Passive-pulsing air classifiers for energy production

The performances of two pulsing air classifiers are compared to the performances of two nonpulsing classifiers in a waste-to-energy application. Four laboratory scale classifiers are constructed and the air flow regimes are documented. Particle separation data is obtained and evaluated. Performances of the respective classifiers are compared and conclusions are drawn that indicate the relatively large advantages of the passive pulsing classifiers under consideration. Four laboratory scale classifiers are constructed with varying wall configurations: pulsing stacked triangle and zag-zag, and nonpulsing straight and zig-zag. Documented flow regimes illustrate pulsing actions that are suggested to be responsible for the observed superior performances of the pulsing classifiers. The two pulsing classifiers are seen to exhibit greater maximum efficiencies and to maintain those relatively greater efficiencies over a much wider range of air flows through the classifier throats. The potential thus exists for a less contaminated waste-to-energy fuel as well as reduced loss of valuable combustible organic materials in the process. © ASCE.

Duke Scholars

Author J. Jeffrey Peirce Civil and Environmental Engineering