Abstract: A system includes a direct contact absorber configured to circulate a flow of a liquid desiccant solution for absorbing moisture from a gas stream flowing through the direct contact absorber.

Abstract: A method of reducing particulate matter and mercury emissions in a combustion flue gas includes, in an exemplary embodiment, combusting a fuel resulting in generation a flue gas flow, cooling the flue gas flow within a duct, positioning a flow conditioning apparatus within the duct, enhancing a reaction rate of the mercury and carbon-containing fly ash particles by directing the flue gas flow through the flow conditioning apparatus to mix the carbon-containing fly ash particles and mercury within the flue gas flow and to facilitate at least one of oxidation of the mercury and binding the mercury to the carbon-containing fly ash particles, collecting a portion of the carbon-containing fly ash particles in the flow conditioning apparatus, and directing the flue gas flow to a particulate collection device to remove the remaining portion of the fly ash particles from flue gas flow.

Abstract: A method to facilitate improving electrostatic precipitator performance is provided. The method includes providing an electrostatic precipitator including an inlet, a collector chamber and an outlet, where the collector chamber includes a plurality of discharge electrodes and a plurality of collector electrodes. The method also includes defining a respective discharge electrode V-I performance for each of the plurality of discharge electrodes, identifying a particle removal characteristic for each respective discharge electrode based on the respective discharge electrode V-I performance for each of the plurality of discharge electrodes and positioning each of the plurality of discharge electrodes in the electrostatic precipitator according to the particle removal characteristic for each respective discharge electrode.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for inducing swirl in particles are provided. In one embodiment, a system for inducing swirl in particles may include a supply including a plurality of electrically charged particles, and at least one swirling chamber for creating at least one electrical field therein, which may include an entry path in communication with the supply and an exit path. According to this example embodiment, the plurality of electrically charged particles may flow through the swirling chamber or chambers, causing at least one of the plurality of electrically charged particles to rotate about a radial axis of the swirling chamber as a result of the electrical field.

Abstract: A method of reducing particulate matter and mercury emissions in a combustion flue gas includes, in an exemplary embodiment, combusting a fuel resulting in generation a flue gas flow, cooling the flue gas flow within a duct, positioning a flow conditioning apparatus within the duct, enhancing a reaction rate of the mercury and carbon-containing fly ash particles by directing the flue gas flow through the flow conditioning apparatus to mix the carbon-containing fly ash particles and mercury within the flue gas flow and to facilitate at least one of oxidation of the mercury and binding the mercury to the carbon-containing fly ash particles, collecting a portion of the carbon-containing fly ash particles in the flow conditioning apparatus, and directing the flue gas flow to a particulate collection device to remove the remaining portion of the fly ash particles from flue gas flow.

Abstract: A method for reducing mercury emissions in combustion flue gas is provided. The method includes combusting coal such that a flue gas flow is created. The flue gas flow includes at least mercury and carbon-containing fly ash. The method further includes cooling the flue gas flow within a duct and creating turbulence in the flue gas flow. The mercury is removed from the flue gas flow.

Abstract: A method for designing a discharge electrode of an electrostatic precipitator, includes: selecting a base design for the discharge electrode and the electrostatic precipitator; loading the base design into a computational tool for modeling collection efficiency, ?, of the electrostatic precipitator as a function of at least one of a charging volume, Vc, a charging electric field, Ec, and an electric field for charged particle, Eacc; modeling the collection efficiency, ?; and adjusting at least one aspect of the base design to improve the collection efficiency, ?, according to the modeling.

Abstract: A method to facilitate improving electrostatic precipitator performance is provided. The method includes providing an electrostatic precipitator including an inlet, a collector chamber and an outlet, where the collector chamber includes a plurality of discharge electrodes and a plurality of collector electrodes. The method also includes defining a respective discharge electrode V-I performance for each of the plurality of discharge electrodes, identifying a particle removal characteristic for each respective discharge electrode based on the respective discharge electrode V-I performance for each of the plurality of discharge electrodes and positioning each of the plurality of discharge electrodes in the electrostatic precipitator according to the particle removal characteristic for each respective discharge electrode.

Abstract: A system for detecting partial discharge activity in an electrostatic precipitator is provided. The system includes one or more sensors configured to receive and transmit signals representative of voltage or current behavior of the electrostatic precipitator. The system also includes a processor configured to receive the signals from the one or more sensors and configured for detecting one or more occurrences of partial discharge activity in the electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: A method for reducing mercury emissions in combustion flue gas is provided. The method includes combusting coal such that a flue gas flow is created. The flue gas flow includes at least mercury and carbon-containing fly ash. The method further includes cooling the flue gas flow within a duct and creating turbulence in the flue gas flow. The mercury is removed from the flue gas flow.