Preliminary estimates of performance and cost of mercury control technology applications on electric utility boilers.

Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that regulation of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants is appropriate and necessary. To aid in this determination, preliminary estimates of the performance and cost of powdered activated carbon (PAC) injection-based mercury control technologies were developed. This paper presents these estimates and develops projections of costs for future applications. Cost estimates were developed using PAC to achieve a minimum of 80% mercury removal at plants using electrostatic precipitators and a minimum of 90% removal at plants using fabric filters. These estimates ranged from 0.305 to 3.783 mills/kWh. However, the higher costs were associated with a minority of plants using hot-side electrostatic precipitators (HESPs). If these costs are excluded, the estimates range from 0.305 to 1.915 mills/kWh. Cost projections developed using a composite lime-PAC sorbent for mercury removal ranged from 0.183 to 2.270 mills/kWh, with the higher costs being associated with a minority of plants that used HESPs.     

Full-Scale Evaluation of Mercury Control with Sorbent Injection and COHPAC at Alabama Power E.C. Gaston

Abstract

The overall objective of this project was to determine the cost and impacts of Hg control using sorbent injection into a Compact Hybrid Particulate Collector (COHPAC) at Alabama Power’s Gaston Unit 3. This test is part of a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to obtain the necessary information to assess the costs of controlling Hg from coal-fired utility plants that do not have scrubbers for SO₂ control. The economics will be developed based on various levels of Hg control.

Gaston Unit 3 was chosen for testing because COHPAC represents a cost-effective retrofit option for utilities with existing electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). COHPAC is an EPRI-patented concept that places a high air-to-cloth ratio baghouse downstream of an existing ESP to improve overall particulate collection efficiency. Activated carbons were injected upstream of COHPAC and downstream of the ESP to obtain performance and operational data.

Results were very encouraging, with up to 90% removal of Hg for short operating periods using powdered activated carbon (PAC). During the long-term tests, an average Hg removal efficiency of 78% was measured. The PAC injection rate for the long-term tests was chosen to maintain COHPAC cleaning frequency at less than 1.5 pulses/bag/hr.     

Full-scale evaluation of mercury control with sorbent injection and COHPAC at Alabama Power E.C. Gaston

The overall objective of this project was to determine the cost and impacts of Hg control using sorbent injection into a Compact Hybrid Particulate Collector (COHPAC) at Alabama Power's Gaston Unit 3. This test is part of a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to obtain the necessary information to assess the costs of controlling Hg from coal-fired utility plants that do not have scrubbers for SO2 control. The economics will be developed based on various levels of Hg control. Gaston Unit 3 was chosen for testing because COHPAC represents a cost-effective retrofit option for utilities with existing electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). COHPAC is an EPRI-patented concept that places a high air-to-cloth ratio baghouse downstream of an existing ESP to improve overall particulate collection efficiency. Activated carbons were injected upstream of COHPAC and downstream of the ESP to obtain performance and operational data. Results were very encouraging, with up to 90% removal of Hg for short operating periods using powdered activated carbon (PAC). During the long-term tests, an average Hg removal efficiency of 78% was measured. The PAC injection rate for the long-term tests was chosen to maintain COHPAC cleaning frequency at less than 1.5 pulses/bag/hr.     

Inhibition and promotion of trace pollutant adsorption within electrostatic precipitators

Among the technologies available for reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired electric utilities is the injection of a powdered sorbent, often some form of activated carbon, into the flue gas upstream of the particulate control device, most commonly an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Detailed measurements of mercury removal within ESPs are lacking due to the hazardous environment they pose, increasing the importance of analysis and numerical simulation in understanding the mechanisms involved. Our previous analyses revealed that mercury adsorption by particles suspended in the gas and mercury adsorption by particles collected on internal ESP surfaces are not additive removal mechanisms but rather are competitive. The present study expands on this counterintuitive finding. Presented are results from numerical simulations reflecting the complete range of possible mass transfer boundary conditions representing mercury adsorption by the accumulated dust cake covering internal ESP collection electrodes. Using the two mercury removal mechanisms operating concurrently and interdependently always underperforms the sum of the two mechanisms’ individual contributions.

