For more than 60 years, mechanical dust collectors have been used with biomass-fired boilers. Today, the main expectation of this equipment is to extend the operational life of the induced draft (ID) fan and pollution control equipment, located downstream in the system, by removing ash and sand particles.
In some cases, the char materials are separated from the collected ash and re-injected into the boiler for improved boiler efficiency.
Following a few basic guidelines on the sizing, design, and operation of this equipment will result in significant improvement in the overall system.
This article discusses how the “role” of mechanical dust collectors has changed over the last six decades, as well as how equipment design and arrangement has evolved to offer the best performance for today’s boiler requirements. A checklist on how to maintain a mechanical dust collector also is included.