Alternative Strategies for Control of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

Abstract

Achievement of air quality goals now more than ever requires careful consideration of alternative control strategies in view of national concerns with energy and the economy. Three strategies which might be used by coal-fired steam electric plants to achieve ambient air quality standards for sulfur dioxide have been compared, and the analysis shows that the desired objective can be achieved using the intermittent control strategy with substantially less impact on the environment, less consumption of energy, and at a much lower economic cost than using either stack gas scrubbing or low-sulfur coal.