Implications: The dual use of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) for particulate removal and adsorption of trace gaseous pollutants such as mercury is increasing as mercury regulations become more widespread. Under such circumstances, mercury adsorption by particles suspended in the gas and mercury adsorption by particles collected on internal ESP surfaces are competitive. Together, the two mercury removal mechanisms always underperform the sum of their two independent contributions. These findings can inform strategies sought by electric utilities for reducing the usage costs of mercury sorbents.     

Costs of Air Cleaning with Electrostatic Precipitators at TVA Steam Plants

Cost data were analyzed from thirty steam power plant units utilizing electrostatic precipitators with or without mechanical centrifugal collectors. Operational, maintenance, and total costs for the years 1969, 1970, and 1971 were expressed in 1972 dollars as $/cfm-yr and $/^cf^m-yr-efficiency. The latter parameter is a new one which normalizes the cost of air cleaning by accounting for the amount of particulate matter collected. Large differences in the costs of air cleaning were found between plants and even between units operating in the same plant. Maintenance costs appeared to be the main contributor to large total cost differences, but improved, more specific accounting procedures are required to focus more closely on the reasons for cost differences.     

Operating Experience with the Alcoa 398 Process for Fluoride Recovery

During the 1940’s, aluminum smelting installations were increased in size to provide aluminum necessary for World War II. Increased evolution of fluorides made necessary the capture and treatment of pot gases. Following the application of water scrubbers, cyclones, and electrostatic precipitators, Alcoa Research Laboratories at New Kensington, Pa., discovered that small quantities of HF gas would react at low temperature with alumina. Following a series of design efforts, the Alcoa 398 Process was developed, incorporating a fluidizedbed reactor to contact pot gases with incoming feed alumina. Bag filters are used to separate entrained solid materials from pot gases. Ninety-five percent interception of pot gases is reported with 99% recovery of fluorides from gases treated. No significant effect is observed on purity of metal produced.

Installation costs are in the range of $>28-$37 per annual ton for new installations and about 50% more for conversion of old plants. These are somewhat less than the conventional electrostatic precipitators and water scrubbers at today’s prices. Direct operating costs for the Alcoa 398 Process range from $2.90 to $4.70/ton of aluminum and recover $8 worth of fluorine, giving a net credit. This contrasts with $3.93/ton of aluminum to operate existing precipitator scrubber combinations. The Alcoa 398 Process is being rapidly extended throughout the Alcoa system.     

Economic Study of the Tunable Electron Beam Plasma Reactor for Volatile Organic Compound Treatment

ABSTRACT

A tunable electron beam generated plasma system has been developed for selective cold plasma treatment of dilute concentrations (1-3,000 ppm range) of hazardous compounds in gaseous waste treatment. This system, referred to as the Tunable Hybrid Plasma (THP), has shown a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness in both laboratory and field tests. Decomposition energy requirements are in the 100 eV per molecule range for treatment of carbon tetrachloride and 10 eV for treatment of trichloroethylene.

A cost comparison has been made between the Tunable Hybrid Plasma (THP) technology and three conventional technologies used for emission control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs): granular activated carbon, thermal incineration, and catalytic oxidation. In addition to its environmentally attractive features, THP technology has the potential to be lower cost than other technologies over a range of concentrations and flow rates. Cost projections for the THP system for decomposition of trichloroet-hylene are around 50 cents/lb for initial concentrations in the few hundred ppm range and flow rates of 5,000 cfm or greater and around $1/lb for 1,000 cfm flow rates. Cost projections for carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane decomposition using the THP technology are several dollars per pound. The costs for THP treatment are generally significantly lower than costs for use of granular activated carbon and are also quite competitive with costs for thermal incineration and catalytic oxidation.     

基于改性凹凸棒土的强化混凝处理高藻低浊原水工艺

针对水厂低浊高藻水的处理难题,研究了改性凹凸棒土(改性凹土)联合聚合氯化铝(PAC)强化混凝的除藻除浊效果。设计实验原水条件为叶绿素a(chl-a)浓度为98.58~110.35μg/L,浊度(5.6±0.5)NTU。考察了PAC和改性凹土的复配投加量、混凝沉淀时间、pH、投加顺序、搅拌速率等工艺参数对Chl-a和浊度耦合去除效果的影响。结果表明,"PAC+改性凹土"对Chl-a和浊度的去除效果明显优于单投PAC的效果。当PAC投药量12 mg/L,改性凹土投药量10 mg/L,沉淀时间20 min时,对Chl-a和浊度的去除率可分别达到92.5%和89.2%,可至少减少40%的PAC投量,且形成的矾花密实,沉降速度快,去除效率高。最适pH范围为7~8。投加顺序应为先投加改性凹土,混合搅拌转数宜慢速,可控制为50 r/min。     

