Annual emissions and air-quality impacts of an urban area district-heating system: Boston case study
A district-heating system, based on thermal energy from power plants retrofitted to operate in the cogeneration mode, is expected to improve local air quality. This possibility has been examined by comparing the emissions of five major atmospheric pollutants, i.e., particulates, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, from the existing heating and electric system in the City of Boston with those from a proposed district heating system. Detailed, spatial distribution of existing heating load and fuel mix is developed to specify emissions associated with existing heating systems. Actual electric-power-plant parameters and generation for the base year are specified. Additional plant fuel consumption and emissions resulting from cogeneration operation have been estimated. Six alternative fuel-emissions-control scenarios are considered. The average annual ground-level concentrations of sulfur oxides are calculated using a modified form of the EPA's Climatological Dispersion Model. This report describes the methodology, the results and their implications, and the areas for extended investigation. The initial results confirm expectations. Average sulfur oxides concentrations at various points within and near the city drop by up to 85% in the existing fuels scenarios and by 95% in scenarios in which different fuels and more-stringent emissions controls at the plants are used. These reductions are relative to concentrations caused by fuel combustion for heating and large commercial and industrial process uses within the city and Boston Edison Co. electric generation.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 5227005
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CNSV-TM-36
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
AIR QUALITY
DISTRICT HEATING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
MASSACHUSETTS
POLLUTION SOURCES
EMISSION
AEROSOLS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CO-GENERATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
HEATING SYSTEMS
HYDROCARBONS
NITROGEN OXIDES
PARTICLES
SULFUR OXIDES
URBAN AREAS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DEUS
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HEATING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH ATLANTIC REGION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER GENERATION
SOLS
STEAM GENERATION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
320603* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Public Utilities- (1980-)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
290800 - Energy Planning & Policy- Heat Utilization- (1980-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety