Intermittent control procedures for the Geysers hydrogen sulfide emission abatement
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG and E) operates the world's largest geothermal steam electric power generation facility, currently about 1.140 megawatts (Mw). This facility is located about 80 miles north of San Francisco, California and is within a region referred to as the Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). Pollutants resulting from this method of electric power generation are due to impurities in the geothermal steam. A major contaminate in the steam is hydrogen sulfide (H/sub 2/S), a regulated pollutant in California. The ambient air quality standard (AAQS) for this pollutant in California is 0.03 parts per million (ppM) averaged over one hour. H/sub 2/S is an invisible, unpleasant smelling gas present in varying concentrations in the geothermal steam. Its odor has been compared to the smell of rotten eggs. Since PG and E is increasingly relying on this source of electrical power generation, it has committed millions of dollars to the development, testing, acquisition, and installation of abatement equipment to reduce H/sub 2/S emissions during the past ten years. In order to reduce the number of exceeds of the AAQS during this developmental period, a predictive model was needed for interim abatement purposes. Most of the high hourly H/sub 2/S values occur with meteorological conditions having poor ventilation resulting from a combination of low wind speed and reduced mixing layer depths. This weather condition is most common during the months of June through October in California. A predictive model was developed from three years of hourly H/sub 2/S measurements of 0.03 ppM or greater in populated areas downwind of the generation facility and from observations of associated meteorological data.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Francisco, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5862859
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-840612-
- Journal Information:
- Proc., Annu. Meet., Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Vol. 5; Conference: Air Pollution Control Association annual meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, 25 Jun 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CALIFORNIA
AIR QUALITY
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
GEYSERS GEOTHERMAL FIELD
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
FORECASTING
HOURLY VARIATIONS
IMPURITIES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METEOROLOGY
QUANTITY RATIO
STANDARDS
WIND
CHALCOGENIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USA
VARIATIONS
150600* - Geothermal Energy- Environmental Aspects
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)