Purification characteristics of fine particulate matter treated by a self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator equipped with a flexible electrode

A self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator was developed to investigate the removal performance for fine particles. Flexible material (polypropylene, 840A) and carbon steel in the form of a spiked band were adopted as the collection plate and discharge electrode, respectively. The particle concentration, morphology, and trace-element content were measured by electric low-pressure impactor, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, respectively, before and after the electrostatic precipitator. With increasing gas velocity, the collection efficiency of fine particles (up to 0.8 μm in diameter) increased, while it decreased for particles with diameters larger than 0.8 μm. Increasing the dust inlet concentration increased the collection efficiency up to a point, from which it then declined gradually with further increases in the inlet concentration. The particulate matter after the wet electrostatic precipitator showed different degrees of agglomeration. The collection efficiency of trace elements within PM₁₀ was less than that of the PM₁₀ itself. Notably, the water consumption in the current setup was significantly lower than for other treatment processes of comparable collection efficiencies.

Implications: Wet electrostatic precipitators, as fine filtration equipment, were generally applicable to coal-fired plants to reduce PM_2.5 emissions in China. However, high energy consumption and unstable operation, such as water usage and spray washing directly in the electric field, seriously restricted the further development. The utilization of self-flushing wet electrostatic precipitator can solve these problems to some extent.     

强化水旋澄清池技术处理黄河高浊度水的试验研究

由于兰州段夏季黄河水的浊度较高,直接影响了自来水厂的正常运行,而目前水厂所用工艺无法满足高浊度水的处理要求,因此,采用自主研究开发的具有特殊结构的水旋澄清池对黄河高浊度水进行了强化处理的试验研究.研究结果表明:在多点投药混合方式下,强化水旋澄清池可提高浊度的处理效果;若在投加无机絮凝剂PAC后,再投加有机絮凝剂PAM进行复配作用,不仅可降低无机絮凝剂的用量,节约制水成本,而且提高了自来水厂的出水水质;结果也表明该水旋澄清池技术能够推广应用于黄河高浊度水的强化处理工艺中.     

Economic Comparison of Selected Scenarios for Electrostatic Precipitators and Fabric Filters

Compliance with particulate standards for utility boilers burning low sulfur western coal has resulted in the installation and proposed installation of several fabric filter collectors where cold or hot electrostatic precipitators would have traditionally been applied. Recently, SO3 conditioning has been used to improve cold precipitator performance resulting in considerable reduction in specific collection area (SCA). All this suggests that trade-offs exist indicating ranges of SCA, A/C ratio, and power plant size (Mw) where fabric filters become competitive with electrostatic precipitators. Conceptual cost models are presented which indicate total capital investment and annual costs for the control devices. Precipitator costs are correlated with collecting area, gas flow rate, and power input and are presented as functions of SCA and Mw. Fabric filter costs are keyed to gross filter area, pressure drop, and gas flow rate. Fabric filters become competitive when a cold precipitator requires SCAs in excess of 600 to 800 and competitive when a hot precipitator requires equivalent cold precipitator SCAs in excess of 600 to 1000 depending on A/C ratio, Mw, and hot precipitator SCA credit allowance. The S0₃ conditioned precipitator scenario is shown to be economically competitive with fabric filters.     

“Hot” versus “Enlarged” Electrostatic Precipitation of Fly Ash: A Cost-Effectiveness Study

An article in the February 1974 issue of the Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association entitled “Hot” versus “Enlarged” Electrostatic Precipitation of Fly Ash: A Cost Effectiveness Study,¹ by D. R. Selzler and W. D. Watson, Jr., arrives at the generalized conclusion that “enlarged” precipitation is likely to be a less costly method of attaining high collection efficiencies for low sulfur fly ash. The basis of this conclusion is a multivariate regression analysis of 37 full-scale cold electrostatic precipitators. Using the predictive ability of the resulting equation, modified to include a 95% probability of attaining design efficiency, together with functions describing capital and operating costs, the authors arrived at the above conclusion.

