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ENERGY PRODUCTION AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS USING FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS
Citation:
Spiegel*, R J. AND J. L. Preston. ENERGY PRODUCTION AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS USING FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS. Presented at 3rd International Fuel Cell Conference, Nagoya, Japan, 11/30-12/3/99.
Description:
The paper discusses energy production and pollution prevention at sewage treatment plants using fuel cell power plants. Anaerobic digester gas (ADG) is produced at waste water treatment plants during the anaerobic treatment of sewage to reduce solids. The major constituents are methane (57-66%), carbon dioxide (33-39%), nitrogen (1-4%), and oxygen (<0.5%). Minor constituents include sulfur-bearing compounds (principally hydrogen sulfide), trace amounts of halogen compounds (chlorides), and nonmethane organic compounds. Currently, most of this gas is either vented to the atmosphere or combusted in flares. In either case, the release of these gases (methane or carbon dioxide) can potentially affect global climate by trapping radiation from the sun and enhancing atmospheric heating. Additionally, the vented gas contains hazardous air pollutants (e. g., hydrogen sulfide and chlorides). It is desirable to develop technologies that cannot only produce energy from ADG, but also reduce air emissions. In this regard, fuel cells are an emerging technology to produce electricity and clean heat. The electricity produced can either be used by the waste water plant or sold to the electrical grid, while the heat is used to aid the anaerobic process. EPA, in conjunction with ONSI, recently utilized a 200-kW phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant to operate on ADG at a sewage treatment plant in Yonkers, NY.