Mercury Control for Coal-Derived Gas Streams

This essential handbook and ready reference offers a detailed overview of the existing and currently researched technologies available for the control of mercury in coal-derived gas streams and that are viable for meeting the strict standards set by environmental protection agencies.
Written by an internationally acclaimed author team from government agencies, academia and industry, it details US, EU, Asia-Pacific and other international perspectives, regulations and guidelines.

Evan J. Granite is a Research Group Leader at the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), USA; Technical Coordinator for NETL's in-house research on Rare Earth Detection and Recovery; and an Adjunct Research Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, USA (volunteer position). He completed postdoctoral research at the Department of Energy, received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester, and BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from The Cooper Union. His research has focused on mercury, trace contaminant, and carbon dioxide removal from flue and fuel gases. He is the principal or co-investigator for projects on the capture of mercury, arsenic, selenium, phosphorus, cadmium, and antimony coal-derived flue and fuel gases; carbon dioxide separation from flue gas; and rare earth detection and from recovery from solids. He has coauthored 38 peer-reviewed journal articles, eight patents/patents pending, 205 conference papers and presentations, and 49 DOE reports of invention.

Henry W. Pennline has degrees in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University and is a Professional Engineer of Pennsylvania, USA. Since 2000, Mr. Pennline has served as a senior research group leader in the CO2 capture area, where novel techniques to capture/ separate carbon dioxide from post- and pre-combustion streams within power generation facilities are investigated. In addition to his duties in the CO2 capture area, he also served as the leader of the Clean Air Team from 1986 to 2002. Over his near forty years in research with the federal government (U.S Bureau of Mines and U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory), he has become experienced in various facets of fossil-energy technology. He has initiated research in flue gas cleanup technologies, CO2 separation and capture techniques, and indirect liquefaction. He is inventor/ co-inventor of licensed processes, is author/co-author of numerous publications, and has received various prestigious awards during his federal tenure.

Constance Senior is currently the Vice President of Technology at ADA-ES, Inc., where she is responsible for research and development in control of emissions of mercury and other pollutants from coal-fired power plants and other industrial combustion systems. For over fifteen years, she has been involved in the development and application of process models for formation and control of pollutants in industrial
combustion systems. She has particular expertise in integrated power plant modeling and in the development and integration of submodels for complex CFD models of combustion and air pollution control processes. Dr. Senior is the author of over 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals and books. From 2008 to 2014, she served as an associate editor of the American Chemical Society journal Energy & Fuels.

Preface

PART I: Mercury in the Environment: Origin, Fate, and Regulation

MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Introduction
Mercury as a Chemical Element
Direct Uses of Mercury
Atmospheric Transport and Deposition
Atmospheric Reactions and Lifetime
Mercury Biogeochemical Cycling

MERCURY AND HALOGENS IN COAL
Introduction
Mercury in U.S. Coals
Mercury in International Coals
Halogens in Coals
Summary

REGULATIONS
U.S. Regulations


INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION AND TRENDS
Introduction
International Legislation
Regional and National Legislation
Summary

PART II: Mercury Measurement in Coal Gas

CONTINUOUS MERCURY MONITORS FOR FOSSIL FUEL-FIRED UTILITIES
Introduction
Components of a CMM
Installation and Verification Requirements
Major CMM Tests
CMM Vendors

BATCH METHODS FOR MERCURY MONITORING
Introduction
Wet Chemistry Batch Methods
Dry Batch Methods
Recommendations

PART III: Mercury Chemistry in Coal Utilization Systems and Air Pollution Control Devices

MERCURY BEHAVIOR IN COAL COMBUSTION SYSTEMS
Introduction
Coal Combustion Boilers
Mercury Chemistry in Combustion Systems
Air Pollution Control Devices on Utility and Industrial Boilers
Mercury Behavior in Coal-Fired Boilers
Summary

