Resources
Filtration in Peaker Plants
Submitted by Greg Neneman, Valin Corporation
Proper filtration has always been a critical component of operating an efficient power plant. Surprisingly, however, staying up to date on filtration maintenance is all too often ignored in today’s typical plant. Additionally, the modern plant continues to evolve. Peaker power backfills electricity demand during peak times of the day during the summer and winter, usually in the afternoon and evenings. There are many plants that utilize solar energy during the day, but when the sun goes down, the peaker plants need to be fired up.
Peaker plants can fire up quickly. However, these peaker plants also tend to be more expensive to operate when compared to baseload plants. There are more than 1,000 peaker units in operation in the USA delivering energy on contract to specific parts of the country, keeping peakers online is critical. The alternative is purchasing power on the open market, and this can be exponentially more expensive than producing it. This means that ensuring proper ammonia filtration means more now than it ever has before.
One of the strategies used to reduce the NOx emissions is by spraying aqueous ammonia into the combustion zone of the furnace. This results in extremely high temperature chemical reactions, ultimately reducing the NOx levels. During this process, the ammonia is sprayed directly into the flue gas, but must evaporate completely before reaching the catalyst. This is a process that is far more complex than one would anticipate. In order to achieve the desired result, the ammonia spray geometry must be considered. The droplets of ammonia need to be so fine as to allow for complete evaporation. Otherwise, the droplets may bind with the catalyst and thus not prevent it from reacting to the gas. Furthermore, leaking aqueous ammonia is strictly prohibited.
Click on the button below to download and read the entire white paper.
Peaker plants can fire up quickly. However, these peaker plants also tend to be more expensive to operate when compared to baseload plants. There are more than 1,000 peaker units in operation in the USA delivering energy on contract to specific parts of the country, keeping peakers online is critical. The alternative is purchasing power on the open market, and this can be exponentially more expensive than producing it. This means that ensuring proper ammonia filtration means more now than it ever has before.
Aqueous Ammonia
Any power producing plant in the United States that burns fuel as part of its process must comply with the guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Part of this compliance is directly related to potential air pollution. As a part of this effort, the EPA mandates the maximum allowable levels of NOx that can be put into the air. This is produced by plants that burn coal, natural gas or solid waste.One of the strategies used to reduce the NOx emissions is by spraying aqueous ammonia into the combustion zone of the furnace. This results in extremely high temperature chemical reactions, ultimately reducing the NOx levels. During this process, the ammonia is sprayed directly into the flue gas, but must evaporate completely before reaching the catalyst. This is a process that is far more complex than one would anticipate. In order to achieve the desired result, the ammonia spray geometry must be considered. The droplets of ammonia need to be so fine as to allow for complete evaporation. Otherwise, the droplets may bind with the catalyst and thus not prevent it from reacting to the gas. Furthermore, leaking aqueous ammonia is strictly prohibited.
Click on the button below to download and read the entire white paper.
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