NON-TOXIC ADDITIVES FOR IMPROVED FABRIC FILTER PERFORMANCE

IMPROVED FABRIC FILTER PERFORMANCE FOR BOTH THE COLLECTION OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PARTICLES LESS THAN 10 MICRONS) AND TOXIC METAL EMISSIONS FROM FLUEGASES IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MOST OF THE TOXIC METALS ARE CONCENTRATED IN THIS SIZE RANGE, FINE PARTICLES ARE RESPIRABLE AND THEREFORE POSE A HEALTH RISK, AND FINE PARTICLES ARE EFFECTIVE LIGHT SCATTERERS AND LEAD TO HIGH OPACITY LEVELS. IT IS PLANNED IN PHASE I TO DEMONSTRATE THAT NOVEL FLUE GAS CONDITIONING PRODUCTS CAN IMPROVE FINE PARTICLE COLLECTION EFFICIENCY AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF FABRIC FILTERS. NEW FLUE GAS CONDITIONING ADDITIVES FOR FABRIC FILTERS WILL BE EVALUATED IN THE LABORTORY USING A FLUE GAS SIMULATOR AND A FILTER TEST DEVICE(FTD). THE FTD USES SHORT SECTIONS OF FULL-SCALE BAGS AND HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN COMPARISON WITH BOTH PILOT-AND FULL-SCALE FABRIC FILTERS. THE CANDIDATE ADDITIVES ARE BOTH COST EFFECTIVE AND NON-TOXIC. SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THESE ADDITIVES WILL INCREASE THE NUMBEROF ADDITIVE CHOICES PRESENTLY AVAILABLE TO FABRIC FILTER USERS AND WILL REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS OVER THE METHODS PRESENTLY IN USE. ADDITIVES THAP PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN PHAE I WILL BE EVALUATED AT A FULL-SCALE UTILITY POWER PLANT IN PHASE II.