Elex Precipitators Refurbished
for Impala Platinum
Three existing Elex electrostatic precipitators are being refurbished
by Bateman Engineered Technologies, a BATEMAN division, at the Phokeng
site, Rustenburg, RSA of Impala Platinum Limited Materials Processes.
The old units have been in operation for 32 years and a minimum life
expectancy of 20 years is specified for the refurbished units.
The precipitators recover the precious metals emitted from the furnaces
and it is vital that the collection efficiencies are maximised. The
units also have to cope with a variable throughput of articulate platinum
and platinum group metals and compounds.
A project requirement is that the emissions from the stacks be less
than 50 mg/Nm³, a level 50 % lower than that maintained by the
old precipitators; the new level is also well below current legislated
emission control requirements.
The use of the old casings, which contained two-field systems providing
collection efficiencies adequate three decades ago, I composed a design
limitation. Two-field systems had to be used again necessitating a complex
redesign of the precipitator to enable a maximum collection surface
to be packed into the existing casings.
Work on this fixed price contract commenced in April 1999 and the first
unit was refurbished and tested by January 2000.Isokinetic in- and outlet
testing of the first unit confirmed that it was operating well within
specification and the emissions from the stack itself have been measured
at 2,7 mg/Am³, with the new unit handling 90% of the incoming dust.
Once all the units are operational, this figure will improve significantly
as the dust will be distributed evenly amongst ll the precipitators.
Besides BATEMAN’s design capability incorporating up-to-date Elex
technology, a major contribution to this achievement is its experience
in the in-house manufacture and on-site installation of the components.
The maintenance of close physical tolerances for platework in electrostatic
precipitators is a very important factor in determining collection efficiencies.
The project is scheduled for completion in April 2001.
Kindly contact Ron Cridlan, Manager, Elex Electrostatic Precipitators,
on Tel. No. +27-11-201-2300 or email:
environmental@batemanengineering.com
for further details.
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