Catalyst Selection for Coal-fired Power Plants is Hot Topic Hour on October 21, 2010
SCR have been in use for many years and a lot of research and effort has resulted in improved performance relative to NOx reduction, mechanical strength, plugage problems, pressure drop, corrosion, catalyst life and regeneration. More recently, development has focused on catalyst materials and configurations that enhance mercury oxidation and minimize SO3 formation.
With the MACT and other regulations coming next year, utilities operating or considering installation of an SCR will be faced with a new, more complex decision process relative to the type of catalyst to use. The question will not be just “What is the most efficient catalyst with respect to life, operating cost and NOx reduction?” or even “What is the optimum catalyst for SO3 minimization and mercury oxidation?” In order to achieve the lowest plant wide operating cost, the plant engineers and management will need to look closely at their entire strategy and equipment selections for control of all regulated pollutants. For example, will their current or planned particulate and SO2 control equipment efficiently capture sufficient mercury to meet regulatory limits under current operating conditions or do they need to increase the oxidized mercury leaving the SCR? Or if they are considering switching fuel or coal type, such as from a high to a low chlorine content coal, they will need to know what the impact will be not only on the NOx reduction but also mercury and SO2 oxidation characteristics of their current catalyst.
Catalytic NOx removal efficiency and initial and operating cost are dependent on many plant specific parameters (coal type, boiler type and operating cycle, gas temperature, uniformity of flow and others) as well as many catalyst design features (type-honeycomb or plate, pitch, percentage of vanadium and other active ingredients, number of layers and others) and reagent used and where it is injected. The plant operators and catalyst suppliers will need to consider all of these factors in order to select the catalyst that best achieves the plant goals of minimizing operating expense while achieving the mandated emission levels of NOx and all other regulated pollutants. They will need to find a balance between the level of NOx reduction achieved in the SCR with the effect of the SCR on other pollutants and control equipment.
The following speakers will help us understand the current situation and present the catalyst technologies currently available and under development, along with a discussion of their applicability to various plant configurations, their NOx reduction capabilities, their effect with regard to mercury, SO3 and other pollutants and the key issues to be considered when selecting a catalyst. They will also address the capacity of the catalyst providers to deliver all of the material expected to be required to achieve compliance with the expected regulations.
W. Scott Hinton, Ph.D., P.E., Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, will discuss “SCR System Design, Operation and Catalyst Selection for a New Decade”. Increasingly stringent regulations for NOx, SO2, SO3, and mercury will greatly affect how SCR systems are designed and operated and how catalyst is selected. Given that the SCR system will impact virtually every pollutant being controlled, proper system design and catalyst selection will be integral to a utility's overall pollution control strategy. Advances in catalyst design will help address various pollution control issues but will also increase the number of parameters that must be evaluated during catalyst specification and selection. Various issues associated with these topics will be addressed in an effort to help guide utilities in terms of selecting optimal SCR operating conditions, fuels, and catalyst formulations.
George Wensell of Cormetech, Inc. will provide a brief summary of catalyst selection criteria that should be considered given the uncertain regulatory environment and continued pressures on total compliance cost. In addition, he will discuss the specific areas of Cormetech’s current efforts to provide a wide range of solutions to meet the market needs, including areas of catalyst development as well as its collaboration with SCRTech in the area of catalyst regeneration.
Stephen (Steve) Guglielmo, SCR Product Manager at Hitachi Power Systems America, will discuss the continued development of catalysts to meet more stringent regulations. Choosing the correct catalyst has become an increasingly important decision to ensure that utilities not only comply with current regulations but also give utilities the flexibility to meet what's coming next. Hitachi continues to develop new catalysts that enhance the performance of the SCR with low cost solutions minimizing the operational impact to the unit and providing the flexibility required.
Randy Sadler, Director of Marketing & Sales at CoaLogix/SCR-Tech.
To register for the "Hot Topic Hour" on October 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. CDT (Chicago time), click on: on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com