The development of a porous silicon nitride crossflow filter; Final report, September 1988--September 1992

This report summarizes the work performed in developing a permeable form of silicon nitride for application to ceramic crossflow filters for use in advanced coal-fired electric power plants. The program was sponsored by the Department of Energy Morgantown Energy Technology Center and consisted of a design analysis and material development phase and a filter manufacture and demonstration phase. The crossflow filter design and operating requirements were defined. A filter design meeting the requirements was developed and thermal and stress analyses were performed. Material development efforts focused initially on reaction-bonded silicon nitride material. This approach was not successful, and the materials effort was refocused on the development of a permeable form of sintered silicon nitride (SSN). This effort was successful. The SSN material was used for the second phase of the program, filter manufacture and evaluation. Four half-scale SAN filter modules were fabricated. Three of the modules were qualified for filter performance tests. Tests were performed on two of the three qualified modules in the High-Temperature, High-Pressure facility at the Westinghouse Science and Technology Center. The first module failed on test when it expanded into the clamping device, causing dust leakage through the filter. The second module performed well for a cumulative 150-hr test. It displayed excellent filtration capability during the test. The blowback pulse cleaning was highly effective, and the module apparently withstood the stresses induced by the periodic pulse cleaning. Testing of the module resumed, and when the flow of combustion gas through the filter was doubled, cracks developed and the test was concluded