'ABSOLUTE' FINE PARTICLE CONTROL USING AN ACOUSTIC AGGLOMERATOR-ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR COLLECTION TRAIN.

Electrostatic precipitators are used widely in the removal of particulate from industrial flue gas, and operate in excess of ninety percent on a mass basis. However, there exists a window in its efficiency curve allowing submicron particles of 0. 1 to 1 micron diameter to penetrate relatively easily. Acoustic preconditioning of the particulate is used to move particles from the submicron size range to a coarser size range where particles are more readily removed by the electrostatic precipitator. Experimental results of this concept of fine particle control are presented in the paper using the acoustic agglomerator-electrostatic precipitator (AA-ESP) collection train.