Finite Element Studies of Collecting Plate Systems

Electrostatic precipitators are currently the key elements in air pollution control for coal-burning power generation plants. The finite element method appears to offer the only potentially competitive alternative to full-scale testing. The first attempts at using standard finite element methods, as contained in the SAP-IV computer program, to study and correlate with full-scale test configurations of precipitator plate systems is reported. It is concluded that finite element modeling is accurate and economic for capturing in-plane stress and acceleration behavior. Out-of-plane acceleration behavior is much more complex and requires additional research, but it can be said that qualitative parameter studies using finite element programs are clearly useful in this area as well.