Fuel Impacts on SCR Catalysts (including biomass) is Hot Topic on June 30, 2011

As air pollution regulations for basically all regulated pollutants including NO_x become more stringent power plant operators are looking at all options to economically meet these new regulations. Changing the type of coal burned or switching from coal-to-oil or gas is one option available. At the same time they are also faced with increasing mandates for use of renewable fuels (energy) and requirements to reduce their carbon footprint (CO₂ emissions). Utilization of biomass and municipal and industrial wastes either by co-firing with their primary fossil fuel (usually coal) or by converting an existing combustion process to burn biomass or waste could help meet these mandates.

But when considering fuel switching, the engineers also need to consider the impact of the new fuel on their air pollution control equipment especially the SCR catalyst. Every potential fuel has a very different chemical composition that will result in flue gases with widely different physical and chemical compositions. In many cases, high concentrations of elements or compounds such as sodium, potassium, sulfur and alkali-metal aerosols will poison the catalyst and result in shorter life. Other components, such as phosphorous and some fly ash or soot can cause severe fouling of the catalyst surface and essentially block the NO_x from reaching an active catalyst surface. In order to select the optimum fuel and the optimum catalyst for NO_x reduction, the engineer needs to understand these affects as well as potential impacts on SO₃ formation and mercury reduction. Fortunately catalyst manufacturers are continually testing to provide this information and developing new formulations to provide operational flexibility at reduced operating expense.

The following speakers will discuss the impact of various fuels on catalyst life and performance for different operating parameters, discuss new developments in catalyst formulations directed at improving flexibility and reducing expense and tell us how to select the optimum catalyst for various fuels and operating conditions.

Brian Adair, Ph.D, Director of Technology Development at SCR-Tech, LLC a CoaLogix Company, will discuss fuel impacts on SCR catalysts from a catalyst management perspective. SCR-Tech, the World’s largest catalyst regeneration company has approximately 50MW under SCR Catalyst Management with US based utilities and has experience with all types of catalyst (honeycomb, corrugated & plate-type) being exposed to all types of coals, blends, temperatures and operating conditions. Our unique perspective seeing all the catalyst types with the different fuels types will be shared. Proper catalyst pitch selection is the first step based on the ash loading along with other factors (dp allowed, etc.) then potential required to meet the NO_x requirements and the next outage based on the projected deactivation rates.

John Cochran, President of CERAM Environmental, will discuss Fuel Impacts on the design and performance of SCR catalysts. Catalyst performance, and thereby design is dependent on many combustion and fuel quality parameters.  This is especially evident for PRB coals and Western coals.  Catalyst test results for a number of units spanning up to 40,000 operating hours will be presented. Various parameters influencing catalyst performance and formulation will also be discussed.

To register for the "Hot Topic Hour" on Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 10 a.m. CDT (Chicago time), click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112

rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com

www.mcilvainecompany.com