GASIFICATION SYSTEMS
Principles of Coal Gasification
Gasification Technologies Overview and Gasifier Descriptions
Gasification Applications and Downstream Gas Cleanup and Processing
Mercury Transformations and Fate
Hg Measurement in a Reducing Environment
Hg Control Technologies for Gasification
Hg and the MATS Rule for Gasifiers

MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL FOR THE CEMENT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Introduction
Cement Manufacturing Process Description
State of Knowledge on the Source and Behavior of Mercury in the Cement Kiln System
Mercury Emissions Control Solutions in the Cement Industry
Conclusions

PART IV: Mercury Research Programs in the United States

DOE'S MERCURY CONTROL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
Introduction
Background
Summary

U.S. EPA RESEARCH PROGRAM
Introduction
Congressionally Mandated Studies
Control Technology from Work on Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs)
Mercury Chemistry, Adsorption, and Sorbent Development
Coal Combustion Residues and By-Products
EPA SBIR Progra

THE ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S PROGRAM TO CONTROL MERCURY EMISSIONS FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS
Introduction
Co-Benefits of Installed Controls
Sorbent Injection
Boiler Chemical Addition
Novel Concepts for Mercury Control
Integration of Controls for Mercury with Controls for Other Air Pollutants
Summary

PART V: Mercury Control Processes

MERCURY CONTROL USING COMBUSTION MODIFICATION
Mercury Speciation in Coal-Fired Power Plants without Added Catalysts
Role of Unburned Carbon in Mercury Oxidation and Adsorption
Synergistic Relationship between UBC and Calcium in Flyash
Potential Combustion Modification Strategies to Mitigate Mercury Emissions
Effects of Combustion Modifications on Mercury Oxidation across SCR Catalysts

FUEL AND FLUE-GAS ADDITIVES
Background
Summary

CATALYSTS FOR THE OXIDATION OF MERCURY
Introduction
Hg Oxidation and Affecting Parameters
Conclusions and Future Research

MERCURY CAPTURE IN WET FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION SYSTEMS
Introduction
Fate of Net Mercury Removed by Wet FGD Systems
Mercury Reemissions
Effects of Flue Gas Mercury Oxidation Technologies on FGD Capture of Mercury

INTRODUCTION TO CARBON SORBENTS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL
Carbon Materials
Carbon Activation
Carbon Particle Shapes and Forms
Activated Carbon Applications
Activated Carbon Properties in Emission Systems
Summary

ACTIVATED CARBON INJECTION
Introduction
The Activated Carbon Injection System
Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Activated Carbon
Balance-of-Plant Impacts
Future Considerations

HALOGENATED CARBON SORBENTS
Introduction
Application of Activated Carbon for Mercury Control
Development of Halogenated Activated Carbon

CONCRETE-COMPATIBLE ACTIVATED CARBON
Introduction
Concrete-Compatibility Metrics
Production of Concrete-Compatible Products Including C-PAC (TM)
C-PAC (TM) Specification
Concrete Compatibility Test -
Field Fly Ash /
C-PAC (TM) Mixture

NOVEL CAPTURE TECHNOLOGIES: NON-CARBON SORBENTS AND PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATIONS
Introduction
Non-Carbon Sorbents
Photochemical Removal of Mercury from Flue Gas

SORBENTS FOR GASIFICATION PROCESSES
Introduction
Background
Warm/Humid Gas Temperature Mercury Sorbent Capture Techniques
Cold Gas Cleanup of Mercury
Summary

PART VI: Modeling of Mercury Chemistry in Air Pollution Control Devices

MERCURY-CARBON SURFACE CHEMISTRY
Nature of the Bonding of Mercury to the Carbon Surface
Effects of Acid Gases on Mercury Capacities on Carbon
Kinetic HCI Effect
Summary

ATOMISTIC-LEVEL MODELS
Introduction
Homogeneous Mercury Oxidation Kinetics
Heterogeneous Chemistry
Conclusions and Future Work

PREDICTING Hg EMISSIONS RATES WITH DEVICE-LEVEL MODELS AND REACTION MECHANISMS
Introduction and Scope
The Reaction System
Hg Transformations
Summary