Today EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson held a press conference to announce the Agency’s release of the much anticipated proposed rule to address air toxic emissions from coal and oil fired power plants. EPA is proposing standards to limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants, keeping 91 percent of the mercury in coal from being released to the air. Harmful particle pollution will also be reduced, preventing hundreds of thousands of illnesses and up to 17,000 premature deaths each year. Currently, there are no national limits on the amount of mercury and other toxic air pollution released from power plant smokestacks.
The proposed utility MACT replaces the vacated Clean Air Mercury Rule. To read, the proposals go to: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/actions.html.
EPA Releases Proposed Air Toxics Rule for Utility EGUs |
New EPA Industrial Boiler MACT Rules |
Please note the attached link to EPA’s four final rules setting pollutant emissions standards for several classes of industrial boilers and incinerators.
http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/actions.html#feb11
EPA Regulation Updates
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- Clean Air Transport Rule (CATR): Status: EPA plans to finalize the rule in July 2011. A second CATR rule will also be proposed in summer 2011, with a view to going final in summer 2012.
- NESHAP/MACT Standards: EPA is working on a slew of national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) to set maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards to cut air toxics emissions.
- Oil & Natural Gas MACT: Status: EPA intends to issue a proposal in February 2011.
- Boiler MACT: Status: EPA faces a Feb 21st deadline to issue the final boiler MACT, but the agency has signalled it will re-consider the rule when finalized.
- Utility MACT: Status: EPA will issue a proposed rule in March 2011.
- Brick MACT: Status: Industry sources says a proposal will likely be issued sometime in 2012. EPA in its regulatory agenda says that a date for releasing a proposal is “to be determined.”
- Other MACT Standards: EPA is working on proposed NESHAP rules to set maximum achievable control technology standards cutting air toxics from a slew of other industry sectors.
- Shipbuilding and Wood Furniture Manufacturing residual risk and technology reviews to assess the remaining air toxics risks after the implementation of its existing NESHAP. Status: EPA published the proposed rule Dec. 21 and is taking comment until Feb. 22.
- Ferroalloys proposed residual risk review to assess whether EPA needs to revise its NESHAP for production of ferroalloys, which are used in the steel manufacturing industry. Status: A proposed rule is slated for release in November 2011.
- Chemicals and petroleum refinery sectors, EPA intends to issue a proposed rule to review key provisions of its NESHAP requirements for the industries. Status: EPA will issue a proposed rule in April 2011.
- The agency is performing a NESHAP risk and technology review that would regulate air toxics emissions from the for pulp and paper industry and chemical recovery combustion sources. Status: The agency plans to release a proposed rule in June 2011.
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
- Utility NSPS: Status: EPA intends to issue a proposed rule in March 2011 and a final rule in November 2011.
- Oil & Natural Gas NSPS: Status: EPA intends to issue a proposal in February 2011.
- Residential Wood Heaters NSPS: Status: EPA plans to issue a proposal in June 2011 and a final rule in July 2012.
- Refinery NSPS: Status: EPA will propose a rule in November 2011 and issue a final rule in October 2012.
- Petitions For GHG Limits In NSPS: Status: No specific timeframe has been set for regulating GHGs under NSPS in any sector, although EPA is exploring its options, possibly including a cap-and-trade program to curb GHGs.
- Monitoring: EPA is working on a proposal to revise its 1997 compliance assurance monitoring rule, which will define when periodic monitoring must be created for sources to use in determining compliance status relative to applicable requirements, for example emissions limits. The revisions would specify criteria and procedures that source owners must address in creating effective periodic monitoring. The rule will expand applicability to include emissions units that do not use add-on control devices but minimize pollutant emissions using other types of control measures. Status: EPA intends to issue a proposed rule in December 2011.
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Note: EPA is expected to finalize the new ozone NAAQS in the spring of 2011 and CO NAQQS by August 2011.
Courtesy of ICAC.org
Midwesco’s Pleat+Plus Products Revitalize Today’s Collectors to Meet Tomorrow’s Needs
Posted by in Filter bag, Pleated Filter Bags, Title V permit
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Pleat+Plus Family Shot
Midwesco’s Pleat+Plus pleated filter bags offer a solution to ever increasing requirements of higher production and lower emission regulations. Historically, 16 oz. polyester felt bags, running at 8:1 air-to-cloth ratio, met existing requirements. Yet today, they may not. Title V and MACT requirements leave us with expensive choices to comply with the tightening emission standard.
Pleat+Plus pleated filter bags offer a reasonable alternative solution. Non-woven spun bond polyester for operations up to 275oF is 58% more efficient than 16 oz. polyester felt in a side-by-side test. When using test parameters of 0.5 micron silica dust; 5:1 air-to-cloth ratio and grain loading of 30 g/acf, outlet emissions were only 0.0025 g/acf. The 16 oz. polyester felt media was over twice as high with emissions of 0.0060 g/acf.
