep the atmosphere clean which is quite important for living beings.
Hoppers are fitted below the electrostatic precipitator chamber for collecting dust
particles. Water pray may be used on the top to accelerate the removal of the dust
from the collecting plates.

Advantages of Electrostatic Precipitator

• The High Efficiency of Removal of Particles/Pollutants

The efficiency of an electrostatic precipitator depends on a lot of factors like the
resistivity of the particles, the corona power ratio etc. For removal of particles under
normal circumstances, their efficiency is very high, up to 99% removal of dust
particles. Electrostatic precipitators have relatively high collection efficiencies (99-
100%) over a wide range of particle sizes (∼0.05-5 μm).

• Collection of Dry as Well as Wet Pollutants

There are two types of electrostatic precipitators: wet and dry. Dry ESPs are used for
collection of dry pollutants like ash or cement particles. Wet ESPs are used to remove
wet particles like as resin, oil, paint, tar, acid or anything that is not dry in the
conventional sense.

• Low Operating Costs

Operating costs for electrostatic precipitators are low and in the long run, they are
economically feasible.
Disadvantages of Electrostatic Precipitator

• High Capital Costs

Electrostatic precipitators have a high initial capital cost, which makes it
prohibitive for small-scale industries. They are expensive to purchase and install.

• Requires Large Space

In addition to being costly, they require large space to be set up. Again the value
proposition for small-scale industries gets reduced as they are costly as well as
need a lot of space to be set up.

• Not Flexible Once Installed

Electrostatic precipitators do not offer the flexibility of operation. Once installed, it
is difficult to change the capacity of the ESP or move it to a different location. So
proper planning needs to be done regarding the capacity, type and location for
installing the ESP.

• They cannot be used to collect gaseous pollutants

An electrostatic precipitator can be used for collecting only dry and wet pollutants
and not for gaseous pollutants. This is a major disadvantage of ESPs.

So, after going through the advantages and disadvantages of electrostatic

precipitators, we are in a position to conclude whether we should install ESPs in a
thermal power plant. Initial cost is definitely high and that makes it difficult for
small-scale industries to install it. But with government support, the cost can be
reduced for these sectors. With proper planning and land allocation, the
disadvantage of being inflexible and large space requirement can be negated. ESPs
can be used every effectively for dry and wet pollutants. Hence installing them can
bring a lot of benefits to the plant in the long run and keep the environment safe.
Electrostatic Precipitator: Working and Its Applications
There are many industries that can create the particulate matter in the process of
manufacturing, and then it releases the gases as well as dust into the environment.
When it releases particulate matters in the environment then that causes the reduction
of particulate visibility, and that can lead to climate change, health issues like
bronchitis, and lung infection. Fine elements are lesser than 0.0001 inch or 2.5
microns in length and that can be particularly hazardous because they can cause
inflammatory reactions and lung infections. To overcome these problems there is a
solution namely electrostatic precipitator (ESP) which can be used to remove the
particles, impurities in the air.

What is an Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP)?

Electrostatic Precipitator can be defined as a type of air cleaner or filter that

utilizes electric energy for removing the impurities, dust particles from the air. This
is a commonly used device for controlling air pollution. Most of the industries,
power stations generate fossil fuels in the process of electricity generation or
manufacturing process.

When these fuels burn, then the smoke will generate which includes the small soot
particles that are balanced the air. The carbon particles which are not burned can
pull out from the smoke with the help of electrical energy in the precipitator. It is
essential for removing carbon particles from the burn because it can harm human
health as well as properties like buildings.
Electrostatic Precipitator Construction
This device includes two sets of electrodes namely positive as well as negative.
The appearance of the positive electrodes is like plates whereas the negative
electrodes are in the shape of a wire mesh or rod. These two electrodes are
arranged vertically one after another in the precipitator. The connection between
the two electrodes can be done by connecting the positive and negative electrodes
to the two terminals of the DC source. The DC source positive terminal may be
connected to GND for getting strong negativity to the negative terminals. The
distance between the two electrodes and the applied DC voltage is corrected.

