Fly Ash

Generation

The Energy Institute has the capabilities to generate fly ash in a variety of combustion systems at the pilot- and industrial-scale. For a detailed description of these facilities see the section on Industrial-Scale and Pilot-Scale Facilities. Fly ash collection can occur at several points within the system. Particles within the gas stream can be sampled isokinetically. Ash can be collected from particulate control devices such as a conventional baghouse or ceramic filter at our industrial facility or in a conventional baghouse on our pilot-scale research boiler.

Characterization

Fly ash is characterized as to its size, chemical composition and morphology using a variety of analytical instrumentation. Burnout or combustion efficiencies are routinely determined. Other studies conducted at the Energy Institute include: partitioning of elements as a funtion of particle size as well as fly ash size as a funtion of fuel size or atomization quality of coal water slurry fuel.

Mercury Capture

The Energy Institute has an active program evaluating the use of carbon in the fly ash as a mercury - capturing sorbent. Ashes/ chars from combustion and gasification systems using coal and biomass feedstocks are being evaluated.