While Midwesco’s Pleat+Plus pleated filter bags will not give you 200,000 ACFM out of a 100,000 ACFM baghouse, they will optimize the operations efficiency and throughput of existing baghouses.
The five (5) most common reasons that Pleat+Plus pleated filter bags replace conventional bags are:
- Solve Element Damage/Deterioration Problems — most commonly abrasion.
- Optimize Collector Flows. Generally we can increase the airflow in a collector by lowering the delta P across the filter.
- Increase Efficiency. Spun bond polyester is 58% more efficient than 16 oz. polyester felt in stack efficiency testing.
- Reduce Maintenance and Installation Costs. Typically we find pleated filter bags lasting two to three (2-3) times longer than the bags they replaced. Change-out of pleated filter bags can be completed in 25-35% of the time normally allocated for conventional bag and cage replacement.
- Energy Savings. On a 100 horsepower motor, dropping the delta P 3-4″ can save you approximately $9,198 annually (operating 24/7 @ 0.07 kilowatt).
Discover the benefits of Pleat+Plus pleated filter bags today. Visit www.midwescofilter.com/products or call our technical sales representatives today at 800.336.7300
Bag Filter Manufacturer Q & A – Baghouse Fires
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Question: I just experienced a fire in my baghouse, what causes this and how can it be avoided?
Answer: In all collector fires, the dust starts to burn first. The filter bags will catch fire after the flame is already started. Fires can be started in many ways. The most common causes are sparks in the gas stream and then the sparks cause spontaneous combustion. The dust can also contain hydrocarbons (oil), carbon, or many other combustibles depending upon the chemistry.
Our advice is to keep the hoppers empty — DO NOT use them as a storage device for the filter bag dust. Install a spark arrestor and don’t run at high velocity in the duct if it is not necessary. Keep a light dust cake on the filter bags, but try to keep hydrocarbons and other flammable materials away from the collector. Be aware of carbon in the system that has not fully combusted.
Industrial Coating Products now being distributed worldwide by Midwesco Filter Resources, Inc.
Posted by in Industrial Goods and Services
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Midwesco® has moved to meet growing customer demand for solutions to corrosion and insulation problems around bag houses and other industrial infrastructure. The company has become a worldwide distributor for the high performance industrial coating products manufactured by Superior Products International II. SPI is an American company based in Shawnee, Kansas. The patented products utilize the most advanced technology available and are designed to perform reliably in the harshest industrial environments.
Rust Grip
Midwesco President, Mark Foster, commented that “SPI industrial coatings are an important addition to Midwesco® Filter Resources’ portfolio of products and services. As we support our customers in the effective installation and operation of dust collection and air inlet filtration systems, this is a natural extension of our capabilities.”
Corrosion, “the condition that never sleeps”, is eliminated by Rust Grip®. This unique product, originally developed to address the most severe corrosion issues in the oil fields of South America, holds a worldwide patent on the encapsulation of rust, corrosion, lead based paint, asbestos and bio-hazardous materials. It has surpassed over 14,000 hours in the toughest test for corrosion, ASTM B117 Salt Spray and Fog test, unparalleled performance by any measure. Rust Grip® is used by major corporations around the world to solve corrosion issues in the harshest environments. Quite simply, in the lab or in the field, nothing performs like Rust Grip®. It is a solution for the toughest corrosion problems.
Effective insulation on boilers, ducts, pipes and bag houses is a vital component to maximizing output while using less energy. Midwesco® has the coating solution to meet almost every situation. Whether the requirement is insulating bag house walls in order to eliminate cold sinks, stopping conductive heat loss through duct work or piping, reducing the evaporation of liquid inventory in tanks, or saving up to 70% on HVAC cost in a building, we have the coating solution to address the situation.
Utilizing ceramic thermal barrier technology, our insulation coatings use unique high performance ceramics in a light density coating. Our coating product line uses flexible membranes that move with the substrate. The coatings provide a high performance insulating block to conductive and radiant heat transfer; keeping heat in while keeping the weather out. When used in combination with Rust Grip®, the coatings provide the most effective anti-corrosion/ insulation system available for these applications.
Midwesco® can provide both products and application services and is proud to be associated with Superior Products International II. See our products section for more information http://www.midwescofilter.com/Products.aspx?ID=42 .
PM2.5 What Does It Mean For You?
Posted by in Air pollution, CAIR, EPA, PM2.5, Uncategorized
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There has been so much feedback on our earlier articles of PM2.5 that I thought I would expand on the subject a little further.
Industry Definitions
- Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) – Particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller
- Course Particulate Matter (PM10) – Particulate matter 10 microns or smaller
- Non- Attainment Area – Location that does not meet the requirements for one or more of the “criteria” pollutants i.e. Particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5), Ozone (VOC precursor), Carbon monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Lead.