The components of electrostatic precipitators include Electrodes, 3 phase supply 50

Hz 440v, control cabinet, High voltage transformer, Rectifier, Hooper, and
Insulators.

 The control cabinet is applicable for interconnecting the transformer & 3

phase ac supply using wires.
 The function of a transformer in an electrostatic precipitator is for step-up &
step-down the voltage.
 The main function of a rectifier in an electrostatic precipitator is to alter the
AC supply into DC supply.
 The hooper is useful for storing the particles of dust & content of ash from
the electrostatic precipitator.
Electrostatic Precipitator Working
The electrostatic precipitator working principle is very simple. The unclean flue
gas flowing through the tube is supplied by two electrodes. The shape of the two
electrodes mainly depends on the type of precipitator employed like bars, plates,
metal wires, etc.

One of the plates is charged by a high negative voltage, which causes particulates
in the burn for getting a negative charge because they flow with this plate. The
next plate carries a high positive voltage equally, due to the fact that opposed
charges attract. The soot elements which are negatively charged are pulled in the
direction of the positive electrode & fix to it. Irregularly these two plates should be
cleaned for eliminating the collected dust.

Most of the electrostatic precipitator’s works in the same method, and there are
several dissimilarities as well as types that work well for different amounts of
pollution, shaped particles, and smoke compositions.
The Efficiency of Electrostatic Precipitator
At present, the applications of ESPs have become very standard in several industries
because of severe instruction as well as ever-growing air-pollution. Fixing one ESP
has become a necessity in a power plant where chimney gases are out.

However whether ESPs execute the function estimated from them will be decided by
calculating the device efficiency.  The efficiency requirement can depend on the type
of industry. The efficiency of an ESP can be affected by the factors like power ratio of
a corona, the collected dust resistivity, and the size of a particle.

The efficiency of ESP can be calculated by the Deutsch Anderson equation.

η = 1-e (-WA/Q)
Where “η’ is the efficiency of fractional collection.

“W’ is the velocity of the drift terminal in m/s.

‘A’ is the collection of the total region in m2.

‘Q’ is the volumetric rate of airflow in m3/s.

Advantages of Electrostatic Precipitator

The advantages of electrostatic precipitators include the following.

 The elimination of high-efficiency pollutants (or) particles

 Collection of dry & wet impurities
 The operating cost is low.

Disadvantages of Electrostatic Precipitator

The disadvantages of electrostatic precipitators include the following.

 Very expensive
 It requires huge space
 It is not supple once fixed
 They are not useful in collecting the gaseous pollutants
Electrostatic Precipitator Applications
The applications of electrostatic precipitators include the following.

 The most common application of an Electrostatic precipitator is an industrial

application for a smoke. It looks like a gas; however, it is basically an
accumulation of hard elements floating in the atmosphere. These elements can
be excited, letting them be composed of enormous, commercial precipitators.
 The dry electrostatic precipitators are used for collecting dry particles like
cement, ash, etc.
 The wet electrostatic precipitators are used for removing wet particles like
oil, tar, resin, acid, etc.
 Electrostatic Precipitators are used in steam plants for removing the dust
from flue gases.
 Electrostatic Precipitators are used in machine shops and chemical plants for
removing oil mists and acid mists.
 These are used to clean the blast or metallurgical heating system gases
 ESPs are used to remove the bacteria & fungus in the medical field.
 ESPs are used in air conditioning systems for sanitizing air
 ESPs are used to recover the materials in the flow of gas
 ESPs are used in zirconium sand for detaching the rutile in plants like dry
mills and rutile

Thus, this is all about an overview of ESP or electrostatic precipitators. So, from
the above information, we can conclude that the installation of ESPs in small-scale
industries is complicated due to its cost. Although by the support of the
government, the cost of the ESP’s will be decreased. By good planning as well as
land allotment the drawbacks can be negated. These devices are used for wet and
dry pollutants. Therefore fixing ESPs in power plants can get a lot of advantages to
keep the atmosphere harmless. Here is a question for you, What are the different
types of ESPs?
Basics of Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Operation

