Location: BPB – St Cobain, Kirby Thore (UK)
Product: PAS-75 & PAS-230 Acoustic Cleaners
Principle: Primasonics International Limited (UK)

Problem: ESP cleaning solution

BPB approached Primasonics for an ESP cleaning solution for the cleaning of their Perlite ESP charged plates and hoppers. The equipment was an ABB Flakt two field, rigid frame Electro-static precipitator fitted with four sets of tumbling hammers. The maintenance cost for this was £15,000 per year excluding costs for downtime. The wrapping system was employed for five seconds every ten minutes but this caused surging problems so it was a continuous wrapping system at the time they contacted Primasonics. The product takeaway of this ESP cleaning solution was continuous.

Primasonics staff visited the plant at the request of Ian Brennand, Works Engineer, to inspect the equipment and assess the suitability of a new ESP cleaning solution. After careful study they recommended two Primasonics cleaners between the inlet and the front face for the first field, one Primasonics cleaner between the back face of the first field and the front face of the second field and a Primasonics cleaner between the back of the second field and the outlet. The mid frequency horn at the back was to stop re-entrainment during a shutdown period.

The Solution

Primasonics supplied the Primasonics Acoustic Cleaners directly to Kirby Thore plant, along with the accessories required i.e. mounting tube and flange, solenoid valve, flexible air line pipes. The mounting rings where welded onto the ESP's hot roof and the Primasonics System was installed according to the detailed instructions supplied.

The Result

The result was exactly what Ian Brennand had hoped for. The ESP cleaning solution provided by Primasonics Cleaners not only kept the plates clean but also cleaned the internal roof, walls, baffles and hoppers. He was able to turn off the mechanical wrapping equipment and his costs are now extremely low and containable.

Primasonics are unable to publish details of particle emissions from the plant due to BPB company policy. The particle emissions were however reduced and are now significantly below the ever-tightening action limits imposed by environmental legislation.