Boosting Air Pollution Export Sales

Overcoming language and knowledge barriers is necessary for successful export of air pollution control systems and products. This is the advice offered by McIlvaine in its “Air Pollution Management” service.

Several European nations along with Japan and the U.S. are funding programs to boost export of domestic air pollution control systems and components. One challenge is the lack of experience and knowledge and another is the fluency with English technical terms. The fact that the Asians in general incorrectly use denitration or dentrification instead of DeNO_x to describe the reduction of NO_x in the stack gases is testimony to the problem.

Before exporting countries can successfully communicate, it is necessary to precisely classify the products to be exported. In fact, there are no comprehensive and precise definitions and classifications for the latest air pollution control technologies. There was no agreement on ways to clean NO_x catalyst until McIlvaine formed a committee of catalyst suppliers who agreed that there are really only three ways to treat existing catalyst for reuse:

These three methods have now been defined and precise translations created in Chinese.

There are a number of ways to reduce NO_x. These have been summarized in the McIlvaine Global Decisions Orchard.

The sequence of decision making for the specifier is unique. Here is the sequence recommended for decisions on monitoring ammonia slip from a gas turbine.

Decision Sequence	Decision Category	Decision Subject	Explanation
Level 1	Orientation	Specifier	Purchaser or A/E making the decisions for bid purposes
Level 2	Application	221112 Fossil Fuel 化石燃料Gas-fired 燃气	Also applicable for coal-fired power plants, incinerators and cement kilns
Level 3	Process	NO_x Reduction	Can be used with both SCR and SNCR
Level 4	Location	SCR Outlet	Measure ammonia slip
Level 5	Pollutant	NH₃	Ammonia which escapes SCR
Level 6	Product	CEM	Continuous emission monitor to measure ammonia after reaction with NO_x
Level 7a	Type	In situ	Big differences between measuring in stack and taking a small sample and conditioning and treating it
Level 7b	Type	Extractive	Extract sample, condition and measure
Level 8a	Principle	Laser Spectroscopy (TDL IR)	Advantages: Interference free, in situ or extractive Disadvantages: Moisture interference, limited experience
Level 8b	Principle	Automated Wet Chemistry	Advantages: familiarity, quick set up and good for extractive periodic testing Disadvantages: labor intensive, reagents
Level 8c	Principle	NO_x Differential	Advantages: Tried and proven Disadvantages: Poor sensitivity to high NO_xlevels
Level 8d	Principle	UV Photometry	Advantages: Tried and proven Disadvantages: Strong interference from SO₂
Level 8e	Principle	Ion Mobility	Advantages: Sensitive and interference free Disadvantages: Not suited for corrosive gases, slow response
Level 8f	Principle	IR-Multi Component	Advantages: Multiple species Disadvantages: Cost

Exporting countries and companies need to promote the decisive classification of the products which they wish to sell. All decision making is a series of classifications. A clear presentation of the alternatives will facilitate better decision making. This will be one of the most cost effective ways to expand exports.

Descriptor	Chinese Descriptor	Definition
Cleaning Catalyst	催化剂除灰	A dry process that utilizes vacuum and compressed air to mechanically remove as much of the flyash accumulation as possible.
Regeneration Catalyst	催化剂再生	“Catalyst cleaning” followed by a wet chemical process to remove decay compounds plus re-impregnation of the catalytic compound(s).
Rejuvenation Catalyst	催化剂复原	“Catalyst cleaning” followed by a wet chemical process to remove some decay compounds with minimum removal of catalytic compound(s). There is no re-impregnation of the catalytic compound(s)

DeNO_xDecisively Classified Options for Coal, Cement, Incineration
Option	*	Details
SCR	E	Ammonia injection followed by a catalytic reactor
	A	High efficiency and accepted by regulatory authorities
	D	Cost, catalyst plugging, space
SNCR	E	Urea injection in the furnace
	A	Low cost, low maintenance, space
	D	Low efficiency, ammonia slip
Ozone Oxidation	E	Ozone injection followed by scrubber
	A	Little space if scrubber already in place
	D	Ozone cost, efficiency
Hydrogen Peroxide	E	Chemical injection converts to NO₂ followed by scrubbing
	A	Low capital cost if scrubber already in place
	D	Chemical cost
Catalytic Filter	E	Fabric filter has embedded catalyst
	A	Lower foot print with combination, lower capital and operating cost
	D	Lack of experience
* E= explanation A=advantages D=disadvantages