It is our contention that while the overall approach presented is a good attempt to develop a more systematic method of attacking the problem and arriving at a generalized solution, there are many errors in the development which have resulted in incorrect conclusions. Among the more serious errors in this work is the development and acceptance of a regression model based on cold precipitation performance data which is not compatible with the observed performance of cold precipitators. The use of the same equation for hot precipitator sizing can also be shown to be invalid. Additionally, one of the basic parameters used by the authors to distinguish precipitation performance of coals is not meaningful for hot precipitation and of questionable validity for cold precipitation. And, finally, the authors do not appear to recognize that power input to the precipitator (actually power density) is a constrained function which can hardly ever be increased to levels defined by their “optimum” precipitator sizing.     

Results of Field Measurements of Industrial Particulate Sources and Electrostatic Precipitator Performance

This paper presents results of source size distribution measurements over the size range from 0.1 μm to 5 μm for six classes of particulate sources and fractional efficiency measurements on five full scale electrostatic precipitators and one pilot scale precipitator. The precipitators all showed moderately high to high particulate collection efficiencies for particles having diameters larger than a few micrometers or smaller than a few hundredths of a micrometer and a minimum in collection efficiency for particles having diameters of a few tenths of a micrometer.     

平煤集团坑口电厂除尘设施的技术改造

平煤集团坑口电厂原有文丘里水膜除尘器不能使排放烟尘达标排放 ,在保留原有两台文丘里水膜除尘器基础上 ,并在其前串联两台单室二电场静电除尘器 ,经改造后 ,电除尘 文丘里水膜除尘串联组合技术总除尘效率达 99 9% ,排放浓度为 10 3mg/Nm3,实现了达标排放     

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Waste Gas Treatment Plants for the Glass Industry

ABSTRACT

Cost-effectiveness of different plant solutions for glass furnace waste gas cleaning is compared in the present paper. Plant arrangements based on electrostatic precipi-tator or fabric filter dust collectors and wet, semi-dry, or dry processes for acid gas removal have been considered. A critical survey of each solution's advantages and disadvantages has been presented, taking into account both effectiveness and costs resulting from each available system. Finally, a quantitative assessment has been provided with reference to a case study involving actual float glass production lines at SIV plants located in northern and central Italy.     

Some Factors in Minimizing Precipitator Costs

This paper is directed to those individuals involved in design of electrostatic precipitators. The Deutsch-Anderson model is usually employed by industry for the design of electrostatic precipitators. The so-called process design variable in this approach is the total capture area in the precipitator. Unfortunately, little is available on the equipment design of this unit, i.e., the geometric arrangement of the plates that constitute the capture area and the external dimensions of the physical structure that houses the precipitator components. These are important economic considerations, and it is to this subject that this paper is directed. It is relatively easy to predict equipment costs for “off-the-shelf” electrostatic precipitators; it is more difficult to closely predict the cost for a custom-made unit, which is more often the case encountered in practice. Once the capture area is calculated, the total precipitator cost becomes a strong function of the outer casing and outer accessories of the physical system. In this paper, a model is presented that can help minimize precipitator cost. An illustrative example complements the development of the model.     

Mercury emission trend influenced by stringent air pollutants regulation for coal-fired power plants in Korea

Regulatory control of mercury emission from anthropogenic sources has become a global concern in the recent past. Coal-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of anthropogenic mercury emission into the atmosphere. This paper summarizes the current reducing trend of mercury emission as co-beneficial effect by more stringent regulation changes to control primary air pollutants with introducing test results from the commercial coal-fired facilities and suggesting a guideline for future regulatory development in Korea. On average, mercury emission concentrations ranged 16.3–2.7 μg Sm^?3, 2.4–1.1 μg Sm^?3, 3.1–0.7 μg Sm^?3 from anthracite coal-fired power plants equipped with electrostatic precipitator (ESP), bituminous coal-fired power plants with ESP + flue gas desulphurization (FGD) and bituminous coal-fired power plants with selective catalytic reactor (SCR) + cold side (CS) ? ESP + wet FGD, respectively. Among the existing air pollution control devices, the best configuration for mercury removal in coal-fired power plants was SCR + CS ? ESP + wet FGD, which were installed due to the stringent regulation changes to control primary air pollutants emission such as SO₂, NOx and dust. It was estimated that uncontrolled and controlled mercury emission from coal-fired power plants as 10.3 ton yr^?1 and 3.2 ton yr^?1 respectively. After the installation of ESP, FGD and SCR system, following the enforcement of the stringent regulation, 7.1 ton yr^?1 of mercury emission has been reduced (nearly 69%) from coal-fired power plants as a co-benefit control. Based on the overall study, a sample guideline including emission limits were suggested which will be applied to develop a countermeasure for controlling mercury emission from coal-fired power plants.     

