Concentrations and mass balance of mercury in a fluidized bed sewage sludge incineration plant

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

OSTI ID:20006730

Saenger, M; Werther, J; Hanssen, H

The fluidized bed sewage sludge incineration plant of the city of Hamburg started its operation in May 1997. In cooperation with Hamburger Stadtentwaesserung the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg undertook an experimental program to measure the mass balance of mercury across this plant. During the first months of full operation the mercury concentrations in the flue gas and in the solid residues were measured. The measurements show that the concentration in the raw flue gas is between 500 to 950 {micro}g/m{sup 3} and part of the elemental mercury depends on the chlorine content of the fuel. The concentration of the mercury in the flue gas is reduced over the first scrubber to 35--460 {micro}m/m{sup 3}. Some 77% of the mercury input are found in the sediment separated from the liquid of the acid scrubber. It is remarkable that the concentration of the elemental mercury increases while the gas passes through the scrubber. The concentration of mercury in the cleaned stack gas is less than 40 {micro}g/m{sup 3}. Since it is generally known that it is not easy to meet the limit of 50 {micro}g mercury per m{sup 3} (standard conditions, dry basis) of flue gas which is set by the German regulations for waste incineration, the measurements provide a comprehensive picture of the fate of mercury in a fluidized bed sludge incineration plant.

• Research Organization: Technical Univ. Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg (DE)
• OSTI ID: 20006730
• Report Number(s): CONF-990534--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
FLUE GAS
FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION
INCINERATORS
MERCURY
MONITORING
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SOLID WASTES