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Physical and chemical characterization of residual oil-fired power plant emissions
Citation:
HAYS, M. D., L. BECK, P. M. BARFIELD, R. WILLIS, M. S. LANDIS, AND R. K. STEVENS. Physical and chemical characterization of residual oil-fired power plant emissions. ENERGY AND FUELS. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 23(5):2544-2551, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
Journal article
Description:
Although the toxicity of oil combustion emissions is a significant public health concern, few studies characterize the emissions from plant-scale utility boilers firing residual oil. This study remedies that deficiency by sampling and monitoring stack emissions from a 432 Giga Joules (GJ) front-fired fossil fuel steam generator burning residual oil. Over a 3-day test period, continuous CO2, S02, and NOx emissions monitoring shows a steady fuel feed rate, high combustion efficiency (3.4 kg of CO/kg of fuel oil burned), and evidence of a nocturnal soot-blowing event. The utility boiler emits fine aerosol (PM 2.5) at a rate of 53 ±2 ug/kg. Vesicular coarse particles composed of C and S and spherical Al silicates with V and Ni•inclusions are identified in a cyclone rinse using scanning electron microscopy and backscatter analysis. Ion chromatography results establish that the fine aerosol is predominantly sulfate (13% wt/wt) which is thought to be coordinated to transition metals. From thermal optical transmittance measurements, less than 1% wt/wt of the fine aerosol is surmised to be carbonaceous. Despite low emissions of particle-phase carbon and contaminants interfering with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of polcyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and certain other semi-volatile organic compounds, trace levels of branched-, cyclic- and n-alkanes and organic acids are observed in the particle emissions; sterane and hopane molecules are below the picogram level GC-MS detection limits. We conclude that more sensitive methods are needed to further determine individual organic matter species in the particle emissions from this source. Finally, application of EPA methods TO-II and TO-15 shows that the total volatile non-methane organic gas emissions from the plant-scale boiler vary between 6 and 28 mg/kg of fuel oil burned; greater than 50% of this mass is ascribed to oxygenated matter.
