CEM - Abstract

Abstract Information :

Through the use of efficient filter technology motivated by stricter emission limits imposed by many international Environmental Authorities, the total dust concentration of industrial plants continues to decline. While this is a good development from an environmental standard, it creates difficulty in proving compliance to the required industry standards. The validation of continuous particulate matter monitors in terms of the initial correlation test are increasingly more difficult due to diminished particulate loading within flue gas streams. Due to these low particle concentrations, the manual standard reference method described in EN13284-1 is very nearly at its detection limit. We as an industrial partner for dust sensor solutions have been asked by our wide customer base to find a solution in partnership with the regulatory authorities. This lead to a series of techniques being developed to artificially increase the dust concentration in cases where it would otherwise be too low for calibration to be carried out. In addition to this, further problems are encounted when the process conditions change in the stack, i.e., during co-firing, change in plant operation (half load / full load), and degradation of filter hoses due to small leakages. For this case, our customers come to SICK for advice around a solution for “their” problems, because during a filter degradation the proportion of coarse particles increases, and the reported dust readings could be implausible. The same effect can occur, maybe vice versa with increasing fine particles during co-firing with biomass or waste or change of plant operation. In the current situation the correlation curve that was determined during the calibration process under “normal” operation is no longer valid. To make things worse, customers mainly use a linear correlation, which clearly cannot reproduce the large and rapid changes in dust level. To overcome the problems in the current dust measurement technology, SICK is developing a serial device for measuring particulate mass and particle size distribution continuously. Through measuring the particle size distribution, the device is sensitive for particle size changes of the emission source. It also measures the mass concentration of dust directly after an initial calibration and comes with a minimum measurement range of 0.1mg/m³. In this talk, we want to present field test data gathered together in conjunction with our partner DRAX Power Limited, UK at a biomass fuel generating plant and provide insight of our current and future work enable the utilisation of this technology across all industries as a key reference method for low concentration dust monitoring in Europe.