Performance of Copper Chloride-Impregnated Sorbents on Mercury Vapor Control in an Entrained-Flow Reactor System

Abstract

An entrained-flow system has been designed and constructed to simulate in-flight mercury (Hg) capture by sorbent injection in ducts of coal-fired utility plants. The test conditions of 1.2-sec residence time, 140 °C gas temperature, 6.7 m/sec (22 ft/sec) gas velocity, and 0–0.24 g/m³ (0–15 lbs of sorbent per 1 million actual cubic feet of flue gas [lb/MMacf]) sorbent injection rates were chosen to simulate conditions in the ducts. Four kinds of sorbents were used in this study. Darco Hg-LH served as a benchmark sorbent with which Hg control capability of other sorbents could be compared. Also, Darco-FGD was used as a representative raw activated carbon sorbent. Two different copper chloride-impregnated sorbents were developed in our laboratory and tested in the entrained-flow system to examine the possibility of using these sorbents at coal-fired power plants. The test results showed that one of the copper chloride sorbents has remarkable elemental mercury (Hg⁰) oxidation capability, and the other sorbent demonstrated a better performance in Hg removal than Darco Hg-LH.     

Control strategies of atmospheric mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in China

Atmospheric mercury (Hg) emission from coal is one of the primary sources of anthropogenic discharge and pollution. China is one of the few countries in the world whose coal consumption constitutes about 70% of total primary energy, and over half of coals are burned directly for electricity generation. Atmospheric emissions of Hg and its speciation from coal-fired power plants are of great concern owing to their negative impacts on regional human health and ecosystem risks, as well as long-distance transport. In this paper, recent trends of atmospheric Hg emissions and its species split from coal-fired power plants in China during the period of 2000-2007 are evaluated, by integrating each plant's coal consumption and emission factors, which are classified by different subcategories of boilers, particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) control devices. Our results show that the total Hg emissions from coal-fired power plants have begun to decrease from the peak value of 139.19 t in 2005 to 134.55 t in 2007, though coal consumption growing steadily from 1213.8 to 1532.4 Mt, which can be mainly attributed to the co-benefit Hg reduction by electrostatic precipitators/fabric filters (ESPs/FFs) and wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD), especially the sharp growth in installation of WFGD both in the new and existing power plants since 2005. In the coming 12th five-year-plan, more and more plants will be mandated to install De-NO(x) (nitrogen oxides) systems (mainly selective catalytic reduction [SCR] and selective noncatalytic reduction [SNCR]) for minimizing NO(x) emission, thus the specific Hg emission rate per ton of coal will decline further owing to the much higher co-benefit removal efficiency by the combination of SCR + ESPs/FFs + WFGD systems. Consequently, SCR + ESPs/FFs + WFGD configuration will be the main path to abate Hg discharge from coal-fired power plants in China in the near future. However advanced specific Hg removal technologies are necessary for further reduction of elemental Hg discharge in the long-term.     

Estimating mercury emissions from a zinc smelter in relation to China’s mercury control policies

Mercury concentrations of flue gas at inlet/outlet of the flue gas cleaning, electrostatic demister, reclaiming tower, acid plant, and mercury contents in zinc concentrate and by-products were measured in a hydrometallurgical zinc smelter. The removal efficiency of flue gas cleaning, electrostatic demister, mercury reclaiming and acid plant was about 17.4%, 30.3%, 87.9% and 97.4% respectively. Flue gas cleaning and electrostatic demister captured 11.7% and 25.3% of the mercury in the zinc concentrate, respectively. The mercury reclaiming tower captured 58.3% of the mercury in the zinc concentrate. About 4.2% of the mercury in the zinc concentrate was captured by the acid plant. Consequently, only 0.8% of the mercury in the zinc concentrate was emitted to the atmosphere. The atmospheric mercury emission factor was 0.5 g t⁻¹ of zinc produced for the tested smelter, indicating that this process offers the potential to effectively reduce mercury emissions from zinc smelting.