FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER       

                                                                                                         December 2004
                                                                                                             No. 320

DBA Increase FGD Efficiency by Five Percent at AES Deepwater

The use of organic diacids in wet limestone scrubbers remarkably improves the SO₂ removal efficiency in two ways. First, the diacids increase the dissolution rate of limestone into the liquid slurry feed to the scrubber. Second, the mass transfer rate of SO₂ from the gas phase to the scrubber liquid, often a limiting factor in scrubber systems, is improved.

Use of organic diacids in wet limestone scrubbers has proven highly effective in significantly reducing SO₂ emissions from coal-fired utility boilers. Utilities which have worked with INVISTA™ Dibasic Acids (DBA) have achieved impressive results. A recent trial at the AES Deepwater Plant resulted in significant emissions reduction and cost savings. The introduction of DBA had an immediate and dramatic impact to the SO₂ capture as the scrubber efficiency was increased by five percent. Additional savings were also realized through operational and maintenance improvements resulting from the use of DBA. According to Jacob Peter, Mechanical Engineer with AES, “Our experience was so positive that I don’t know why any wet limestone scrubber would be run without a buffering additive addition such as DBA.” The AES Deepwater Plant now regularly uses DBA, and the nominal cost implementation was reasonably quick and trouble-free.

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