Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Vol. 46, Nos.

34, 2010

IMPROVING DESIGNS OF PRECIPITATING

ELECTRODES FOR UG AND EGA TYPES
OF ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Yu. I. Sanaev

A case has been made for use of Eko MK 4160 precipitating element, whose merit is that it ensures
deviations of dimensions from rectilinearity and planarity of not more than 3 mm 18 m in EGA, EGBM,
EGB, and EGAV types of apparatuses as well as in updated versions of DGPN, DGP, PGD, UG, and EG
types of electrostatic precipitators (electric filters). Use of Eko MK 4160 precipitating element will help
meet current requirements of dust ejections from electrostatic precipitators.

In 19651966, precipitating electrodes consisting of C-shaped (crescent-shaped) elements 175 and 350 mm in width
were developed in partnership with the Semibratovo Branch of the State Research Institute of Industrial and Sanitary Gas
Cleaning (SF NIIOGAZ).
Experience of use of UG type of electrostatic precipitators (electric filters) having precipitating electrodes whose
elements were 350 mm wide showed that they have greater advantage than electrostatic precipitators fitted with old type of
precipitating electrodes [1].
Investigations of electrical fields of an electrostatic precipitator [2] as well as of dust entrainment in the precipitation process and electrode shaking [3] showed that the precipitating electrodes of the UG type of electrostatic precipitators
have considerable deficiencies stemming basically from imperfection of the shape (profile) of the precipitating elements.
The efficiency of a precipitating electrode having an element 350 mm in width was investigated by comparing the
relative rates of accumulation of dust on each of the seven typical sections of the electrode (Fig. 1). The relative rate of dust
accumulation was defined as the ratio of the mass of dust accumulated on each of the referred seven sections to the mass of
dust accumulated on section 2 over the same period. The data from six tests were averaged. The results of these investigations are cited in Table 1.
As can be seen from the cited data, the lowest rate of dust accumulation was noticed on sections 4 and 6 because the
electrical field on these sections is screened to a considerable extent by projecting edges. Also, the rate of dust accumulation
on sections 1, 3, and 7 is lower than on section 5.
One of the methods of enhancing the efficiency of utilization of the precipitating electrode surface is increasing the
length of sections 2 and 5 by reducing the length of the other sections. The experience of use of electrostatic precipitators
with such precipitating electrodes has shown that their deficiencies arise essentially from the imperfect shape (profile) of the
precipitating elements.
The detected deficiencies consist in the following:
1) relatively small curvature of the projecting flexions of the elements, which led to a diminution of puncture (breakdown) voltage in the electrostatic precipitator;
2) the surface areas of the projecting sections are set too high (roughly twofold), so the dust precipitated on them
spontaneously fell apart and dispersed;
Kondor-Eko Company, Semibratovo, Yaroslavl Region, Russia. Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftegazovoe
Mashinostroenie, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 4748, March, 2010.
0009-2355/10/0304-0187 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

187

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of sections of precipitating element: 17) number of sections.

