Regulation and control of NO{sub x} emissions from the Portland Cement Industry

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20002231

Streitman, F L; Carter, T B; Hawkins, G J

In response to current and anticipated regulation of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}), the US and Canadian portland cement industries evaluated how to mitigate and manage NOx produced from its manufacturing processes. To accomplish this, several tasks were completed: (1) Estimate the amount of NO{sub x} released by the cement industry; (2) Evaluate across all industries what technologies are available to control NO{sub x}; (3) Determine the technologies that are feasible for use in cement plants and the NO{sub x} reduction those technologies might provide; and (4) Calculate the installation and operational cost of the applicable NO{sub x}-control technologies. Virtually all of the NO{sub x} produced by a Portland cement plant occurs in the combustion zones of the kiln. Nitrogen in the combustion air and fuel is converted into NO{sub x} by the temperature in the combustion zones of the kiln system. Estimating the amount of NO{sub x} released is especially challenging, because every cement plant is different in its equipment design, and the types of raw materials and fuels utilized vary from location to location. Most existing NO{sub x}-control processes are designed for electric power boilers. Unlike electric power boilers, cement kilns produce a product and the operation must be controlled to maintain product quality. Depending on the type of kiln system being used, the technologies that can be applied to the portland cement industry include: (1) Process controls; (2) Fuel firing changes (low-NO{sub x} burners with indirect firing); (3) Secondary firing; (4) Staged combustion (low-NO{sub x} precalciner); and (5) Selective noncatalytic reduction systems. The NO{sub x} reductions that might occur from the utilization of these technologies will vary, and the cost effectiveness will range from $2,100 to $11,500 per short ton of NO{sub x} reduced.

• Research Organization: Essroc Cement Corp., Nazareth, PA (US)
• OSTI ID: 20002231
• Report Number(s): CONF-990608--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CEMENT INDUSTRY
NITROGEN OXIDES
PORTLAND CEMENT
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT