Thief process for the removal of mercury from flue gas

Patent · Tue Feb 18 04:00:00 EST 2003

OSTI ID:875052

Pennline, Henry W ^[1]; Granite, Evan J ^[2]; Freeman, Mark C ^[3]; Hargis, Richard A ^[4]; O'Dowd, William J ^[5]

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1. Bethel Park, PA
2. Wexford, PA
3. South Park Township, PA
4. Canonsburg, PA
5. Charleroi, PA

A system and method for removing mercury from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant is described. Mercury removal is by adsorption onto a thermally activated sorbent produced in-situ at the power plant. To obtain the thermally activated sorbent, a lance (thief) is inserted into a location within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber and extracts a mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas. The semi-combusted coal has adsorptive properties suitable for the removal of elemental and oxidized mercury. The mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas is separated into a stream of gas and semi-combusted coal that has been converted to a stream of thermally activated sorbent. The separated stream of gas is recycled to the combustion chamber. The thermally activated sorbent is injected into the duct work of the power plant at a location downstream from the exit port of the combustion chamber. Mercury within the flue gas contacts and adsorbs onto the thermally activated sorbent. The sorbent-mercury combination is removed from the plant by a particulate collection system.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV
• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 6521021
• Application Number: 10/040,758
• OSTI ID: 875052
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/95/96/110/423/
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adsorbs
adsorption
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coal
coal-fired
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combination
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downstream
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elemental
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flue
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in-situ
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lance
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mercury
method
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obtain
oxidized
particulate
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power
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properties
recycled
removal
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removing
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stream
thermally
thermally activated
thief
zone