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Interferometric Continuous Emission Monitor for Active Control of Organic Emissions

EPA Contract Number: 68D99064
Title: Interferometric Continuous Emission Monitor for Active Control of Organic Emissions
Investigators: Poulos, Arthur T.
Small Business: Optomechanical Enterprises
EPA Contact: Manager, SBIR Program
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1999 through March 1, 2000
Project Amount: $69,853
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1998)
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , SBIR - Monitoring and Analysis

Description:

Active process control offers potential to reduce transient and steady-state emissions from combustors and incinerators (mobile and stationary sources). The goal is to alter combustion parameters (equivalence ratio, feed rate, diluent flow, combustion staging) in rapid response to the appearance of Products of Incomplete Combustion (PICs) and PIC precursors. This effort is hampered, however, by the lack of cost-effective "real-time" monitors capable of resolving key species concentrations from a complex exhaust mixture.

This Phase I project offers to test an approach to active control based on a novel interferometer interfaced to a "trained" combustion control system. This particular interferometer uses a wavefront-division design and a step-scanning mode to achieve reduced sensitivity to vibration and background jitter at a relatively low cost and compact size. The sensitivity and linearity of the monitor to low concentrations of PIC precursors, such as benzene and acetylene, will be investigated. Measured concentrations will be compared with online gas chromatography to verify analytical accuracy over a time average. Finally, the interferometer will be tested on the active control of a single PIC precursor (benzene).

The technology is applicable to emission control of stationary sources such as coal and natural gas-fired power plants, municipal incinerators, and waste incinerators. Research findings also will further the goal of active control over mobile sources. The monitor itself also may be sold as a cost-effective single unit replacement for the array of continuous emission monitors now used in industry for multispecies detection.

Supplemental Keywords:

small business, SBIR, air emissions, monitoring, engineering, EPA. , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Air, Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Analytical Chemistry, Incineration/Combustion, air toxics, Economics & Decision Making, Municipal, Monitoring/Modeling, Market mechanisms, mobile sources, combustion contaminants, incineration, real time monitoring, coal combustion, power generation , Products of Incomplete Combustion (PICs), combustion technology, benzene, active process control, combustion, monitoring, real-time monitoring, Interferometric, air pollutants, cost effectiveness, measurement, products of incomplete combustion (PIC), air pollution, cost effective, measure, real time measurement, continuous emissions monitoring, organic emissions, combustion exhaust gases, organics, stationary sources, coal fired power plants

Progress and Final Reports:
Final Report

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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