Situation / Problem
Concerns by parents and local authorities of high particulate emissions being dispersed into playground areas
Boiler was initially fitted with only a cyclone which was unable to collect ultrafine particulates
Protected listed building
Solution
Glosfume biomass filter system
Glosfume ceramic elements
Benefits
Over 3kg of fine particulates collected per week
Particulate emissions of 1mg/m3
Ambient levels of PM10 between 0.10 & 0.38 µg/m3
Ambient levels of PM2.5 between 0.69 & 0.98 µg/m3
Results
During June 2007 Glosfume hot gas ceramic filtration technology was applied to a 300kW Binder Biomass Wood Fired Boiler at Ladyloan School in Scotland. Both parents and the local authority had concerns about high levels of PM10 and PM2.5 dispersing in and around the playground areas. The boiler was initially supplied with just a cyclone. The Glosfume ceramic filter was installed after the cyclone which then collected each week a further 3kg (approximately 100kg per annum) of ultrafine particulate, being mainly PM2.5. The Glosfume BMF1100 ceramic filter achieved an emission level of 1mg/m3 equating to less than 3g/GJ.
Independent testing carried out at Ladyloan for Angus Council, whereby ambient emissions were calculated from isokinetic extractive flue sampling after the ceramic filter resulted in:
Ambient levels of PM10 between 0.10 & 0.38 ug/m3
Ambient levels of PM2.5 between 0.69 & 0.98 ug/m3
The Scottish target for ambient PM10 is set at 18ug/m3 (annual mean) by 2010 and ambient PM2.5 is set at 12ug/m3 (annual mean) by 2020, thus Glosfume ceramic filter emissions are 99% below the Scottish 2020 target. As at May 2019 the ceramic filter was still operating on the original set of Glosfume ceramic elements. The success of Ladyloan ceramic filter system has resulted in Scotland starting a program to install ceramic filters to new Biomass Wood Fired Boiler installations in both Urban and Rural areas.