A dry electrostatic precipitator (ESP) electrically charges the ash

particles and imparts a strong electric field in the flue gas to collect and
remove them. An ESP is comprised of a series of parallel, vertical
metallic plates (collecting electrodes) forming lanes through which the
flue gas passes. Centered between the collecting electrodes are discharge
electrodes which provide the particle charging and electric field. This
figure shows a plan view of a typical ESP section which indicates the
process arrangement.(/en/products/electrostatic-precipitators-esp)

A transformer-rectifier (T-R) set along with an automatic voltage controller (AVC)

supply the high-voltage and unidirectional current to the discharge electrodes.
Several T-R sets are normally required to power a precipitator.

Charging The collecting electrodes are typically electrically grounded and

connected to the positive polarity of the high-voltage power supply. The discharge
electrodes are suspended in the flue gas stream and are connected to the output
(negative polarity) of a high-voltage power source. An electric field is established
between the discharge and collecting electrodes, and the discharge electrodes will
exhibit an active glow, or corona. As the flue gas passes through the electric field,
the particulate takes on an negative charge.

Collecting
The negatively charged particles are attracted toward the grounded collecting
electrodes and migrate cross the gas flow. Some particles are difficult to charge,
requiring a longer residence time. Other particles are charged easily and driven
toward the plates, but also may lose the charge easily after contacting the grounded
CE, requiring recharging and recollection. Resistivity is an inverse measure of a
particle’s ability to accept and hold a charge. Lower resistivity indicates improved
ability to accept a charge and be collected in an ESP.

Gas velocity between the plates is also an important factor in the collection process
since lower velocities permit more time for the charged particles to move to the
CEs and reduce the likelihood of migrating back into the gas stream (re-
entrainment). A series of CE and DE sections is generally necessary to achieve
overall particulate collection requirements.

The ash particles form an ash layer as they accumulate on the collection plates. The
particles remain on the collection surface due to the forces from the electric field as
well as the cohesive forces between particles. These forces also tend to make the
individual particles agglomerate, or cling together.

Cleaning
The ash layer must be periodically removed. The most common removal method is
rapping which involves mechanically striking the collection surface to dislodge the
ash. It is important that the rapping frequency allows an adequate thickness of dust
to collect on the plates so that the accumulated ash can be removed in sheets. This
sheeting is important to prevent the re-entrainment of individual particles into the
flue gas stream, requiring additional recharging and recollection downstream.
While most of the particles are driven to the CEs, particles in close proximity to
the DEs receive a positive charge and are therefore attracted to the DEs. If allowed
to accumulate, the ash layer would suppress corona generation. A separate rapping
system is therefore used to remove deposits from the DEs and maintain proper
operation.
Applications
Because coal is a common fuel for steam generation, collection of the coal ash
particles via an ESP is historically the most commonly used collection system. To
meet the particulate control regulations for utility units, as well as the required high
collection efficiency, special attention must be given to the details of precipitator
sizing, powering, electrical controls, rapping, flow distribution and gas by pass
around the collector plates. The result will be a collector that can continuously
operate to meet the particulate outlet emissions requirements. ESPs have also been
installed on boilers that fire oil as their principal fuel and operate at emission levels
similar to ESPs operating on coal-fired units.

In addition to coal, industrial steam generating units where ESPs are

successfully applied include municipal refuse incinerators, and wood or bark-fired
boilers. For these applications, the ash in the flue gas is typically more easily
collected than coal fly ash so an ESP of modest size will easily collect the
particulate.

In the pulp and paper industry, precipitators are used on power boilers and
chemical process recovery boilers. The power boiler particulate emissions
requirements are the same as those for the industrial units using the same fuels. For
recovery boilers, precipitators are used to collect the residual salt cake in the flue
gas. A recovery boiler is a unique application for a precipitator due to the small
particulate size and the tendency for the cohesive ash particles to stick together.
The resistivity of the particulate is low, so it is collected easily in the ESP.
However, the fine particulate can also cause problems with the generation of
effective corona by the DEs due to an effect called space charge.
(/en/industry/power-generation) (/en/industry/pulp-paper).