Acronyms
- Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
- Start-up, Shutdown, & Maintenance (SSM)
- Commercial Industrial Solid Waste Boiler (CISWI)
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
- Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
- New Source Review (NSR)
- Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS)
- Light-Duty Vehicle Rule (LVR)
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
PM2.5 came into existence because the EPA wanted to strengthen the air quality standards for particulate. This was based on areas not meeting the 1997 mandates for fine particulate matter. The first step for making industries was to revise the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 2006, which are scheduled to take effect in 2010.
How is PM2.5 going to impact boilers, cement kilns, incinerators and other applications?
- The Light-duty Rule regulates greenhouse gases
- Under Federal law, if a “pollutant” is regulated under one law, it must be regulated under all laws
- EPA must set a “threshold” for the GHG, specifically CO2. That threshold is open now. EPA has talked about 25000 tons/yr, 75,000 tons/yr and others. If 25,000 is selected, all applications that put 25,000 tons/year of CO2 into the atmosphere must file a PSD. Most industrial boilers are not now required to file a PSD.
- This will bring the NAAQS into play which has PM2.5 as the basis
Impact of PM2.5
- The most difficult particle to collect are those between 1 and 3 microns
- Double the impact due to substantial drop in particulate size and lowering of total emissions in new MACT packages
- Industrial boilers will now need to control PM, HCL, Hg (Mercury), Dioxin/Furans, and CO
- For existing coal boilers PM goes from 0.07 #/MM Btu to 0.02 #/MM Btu (71% decrease)
- For new coal fired boilers PM goes from 0.025 #/MM Btu to 0.001 #/MM Btu (96% decrease)
- There are similar decreases for Portland Cement and Incinerators (83% on existing)
- Combustion systems must meet all emissions at all times including start-up, shutdown, and maintenance (SSM)
- Electrostatic precipitators will be highly problematic and most likely will not be able meet the new standards.
- Oil fired units will have difficulties in meeting CO requirements
- With the requirements of activated carbon injection systems, possibly SCR’s or new burners, and the strong potential that carbon will be controlled under a PSD requirement, many smaller boilers will look at the costs and liability and shut down. Others will shut down the coal and/or oil fired units and install gas.
Midwesco Has Your Answer
- Midwesco offers MACT compliant Broken Bag Detectors that can be utilized in lieu of CEM’s for emission detection. Visit our website for more information http://www.midwescofilter.com/Products.aspx?ID=26
- Data acquisition will be critical so Midwesco’s Tube-line Cleaners® are ideal for accurate data analysis. For more information visit http://www.midwescofilter.com/Downloads/TLCBrochure.pdf
- There has been a strong move to membrane fabrics in the long term. Midwesco offers membrane fabrics to match all operating needs and baghouse collectors. For more information visit http://www.midwescofilter.com/Products.aspx?ID=28
Happy Holidays
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On behalf of the Midwesco family to yours we extend our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to everyone for a Happy Holiday and New Year.
Bag Filter Manufacturer Q & A Series – Operation Maintenance (Moisture)
Posted by in Air pollution, Bag Filter Q & A, Filter bag, Filter Supplies, Filters, Uncategorized
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Question: I see small hard nodules on my baghouse filter bags. What is causing this and how do I get rid of them?
Answer: Many times we see moisture in the baghouse causing many failures to the filter bags, including hard dust balls. Moisture can enter into the system in many different ways. The moisture will mix with the dust and form small hard balls and stick to the surface of the filter bag. These nodules will hold the dirt to the surface and in many cases prevent the bag filter from cleaning properly. Once these nodules are on the surface of the bag, it is impossible to get rid of them. Eventually if the nodules are heavy enough, they will prevent the dust from releasing during the cleaning cycle and actually blinding the bag.
Midwesco’s suggestion is to create or implement a start up and shut down procedure for a collector not running continuously. Find the source of the moisture or hydrocarbons and correct. Filter bag media must remain dry in order to reduce failures or blinding.
Bag Filter Supplier Q & A – Oversized Bag Filter Diameter
Posted by in Bag Filter Q & A, Dust and Mist Collection, Filter bag, Filter Supplies, Filters, Midwesco, Particulate
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Does it really matter if the pulse jet bag filter’s diameter is not 100% correct? As long as the fit is close, that’s all that matters right?
Over sized bags on a cage for a pulse jet collector can cause many problems. They will have a tendency to flex more than a tight bag. This can wear out the bag sooner. They can cause sealing problems with a raw edge top bag. There are times when it is better to have an over sized bag. It will clean down better under moist conditions and help keep the pressure drop low.
However, most pulse jet bag filters should have 1/4″ pinch on the cage for a good fit. If it is more loose than a 1/4″; it can cause problems. Fiberglass bags on a bag filter cage should have 1/8″ pinch. All cages should be the same size and from the same vendor. Sample bags should always be tried first to ensure the bag filter design is appropriate for your baghouse tubesheet.
Midwesco’s technical sales representatives are always here to help you. If you need more information, feel free to fill out our contact us page.