Performance of an electrostatic precipitator on a bench-scale gasifier: Final report

The objective was to evaluate the technical and economical feasibility of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) as hot gas cleanup devices on combined cycle gasifier power plants. The program consisted of three tasks. The first was the bench-scale testing of an ESP on an actual gasifier at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center. The second was to investigate, in the laboratory, design principles related directly to the use of ESPs on gasifiers. The design principle tests were primarily to investigate clean electrode voltage-current characteristics and rapping efficiencies at high-temperature and high-pressure. The third task was to conceptualize a full-scale design and conduct an economic study of the use of ESPs for this application. The purpose of the bench scale tests was to obtain technical information on the operation of a high-temperature high-pressure electrostatic precipitator for application as a final particulate cleanup device on a coal gasification combined cycle power generating system. The specific objectives of the bench scale tests were to successfully operate the test module under actual gasifier conditions, to determine the level of particulate collection obtainable for these operating conditions, and to evaluate the technical feasibility of using electrostatic precipitators for this application. The bench scale tests were performed at themore » gasifier facility at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center. The purpose of the design principles tests was to obtain additional information on the operation of a precipitator at conditions typical of a coal gasifier that could be used in the conceptual design of a commercial scale precipitator. The design principles tests are distinguished from the bench scale tests in that they consisted of a series of experiments run under simulated gasifier conditions, whereas the bench scale tests were run on an actual gasifier fuel gas stream. 12 refs., 27 figs., 12 tabs.« less