Microbial reduction of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} as a means of by-product recovery/disposal from regenerable processes for the desulfurization of flue gas. Technical progress report, September 11, 1992--December 11, 1992
With the continual increase in the utilization of high sulfur and high nitrogen containing fossil fuels, the release of airborne pollutants into the environment has become a critical problem. The fuel sulfur is converted to SO{sub 2} during combustion. Fuel nitrogen and a fraction of the nitrogen from the combustion air are converted to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, NO{sub x}. For the past five years Combustion Engineering (now Asea Brown Boveri or ABB) and, since 1986, the University of Tulsa (TU) have been investigating the oxidation of H{sub 2}S by the facultatively anaerobic and autotrophic bacterium Thiobacillus denitrificans and have developed a process, concept for the microbial removal of H{sub 2}S from a gas stream the simultaneous removal of SO{sub 2} and NO by D. desulfuricans and T. denitrificans co-cultures and cultures-in-series was demonstrated. These systems could not be sustained due to NO inhibition of D. desulfuricans. However, a preliminary economic analysis has shown that microbial reduction of SO{sub 2} to H{sub 2}S with subsequent conversion to elemental sulfur by the Claus process is both technically and economically feasible if a less expensive carbon and/or energy source can be found. It has also been demonstrated that T. denitrificans can be grown anaerobically on NO(g) as a terminal electron acceptor with reduction to elemental nitrogen. Microbial reduction of NO{sub x} is a viable process concept for the disposal of concentrated streams of NO{sub x} as may be produced by certain regenerable processes for the removal of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} from flue gas.
- Research Organization:
- Tulsa Univ., OK (United States). Center for Environmental Research and Technology
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG22-90PC90096
- OSTI ID:
- 10153072
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/90096-T7; ON: DE94012353; BR: AA0535000/AA1505000
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1992]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Microbial reduction of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} as a means of by- product recovery/disposal from regenerable processes for the desulfurization of flue gas. Technical progress report, June 11, 1992--September 11, 1992
(1) Microbial removal of SO sub 2 and NO sub x from flue gas; (2) Microbial by-product recovery from regenerable processes for the simultaneous removal of SO sub 2 and NO sub x from flue gas
Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
09 BIOMASS FUELS
FLUE GAS
DESULFURIZATION
DENITRIFICATION
NITROGEN OXIDES
BIODEGRADATION
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
CULTURE MEDIA
SULFUR DIOXIDE
THIOBACILLUS FERROXIDANS
IMMOBILIZED CELLS
BIOREACTORS
PROGRESS REPORT
MUNICIPAL WASTES
010800
550700
099000
WASTE MANAGEMENT
MICROBIOLOGY
PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS