Applied research
Work may begin with a literature review, physical analysis or numerical study. Experimental validation is defined separately where required.
Advanced collection concepts
Research interests include multi-stage and hybrid collection approaches and their application to demanding particulate conditions.
Modeling and diagnostics
Ongoing development explores performance modeling and improved interpretation of operating data. Research concepts should be distinguished from commercially validated capabilities.
Technical collaboration
Discuss a defined problem, development objective or feasibility question with ALENTEC. Confidential technical material should be exchanged through an agreed project process.
Multi-Stage Collector (MSC™)
The iCON™ concept
ALENTEC’s iCON™ technology uses sulfur dioxide (SO₂) already present in the flue gas to produce the sulfur trioxide (SO₃) needed for electrostatic precipitator conditioning. A controlled portion of dedusted gas is withdrawn downstream of the ESP, brought to the required temperature and passed through a catalyst that converts part of its SO₂ to SO₃. The SO₃-enriched gas returns upstream of the ESP to condition the fly ash and improve collection under suitable operating conditions. This patented recirculation concept, described in U.S. Patent 8,449,653 B2, provides the foundation for Hybrid iCON™, which adds supplemental sulfur-derived SO₂ only when the indigenous supply is insufficient.
Hybrid iCON™ research and development
R&D concept: Hybrid iCON™ is a patent-pending technology under development. Commercial implementation is subject to further engineering and validation.
Detailed technical material
R&D equipment, testing and technology
Specifically, the MSC™ could find its use within the following areas/applications:
- Super clean exhaust gases: “Vision 21”
- Industrial mineral processing industries:
- In-process capture of the expensive product material and return to the process, i.e. metals, rock-dust, gold, etc.
- Post-processing super-clean de-dusting prior to exhaust to the atmosphere.
- Multi-pollutant applications, i.e. SOx, NOx, Hg, etc. via integrating (or impregnating) catalyst materials within the barrier filter.
- The MSC™ design is superbly compact and warrants very high efficiencies in the submicron/ultra-fine particulate range. Hence, it may be also suitable for the gas turbine inlet air cleaning.
Finally, by integrating one of the stages (barrier) with one or several catalytical materials, this novel (MSC™) may become an “ultimate” emissions control apparatus.
PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PILOT PERFORMANCE TESTS
The gallery includes a graph illustrating the proof-of-concept pilot unit results comparing conventional pulse-jet operation (ESP power OFF) with MSC™ mode (ESP power ON). The MSC™ mode demonstrates significantly higher efficiency, resulting in lower emissions and improved pressure drop characteristics.
It is well known in the art how to build and use electrostatic precipitators. It is also known in the art how to build and use a barrier filter such as a baghouse. Further, it is known in the art how to charge particles and that charged particles may be collected in a barrier filter with lower pressure drop and emissions than uncharged particles collected for the same filtration velocity.
The invention consists of a new method and design for a novel multi-stage collector for collecting dust, fume, etc. for industrial gases, that is, basically, independent of electrical resistivity, thus it is especially beneficial when electrical resistivity of such dust or fume as precipitated, exceeds 1011 Ohm-cm or is extremely low, for example less than 104 Ohm-cm. Furthermore, this design will be particularly advantageous when the material to be collected consists mostly of a sub-micron dust and/or fume (PM 2.5). It also could be easily integrated with various catalysts for multitude of the gaseous pollutants collection.
Research & Development
ALENTEC’s experience includes particulate equipment design, performance analysis and improvement. Selected past projects are listed below:
- Particulate control devices specification, selection, design and performance evaluation
- Particulate control devices evaluation in conjunction with FGD systems design and operation
- ESP/Fabric Filter – Dry FGD system pilot for 500 MW boiler unit design and operation
- ESP computer modeling, performance evaluation and guarantees development and evaluation
Computer modeling of fly ash resistivity and its modification
Development of novel processes and methods for flue gas conditioning (FGC)
Development of innovative ways to automatically control FGC processes
Design, manufacturing, installation supervision, start-up, and shakedown of the full-scale SNCR systems on urea.
Design and operation of the full-scale demonstration system for a fabric filter with dual (SO3 and NH3) flue gas conditioning system evaluation.
Design, manufacturing, installation supervision, start-up, and shakedown of the fully automated mini-plant to manufacture the urea solution.
The novel Multi-Stage Collector (MSC™) design is motivated by a potential ability of the two-stage to collect and agglomerate small particulate matter and of the single-stage to collect and retain “blowoff” dust, which is lost from the “conventional” two-stage design.
Furthermore, it also incorporates an additional collector stage by screening the gas exiting the collector through the barrier collector zone. This arrangement assures that essentially all dust (either uncollected in electrostatic collection zones or being re-entrained in the gas stream during the rapping and/or bag-cleaning steps) would be detained in this final stage.
The MSC™ design is free of the detrimental characteristic of the single-, and two-stage electrostatic precipitators, as well as known electrostatically enhanced barrier filters design:
- it continuously offers ample supply of the ions for aerosol particles charging,
- by a virtue of the unique design offers improved collection efficiency,
It also offers very high collection efficiency in a submicron region. It is mostly advantageous in the high resistivity applications. The compactness and ease of manufacturing is yet another important factor of this design.