ACOUSTIC HOT GAS CLEANUP OF COAL ASH PARTICLES

THE PARTICLES THAT ARE A NATURAL PRODUCT IN THE HOT GAS EXHAUST OF COAL GASIFIERS AND COMBUSTORS MUST BE REMOVED, OR THEY WILL CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE TO DOWNSTREAM EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO EXTRACT ENERGY FROM THE FLOW. A HOT, PARTICLE-LADEN EXHAUST IS AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT THAT PLACES SEVERE CONSTRAINTS ON THE MATERIALS AND PROCESSES USED IN THE VARIETY OF DEVICES THAT MIGHT REMOVE THESE PARTICLES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL PARTICLE REMOVAL TECHNIQUES IS HAMPERED BECAUSE CURRENT TESTING FACILITIES ARE EXPENSIVE TO OPERATE AND USE SIMULATED ASH PARTICLES. THIS PROJECT IS CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REALISTIC, INEXPENSIVE SOURCE OF COAL-ASH-LADEN HOT GAS AND ITS USE TO TEST ACOUSTIC PARTICLE AGGLOMERATION. A SMALL COAL-PARTICLE FLAME FOLLOWED BY A HEATED TUBE REACTOR SUPPLIES A CONTROLLABLE, HIGH TEMPERATURE, ASH-PARTICLE-LADEN COMBUSTION PRODUCT EXHAUST THAT CAN BE USED TO TEST HOT GAS CLEANUP TECHNIQUES. IN PHASE I, THIS APPARATUS IS BEING BUILT AND TESTED TO ANSWER CRUCIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ACOUSTIC AGGLOMERATION UNDER REALISTIC CONDITIONS.