Rudkobing Kraftvarmevaerk, a straw-fired power plant, located on the island of Langeland in Denmark, has used a huge Electrostatic Precipitator, furnished by one of Europe's major ESP manufacturers, to clean the flue gases from a straw-fired boiler from 1990 until 1996.
Due to the low temperature requirements of the ESP, clogging occurred and increased maintenance became a regular problem. The main problem was, the ESP actually just functioned as a pre-separator, and was unable to catch the smaller particles. The emissions were excessive and no longer tolerated by the Environmental Authorities, the Danish Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Technically, ESP required continued optimization of critical operating parameters to ensure adequate performance. Even as little as two hours after the latest adjustment, it is common that emissions again increase up to 200 mg/m3, way above the limit of 30 mg/m3.
When Rudkobing Kraftvarmevaerk decided to substitute the mal-functioning ESP with a bag filter, they expected a filter of similar dimensions, and were surprised when a relatively small, round Simatek series 3C filter with 240-6 meter long (19 ft.) P-84 bags was sufficient to clean the 12,000 acfm at 300 degrees F.
Since the installation in 1996, emissions have been reduced to far below the official requirements, compared to earlier emissions exceeding 200 mg/m3. As well as the power consumption and maintenance hours being reduced drastically.
The efficient cleaning mechanism of Simatek's Series 3C filter allows a large amount of cleaning air to be distributed, with low pressure to one bag at a time. This is one of the reasons why Simatek operates with bags up to a length of 31 ft.
The old ESP occupied a piece a land of more than two thousand square feet, but the small footprint of Simatek's 3C filter with a diameter of around 12 ft., allowed for just one tenth of the area. It definitely is a new generation of PulseJet Bag Filters with a unique concept based on low pressure- high volume- high pulse energy.
The circular design with a top entry secures optimal and even gas distribution due to the cyclonic effect. A round filter also eliminates rust and corrosion that often reduces the life of a square or rectangular traditional ESP or bag house.
