New learnings and strategies for meeting future recovery boiler particulate emission limits with existing electrostatic precipitators

It is foreseeable that recovery boiler particulate emission limits in the United States and Canada will continue to get more stringent with time. Because of this, continued improvement of emission control equipment, as well as a better understanding of how operating parameters affect performance, are necessary. Although electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are often viewed as a mature technology, many improvements in ESP technology continue to be developed. In recent years, academic efforts have improved the understanding of recovery boiler operating conditions on ESP performance. Additionally, advancements in materials, power supplies, and design continue to improve the efficiency and reliability of ESPs. This paper discusses how recovery boiler and electrostatic precipitator (ESP) operating factors affect ESP performance based on process simulations and practical experience, and how these learnings can be implemented to improve future operation of existing ESPs.