Integrated Multi-pollutant Control | Mercury and Multi-pollutant Control
Coal-fired power plants must adopt clean technologies to maintain their operational and market competitiveness. In order to address the current and future environmental challenges and clean air regulations, the operators of these plants must minimize emissions of air pollutants such as NOx, SO2, particulate matter; toxic metals such as mercury; as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through carbon capture and storage. Among these air emissions, mercury is one of the more difficult pollutants to control because it is present in flue gas as a vapour (either in the elemental or ionic form), rather than as particulate matter like other metals. As a vapour, it easily passes through particulate control devices such as baghouses and electrostatic precipitators. Low concentrations of mercury in utility flue gas make collection even more difficult. While conventional control technology does remove some mercury, the amount of mercury emitted into the air is still significant. Therefore, in order to achieve significant mercury reductions, additional control strategies, including mercury-specific and multi-pollutant control processes, must be devised and put in place.
At CanmetENERGY, we are conducting research and pilot-scale testing to help industry specify the most economic and effective technologies for containing emissions of air pollutants and toxic elements (such as mercury in conventional power plants, as well as new power plants incorporating CO2 capture technologies). In particular, we are heavily involved in the research and development (R&D) of multi-pollutant control strategies for oxy-fuel combustion systems. We have at our disposal a 0.3 MWth pilot-scale oxy-fuel Vertical Combustor integrated with a novel CO2 capture and compression unit. This pilot-scale facility is equipped with advanced low-NOx oxy-fuel burners, particle removal devices such as electrostatic precipitator and fabric filter, and flue gas scrubbers that can simultaneously utilize the low-grade heat in the flue gas.
CanmetENERGY is involved in collaborative R&D with industry partners and under the work program of the CANMET CO2 R&D Consortium. The research includes the study of pollutants behaviour in the CO2 capture and compression process and developing cost-effective strategies for integrated multi-pollutant control in these systems. Initial results indicate that SO2 and NOx are removed in CO2 compression units in the presence of oxygen and water, while mercury can react with nitric acid that is formed in the process. Further research is needed to better understand the initial results under a pressurized environment.
At CanmetENERGY, we are conducting research and pilot-scale testing to help industry specify the most economic and effective technologies for containing emissions of air pollutants and toxic elements (such as mercury in conventional power plants, as well as new power plants incorporating CO2 capture technologies). In particular, we are heavily involved in the research and development (R&D) of multi-pollutant control strategies for oxy-fuel combustion systems. We have at our disposal a 0.3 MWth pilot-scale oxy-fuel Vertical Combustor integrated with a novel CO2 capture and compression unit. This pilot-scale facility is equipped with advanced low-NOx oxy-fuel burners, particle removal devices such as electrostatic precipitator and fabric filter, and flue gas scrubbers that can simultaneously utilize the low-grade heat in the flue gas.
CanmetENERGY is involved in collaborative R&D with industry partners and under the work program of the CANMET CO2 R&D Consortium. The research includes the study of pollutants behaviour in the CO2 capture and compression process and developing cost-effective strategies for integrated multi-pollutant control in these systems. Initial results indicate that SO2 and NOx are removed in CO2 compression units in the presence of oxygen and water, while mercury can react with nitric acid that is formed in the process. Further research is needed to better understand the initial results under a pressurized environment.
