Pulsed electron beams for the irradiation of flue gases

We discuss the advantages that the use of pulsed electron beams provides in cleaning flue gases from sulphur oxides. By contrast with continuous accelerators, using pulsed electron accelerators for gas cleaning purposes permits a substantial increase in beam current density. This results in higher formation of negative oxygen ions in an ionized flue gas. Significantly, it becomes possible to realize a chain SO2 oxidation mechanism owing to which an electron can participate in the SO2 oxidation process five or ten times. The optimal current density ranges between 1⁻³ and 10⁻² A/cm², values at which the energy expended to remove an SO2 molecule is, as a minimum, approximately 1 eV/mol. There are limitations on the beam current pulse duration, which is less than 10 µs. With these pulse lengths the advantages of the chain SO2 oxidation mechanism are used more efficiently.