Electrostatic precipitators, ESPs, are widely used for solid particulate removal from combustion flue gases in power plants. The ESPs must not only achieve relatively high collection efficiencies but they must do so continuously and reliably. The considerable size of a precipitator, its large number of components and the many variables that affect precipitator operation present the potential to jeopardize compliance.

The developed model for ESP is helpful not only in designing a precipitator but also helps in suggesting the best remedy for an ailing precipitator, which is not giving the desired performance in actual operation. This model is capable of investigating an electrostatic precipitator against most of the variables affecting an ESP.

The model calculates the overall ESP efficiency, grade efficiency, dust loading and particle size distribution in the emission going into the atmosphere. It calculates particle trajectory in an electric field for all the particles entering into ESP within a time period of one complete cycle of field rapping and in turn calculates the mass collected in each hopper of a pass and their particle size distribution.

The model has been validated with the field experiment results carried out on a 210 MWe power plant ESP. Even though, it is a two dimensional model, it has shown excellent match between simulated and actual results of the test. It has also predicted the performance of the above ESP against most of the operational variables such as flue gas flow rate, ESP inlet gas temperature, fly ash resistivity and ESP inlet particle size distribution. The best possible solution to improve its collection efficiency has been proposed after analyzing the results completely.

The project report covers literature survey, applicable theories and equations related with the calculation of particle trajectory of different sizes in an electrical field, flow charts of the programme developed in C++ and its mathematical modeling.

Keywords: Particle size distribution, Particle charging, Boundary layer, Particle trajectory, Ash resistivity and Grade efficiency.