AQESHOW - Abstract

Abstract Information :

Dust emissions from industrial plants in Europe are regulated as Filterable Particulate Matter (FPM), i.e., the mass of dust particles captured on a filter when drawing a flue gas sample of known volume from the stack. There has been increasing interest in the finer size fractions of filterable dust due to their greater impacts on human health, initially focussing on particle diameters < 10 μm (PM10), with a current focus on particles < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and even smaller size fractions. PM Emissions from modern Energy from Waste (EfW) plants are very low since bag filters are the abatement technology of choice and these remove nearly all of dust particles from the flue gas. The best performing, type approved, Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) typically have a certification range of 0 to 5 mg/m3 in line with the latest regulatory requirements in Europe. However, since the PM emissions during normal plant operation are at the bottom end of this range, they are often below the detection limits of both the installed CEMS and the manual Standard Reference Method (EN 13284-1) which makes it impossible to calibrate the CEMS according to EN 14181 and EN 13284-2. In the UK, the CEMS are therefore assigned a calibration factor by the manufacturer or they are set to the most sensitive range and become indicative monitors. Similarly, plant fired by natural gas, emit ultra-low PM levels that are difficult to quantify using conventional techniques. The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has therefore funded a project to obtain a better understanding of PM emissions from EfW and gas fired plant. PM emissions from two EfW plant, a waste-wood incinerator, a gas fired boiler and a gas turbine have been measured and size fractionated using a heated Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI), supplied by Dekati, Finland. Supplementary measurements have also been performed on diluted or dried flue gas samples using instrumentation that is certified for measuring ambient air PM concentrations, including a FIDAS instrument supplied by Palas, Germany. This presentation will present the results of the test campaigns which will provide greater insight into the magnitude of filterable PM emissions from these plant types and will consider the future direction of monitoring efforts.