TABLE 1
Number of electrode sections

Relative rate of dust accumulation on a section

of the element at the air flow rate of 1 m/sec

0.43

1.00

0.35

0.16

0.69

0.055

0.30

3) the surface of the precipitating elements was used inefficiently because the dust was hardly captured in the cavities of the precipitating element;
4) the dimension of the profile in the transverse section is set too high (45 mm); and
5) the layer of dust precipitated on the projecting sections of the elements of this profile is subjected to erosion, especially in the starting area of the electrostatic precipitator (filter).
In the process of further improvement of the UG type of electrostatic precipitators, the thickness of the steel band used
for making the precipitating elements was reduced from 1.4 to 1.2 mm, which allowed substantial reduction of the weight of
the precipitating elements. But, because of the peculiarities of design of the mill and complexity of its adjustment, the precipitating elements made of the band with the thickness of 1.2 mm (crescent-shaped and nonplanar) suffered increased deformations. The fixing plates intended for centering (aligning) the elements in the plane of the precipitating electrode ceased very
fast to function effectively because of wear and widening of the holes in the elements. The failure of the fixing plates occurred
due to crescent- and propeller-like shape of the precipitating elements arising in the process of their rolling. Also, increased
deformations may occur on account of prolonged transportation and improper storing of the precipitating elements.
As a result of the investigations, the efficiency of the UG type of electrostatic precipitators was raised to some extent by
optimizing power supply and electrode shaking conditions. The investigations showed that it is impossible to increase the degree
of gas cleaning further by UG type of electrostatic precipitators due to imperfection of the shape (profile) of the precipitating elements because its potentialities were almost fully exhausted, regardless of the technology of manufacture of the elements.
In January 1980, the engineering (detail) design for EGA type of electrostatic precipitators coordinated with
Czechoslovakia was approved. During the collaboration with Czechoslovakia, the SChS-640 (SovietCzech) precipitating
element with a new profile (shape) shorn of the above-noted deficiencies was developed. The crescent-shapedness and nonplanarity, which arose due to inadequate adjustment of the rolling mill or to improper transportation, unloading, and storing
of the precipitating elements, were removed without special efforts by adjustment (truing) in the electrode assembly process.
Whereas in EGA type electrostatic precipitators adjustment of deformations of the elements in the installation
process allows elimination of crescent-shapedness and nonplanarity in a major way, this is not possible in UG type of electrostatic precipitators.
The tendency for such deformations of the elements as properller-shapedness and crescent-shapedness in UG type of
electrostatic precipitators persists and manifests itself particularly pronouncedly in the terminal elements, which are not fixed
from the outside. For the precipitating elements deformed due to adjustment, strong torsional vibrations arise during their shaking, which cause accelerated wear of the fixing plates and ultimately misalignment of the electrode system. Practically a single
deformed precipitating element in each field of the electrostatic precipitator is enough for a sharp diminution of the degree of
gas cleaning by the electrostatic precipitator. For eliminating the defects of the precipitating elements of UG type of electrostatic
precipitators, there remains only the possibility of installation of clamps that fix the position of the element.
But when clamps are used, projections are formed on the precipitating elements, which distorts the electrical field,
causing diminution of the puncture (breakdown) voltage of the eletrostatic precipitator.
188

TABLE 2
Misalignment, mm

Distance between
electrodes, m

Puncture voltage, kV

Relative reduction in
drift rate, %

Degree of gas cleaning,

%

Slippage of dust, %

0.15

45

99

10

0.14

42

15

98

20

0.13

39

33

96

30

0.12

36

56

89

11

Only by using automatic profiling lines could the problems associated with nonplanarity and crescent-shapedness
be solved for EGA-type electrostatic precipitators fundamentally.
In UG type of electrostatic precipitators where the precipitating elements are installed without a hook and the clamps
are kept the same, the puncture (breakdown) voltage will obviously be reduced, which will cause diminution of the degree of
gas cleaning to the level corresponding to the level before updating of the mill for the manufacture of precipitating electrodes
for UG type of electrostatic precipitators.
The effect of misalignment of the precipitating elements on the degree of gas cleaning is illustrated in Table 2.
As evident from the obtained results, reduction in interelectrode distance even at one point of each field of the electrostatic precipitator by 10 mm will lead to a twofold increase in dust slippage and a misalignment of 20 mm, which is quite
possible if there is crescent-shapedness, to a fourfold increase in dust slippage.
For elimination of the referred deficiencies, Kondor-Eko built a specially designed rolling mill an LA-65 automatic
cold profiling line, to manufacture Eko MK 4160 type of precipitating elements that can be used in place of the SChS-640
elements in EGA. EGBM, EGB, and EGAB types of apparatuses as well as in updated DGPN, DGP, PGD, US, and EG types
of electrostatic precipitators.
The advantage of Eko MK 4160 type of precipitating element is that it ensures a deviation of dimensions from the
rectilinearity and planarity of not more than 3 mm 18 m, which will help:
1) improve the quality of assembly and save time for installing precipitating electrodes;
2) center (align) precipitating electrodes in the range 3 mm, which will make it possible to get the most optimum
conditions of power supply to the electrostatic precipitator and, consequently, the maximum degree of gas cleaning by electrostatic precipitators within the set overall dimensions;
3) reduce low-frequency vibrations arising from impact loads, increase dynamic acceleration, and, finally, improve
shaking-off of dust from the electrodes, and reduce secondary entrainment; and
4) develop an electrostatic precipitator with an electrode system up to 18 m in height and, consequently, solve the
problem of constraints faced in updating obsolescent and creating new gas cleaning plants.
Use of EGAB type of electrostatic precipitators fitted with Eko MK 4160 type of precipitating elements helped
meet the requirements placed on dust ejections from electrostatic precipitators at a level of up to 50 mg/m3, which was not
possible where UG type of electrostatic precipitators were used.

REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.

M. I. Birger, A. Yu. Valdberg, and B. I. Myagkov, A Handbook on Dust and Ash Catching [in Russian], Energoatomizdat, Moscow (1983).
I. K. Reshidov, Experimental studies of electrical fields in the case of reverse corona, Authors Abstr. of Candidates
Dissertation [in Russian], Moscow (1970).
L. V. Chekalov (ed.), Ecological Engineering. Protection of Atmospheric Air from Dust Emissions [in Russian], Rus,
Yaroslavl (2004).
189