Sulfur dioxide coal-fired power plants

Emissions control systems play an important role at most coal-fired power plants. For example, PC-fired plants sited in the United States require some type of sulfur dioxide control system to meet the regulations set forth in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, unless the boiler bums low sulfur coal or benefits from offsets from other highly controlled boilers within a given utiUty system. Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is most commonly accomphshed by the appHcation of either dry- or wet-limestone systems. Wet FGD systems, also referred to as wet scmbbers, are the most effective solution for large faciUties. Modem scmbbers can typically produce a saleable waUboard-quaUty gypsum as a by-product of the SO2 control process (see SULFURREMOVAL AND RECOVERY). 

While the development of flue gas clean-up processes has been progressing for many years, a satisfactory process is not yet available. Lime/limestone wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubber is the most widely used process in the utility industry at present, owing to the fact that it is the most technically developed and generally the most economically attractive. In spite of this, it is expensive and accounts for about 25-35% of the capital and operating costs of a power plant. Techniques for the post combustion control of nitrogen oxides emissions have not been developed as extensively as those for control of sulfur dioxide emissions. Several approaches have been proposed. Among these, ammonia-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) has received the most attention. But, SCR may not be suitable for U.S. coal-fired power plants because of reliability concerns and other unresolved technical issues (1). These include uncertain catalyst life, water disposal requirements, and the effects of ammonia by-products on plant components downstream from the reactor. The sensitivity of SCR processes to the cost of NH3 is also the subject of some concern. 

Our goal is to gradually replace all coal and fossil fuel power plants with renewable energy ones, but while they exist (and probably will for most of this century), it is very important to reduce the damage they cause by optimizing their operation. In the United States, there are about 1000 coal preparation plants and coal-fired power plants. One key consideration in operating coalburning facilities is the control of C02 and sulfur dioxide (S02) emissions to the atmosphere. The characteristics of coal are monitored for environmental protection, quality assurance, and process control purposes. 

Scrubbers are pollution control devices, which remove pollutants from gas streams, particularly from the combustion gases produced by facilities such as coal-fired power plants. Scrubbers may use absorbents in slurry or solution form (wet scrubbers), or in powder form (dry scrubbers), with wet scrubbers being more often used. Modern scrubbers can consist of several cleaning steps such as dust separation, sulfur removal, capture of mercury, lead, or other heavy metals, and breakdown of nitrogen oxides. Scrubbers of the future will also need to capture and sequester carbon dioxide. Currently, the most common application of scrubbers is still the removal of sulfur, frequently combined with capture of fly-ash. 

The first pilot scrubber tests were conducted using simulated flue gas to establish the feasibility of sulfur dioxide s reacting with sodium carbonate solutions and slurries in a spray dryer. Subsequent tests were conducted at the Mohave generating station, where a 5-ft diameter modified spray dryer was used to test sulfur dioxide removal from a side stream of flue gas from this coal-fired power plant (Figure 4). The spray dryer had been in operation for over 20 yr in various drying applications prior to modification to a sulfur dioxide scrubber. It was used in over 100 tests at Mohave without a single operational problem. 

The sulfur gas produced by burning coal can be partially removed with scrubbers or filters. In conventional coal plants, the most common form of sulfur dioxide control is through the use of scrubbers. To remove the SO2, the exhaust from a coal-fired power plant is passed through a mixture of lime or limestone and water, which absorbs the SO2 before the exhaust gas is released through the smokestack. Scrubbers can reduce sulfur emissions by up to 90%, but smaller particulates are less likely to be absorbed by the limestone and can pass out the smokestack into the atmosphere. In addition, scrubbers require more energy to operate, thus increasing the amount of coal that must be burned to power their operation. 

Coal ash corrosion is a widespread problem for superheater and reheater tubes in coal fired power plants that bum high-sulfur coals. The accelerated corrosion is caused by liquid sulfates on the surface of the metal beneath an over-lying ash deposit. Coal ash corrosion is very severe between 540 and 740°C (1000°F and 1364°F) because of the formation of molten alkali iron-trisulfate. Considerable work has been done to predict corrosion rates based on the nature of the coal (its sulfur and ash content). This was accomplished by the exposure of various alloys to synthetic ash mixtures and synthetic flue gases. The corrosion rates of various alloys were repotted in the form of iso-corrosion curves for various sulfur dioxide, alkali sulfiite, and temperature combinations. An equation was developed to predict corrosion rates for selected alloys from details of the nature of ash by analyzing deposits removed from steam generator tubes and from test probes installed in a boiler [33]. Then laboratory tests were conducted using coupons of various tdloys coated with synthetic coal ash that was exposed to simulated combustion gas atmospheres. 

Alloy 625 has also been used in preheaters for sulfur dioxide scrubbing systems in coal-fired power plants and bottoms of electrostatic precipitators that are flushed with seawater. 

Forrest, J., Newman, L., "Further Studies on the Oxidation of Sulfur Dioxide in Coal-Fired Power Plant Plumes," Atmospheric Environment (1977) 11. 1 65. 

The reaction of lime (CaO) with sulfur dioxide is an important reaction for reducing SO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. This reaction between a solid and a gas underscores that Lewis acid-base reactions can occur in all states of matter. The smaller curved red arrow in reaction (16.24) suggests that an electron pair in the Lewis structure is rearranged. 

Emissions in excess of allotted levels are taxed. As an incentive to clean up emissions, companies that emit less than their allotted amounts are allowed to sell their unsued portions (so-called emission credits) to other companies. Several years ago, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which operates 11 coal-fired electricity plants, purchased emission credits from Wisconsin Power and Light. The TVA bought pollution rights for the emission of 1.00 X 10 tons of sulfur dioxide per year at a price of 275 per ton. How much will it cost to emit 1 mol of SO2 How many molecules can be emitted for 1.00 ... 

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