Fully engineered approach to acid rain control

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Energy Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:6717638

Bauer, F W ^[1]

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1. Stone and Webster Engineering Corp., Cherry Hill, NJ (United States)

Regulations and methods for control of sulfur dioxide and particulate emissions have been developed and are fairly well understood. However, nitrous oxide (NO[sub x]) reduction requirements are only now being mandated. Owners of major emissions sources will be unable to continue to defer compliance with evolving legislation. Unfortunately, the objectives of state and federal environmental regulatory authorities differ and conflict with those of utilities, public utility commissions, and ratepayers. The uncertainties caused by the differences make it difficult to prepare any proposed plan or budget that will be acceptable to all. Reduction in NO[sub x] emissions does not necessarily mean overall environmental improvement. Often, objectionable pollutants result from the reaction of chemicals present in a given environment and emitted as harmful atmospheric pollution. Ozone is such a pollutant. With the chemical concentration anomalies involved, the reduction of NO[sub x] emissions may result in greater damage. The Regional Oxidant Model (ROM) or Urban Airshed Model (UAM) being used to analyze area-wide conditions are still unable to make this distinction and, even at best, the variables involved render any solution to be uncertain. Engineering has responded to these myriad problems by developing a fully documented and engineered low-cost approach: a boiler-specific, defensible, technical, and economically analytical computer model that can be quickly updated as conditions, costs, and regulations change. The results can be programmed into an on-line system to include environmental optimization into economic dispatch. A step-by-step description of the approach aimed at economic NO[sub x] reduction is the subject of this article.

• OSTI ID: 6717638
• Journal Information: Energy Engineering; (United States), Vol. 91:4; ISSN 0199-8595
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
BOILERS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
NITROGEN OXIDES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CLEAN AIR ACTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
EVALUATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MODIFICATIONS
PLANNING
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
EQUIPMENT
LAWS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION LAWS
SIMULATION
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety