Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) is an air

pollution prevention tool downstream of boiler for

removal of fly ash from flue gas before exit to stack.

Removal of fly ash inside ESP is as follows:

1. Fly ash is negatively charged which then migrates

to deposit on the positive collection plate.

2. Fly ash deposited on collection plate is

continuously removed to prevent it from piling
up.
When rates of collection
Dynamic balance
and removal are the same,
operation of the ESP is
dynamically balanced.

When fly ash collection is

faster than its removal,
build up occurs on the
plates and wires and ill
effects follow.

Like humans, ESP must Collection Removal

“excrete” after “eating”
in order to stay healthy.
ESP technology has
improved in all directions
except fly ash removal,
which is still done by shaking
them off with mechanical
rapping forces transmitted
through plate and wire
materials.

A worn rapping hammer head

still in use is unreliable practice
Due to design restrictions, magnitude of rapping force
cannot be increased even as ESP becomes larger.

As such, the per unit area vibration energy available to

clean collection plates and emission wires is thinned out
and reduced even though ESP is becoming larger.

Simply put, the larger the ESP becomes, the less is the
cleaning result from mechanical rapping.
This perhaps explains why TPPs have to add fields to
existing ESP whenever Particulate Matter exit limits
are tightened.

Some overseas TPPs have switched to bag house

filters to replace ESP; but they have to face similar
cleaning problems nonetheless.

Sonic soot blowing is a proven

alternative solution to cleaning ESP on-line, and only
at a fraction of the cost to adding more ESP fields.
 Sonic
Sound waves soot blower

Sound waves can remove

fly ash from plates and
wires more effectively

Collection plate Emission wire

ESP Fluidised particulates

ESP inlet is shaped like Inside ESP
an expansion nozzle to Flue gas velocity
reduce flue gas velocity

Res
and allow fluidised fly

Fly ash weight

u
ash drop to hoppers.

ltan
t po
ints
toh
opp
ers
Inside boiler
2 good reasons why sonic soot blowing is a
more suitable cleaning tool for ESP plates and wires:

1. Sound waves can remove fly ash directly from plates

and wires with little transmission loss.

2. Intensity of sound waves can be adjusted to cope with

changes in condition, even tightening of PM exit limits.
 Sonic
soot
blower

Collection plates and

emission wires cleaned
by sonic soot blowing to Sound
restore ESP dynamic waves
Inside
balance ESP

ESP 1st field

To retrofit sonic soot blowing 1st field ~ 80%
on ESP is simple:
2nd field ~ 15%
1. Only the first 3 fields
need sonic soot blowing. 3rd field ~ 5%

2. Moisture free supply of

compressed air warrants
successful operation
(e.g., moisture dew point at
10oC or better).

Typical fly ash collection % in ESP

Inaudible sonic soot blower
is more suitable because:

1. It is effective in cleaning
very large volumes and
slightly sticky fly ash.

2. It is very quiet during

operation, since ESP wall is
too thin to effectively
contain loud sounds.
Inaudible sonic soot blower
Inaudible sonic soot blower
Technical specification of model SBx20
Frequency: 10~25 Hz adjustable (20oC)
Sound pressure level (1m): <136 dB
Operating air pressure: 0.4~0.7 MPa
Air consumption (STP): ~240 litres/sec
Maximum operating temperature ranges:
End piece: <800oC
Valve body: <0~60oC
Resonance tube material: galvanised steel
Connection pipe: 1-1/4” pipe thread
Weight: ~75kg

Compressed air quality required is moisture free

(moisture dew point at 10oC or better)
210 MWe boiler ESP
(e.g. BHEL design)
Example
First 3 fields of ESP 10
units of model SBx 20
inaudible sonic soot
blowers are required.

For A and B sides of ESP

total 20 units of inaudible
sonic soot blowers are
required.
 210 MWe TPP ESP
Layout of sonic soot blowing system

Sectional side elevation Plan

The 10 units of inaudible sonic soot blowers on ESP
are connected into 3 groups, and initial time setting is
“On” time 15 seconds, “Off” time 15 minutes.

There are 91 sonic soot blowing cycles per day, or

4 cleaning cycles/hour

Daily air consumption is 1,310 m3 (STP condition)

Required air compressor FAD (free air delivery) is

137 m3/h, or 2.28 m3/min

Existing mechanical rapping system is retained to

work for 2 hours daily to assist cleaning.
Piping system for ESP sonic soot blowing system

ESP “A” side ESP “B” side

Benefits anticipated :

1. Dynamic balance is restored in the first 3 fields to

maximise ESP collection and removal efficiencies.

2. PM exit limits can be more easily met (less penalties).

3. Operation time between planned outages is extended,

and outage cleaning and repair work is reduced.

4. Some fields can be decommissioned to save costs.

5. Life time of mechanical rapping system is extended.

6. Expected ROI period is less than 12 months.