Procal Analytics’ CEMS Satisfy Regs

Procal Analytics Ltd. in the U.K. observes that the requirement to use approved continuous emission monitoring analyzers on large combustion plants is becoming standard worldwide. Not only if there are legal requirements, e.g., in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, but also in countries where there is no legal requirement, the selection of an approved CEM system gives credibility to the operators and confidence in the data reported to the local environmental agency. The company notes that there is a proposal to have a European-wide CEM approval system in force by 2004, which would incorporate both Type Approval (harmonized MCERTS (U.K.)/TUV (Germany) and, in addition, on-plant Compliance Testing (similar to U.S. EPA 40 CFR 75). Procal Analytics developed the Enveloped Folded Beam to comply with U.S. EPA 40 CFR 60 and 75 and MCERTS (the Monitoring Certification Scheme for England and Wales).

To demonstrate that its MCERTS-approved PULSI 200LR, Multi-Component, In-Situ, CEM Analyzer complies with 40 CFR 75, Procal Analytics collected data from an instrument installed on the 294-MW McMeekin Plant of South Carolina Electric & Gas, located in Columbia, SC. The plant had been using extractive systems mounted at the base of the stack in an air conditioned shelter. The sample was removed from the 150-ft level through a heated line. The system required a significant amount of maintenance to ensure that it was fully compliant on a daily basis as required by 40 CFR 75.

The Procal Analytics installation consisted of the PULSI 200LR stack mounted analyzer for measuring NO, NO₂, SO₂, CO₂ and H₂O. The Analyzer Control Unit (ACU), which was mounted at the base of the stack, displayed and retransmitted the measured concentration and a daily log of zero and calibration accuracy. The Auto Verification Unit (AVU) houses three solenoid valves to enable zero, test gas 1 and test gas 2 to be introduced into the probe to carry out automatic zero and calibration verification. Both the zero and calibration test are carried out automatically once every 24 hours. Over a six-month trial period, every point was within specification. Procal Analytics also pointed out that there was no maintenance performed on this instrument during the trial period. The power plant engineers were said to be impressed from the start, not only because the analyzer was able to perform the measurements, which previously required a large, complex extractive system, but also by the ease of installation, which was accomplished in one day. The company said that this test demonstrates that the PULSI 200LR, which has been certified by MCERTS, can also comply with other rigorous compliance testing and, therefore, meets the requirements of environmental agencies worldwide, both currently and as may be legislated in the next few years.