12-26 The Civil Engineering Handbook, Second Edition
provides a particulate sample biased on the high side with regard to mass. Thus, to provide an accurate
depiction of the particulate emissions the sample needs to be isokinetic. To this end, the EPA specifies
that the sample be between 90 and 110% isokinetic.
With known stack gas parameters of temperature, pressure, composition, and moisture content, values
for the pressure drop across the orifice in the control case under a different temperature and pressure
can be determined. Thus, with changing duct velocities, different standard flows in the system necessary
to maintain appropriate nozzle velocities can be determined from the calibration graphs for the control
case. As mentioned previously, standard flows are then used to determine the appropriate DH (pressure
drop across the orifice meter) value for a specific velocity pressure. The method 5 sampling train is unique
in that both a rate meter (orifice plate) and totalizing meter (dry gas meter) allow for a post-test check
of the isokinetic percentage.
12.5 Emissions Control
Particulates
Aerodynamic Diameter
Engineers who are concerned with the removal of solid particles from gas streams are less concerned
with the physical shape of the particle and more interested in the particles’ aerodynamic behavior in the
gas stream. As such, the term aerodynamic diameter is widely used in the design and selection of air
pollution control hardware for particulate control. Aerodynamic diameter can be defined as an equivalent
diameter of a nonspherical particle whose actual shape can be spherical but is usually nonspherical and
whose aerodynamic behavior is identical to a unit density sphere in stokes flow.
The measurement of aerodynamic diameter is best performed using isokinetic sampling procedures
directly in the gas stream with a multistage impactor which has been calibrated with unit density spheres.
One such impactor is the Anderson® Impactor seen in Fig. 12.3. As the particles proceed through the
multistage impactor, their velocities are stepwise increased at each impaction stage. Immediately following
this acceleration, the conveying gas stream is routed through 90 degree turns at each stage of the impactor.
Since the particles have much greater inertia than the gas molecules, the particles cannot negotiate the
90 degree turns; that is, they deviate from the streamlines of gas flow and impact a collection surface or
stage.
Each collection stage is gravimetrically analyzed and the data is presented graphically on a log-
probability plot seen in Fig. 12.4. Most particulates generated by abrasion, fracturing, or condensation
phenomena have aerodynamic diameters that are log-normally distributed as is reflected by the straight
line shown in Fig. 12.4. This plot is very useful to the engineer either designing or selecting the appropriate
control hardware. For example, particles with an extremely wide aerodynamic diameter distribution
would be represented by an almost vertical line or an infinite slope in Fig. 12.4. On the other hand,
particles which did not vary widely in their aerodynamic diameters would be represented by an almost
horizontal line or a line with near-zero slope. Therefore, a quick glance at the slope immediately tells the
engineer whether he or she is dealing with an almost infinite variability in particle sizes or a near mono-
dispersion of particles.
Additionally, the intersection of the line in Fig. 12.4 with the 50% probability value on the abscissa is
the mass median diameter of the particle distribution. This mass median diameter immediately tells the
engineer what type of particulate control hardware probably will be needed. For example, particle
diameter distributions having submicron mass median diameters require relatively high-energy devices
for removal while super-micron-diameter particles require lesser amounts of energy.
Typically, for particles larger than 40 microns in aerodynamic diameter, gravity force is utilized for
removal. Obviously this force is very cost-effective and if properly combined with low transport velocities
and subsequently high residence times respectable removal efficiencies can result.