Toxic substances from coal combustion -- A comprehensive assessment. Quarterly report, October 1, 1996--December 31, 1996

Abstract

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 identify a number of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) as candidates for regulation. Should regulations be imposed on HAP emissions from coal-fired power plants, a sound understanding of the fundamental principles controlling the formation and partitioning of toxic species during coal combustion will be needed. With support from the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC), the Electric Power Research Institute, and VTT (Finland), Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has teamed with researchers from USGS, MIT, the University of Arizona (UA), the University of Kentucky (UKy), the University of Connecticut, and Princeton University to develop a broadly applicable emissions model useful to regulators and utility planners. The new Toxics Partitioning Engineering Model (ToPEM) will be applicable to all combustion conditions including new fuels and coal blends, low-NOx combustion systems, and new power generation plants. Development of ToPEM will be based on PSI`s existing Engineering Model for Ash Formation (EMAF). During the past quarter the final program coal, from the Wyodak seam in the Powder River Basin, was acquired and distributed. Extensive coal characterization and laboratory work is underway to develop and test new sub-models. Coal characterization in the past quarter included direct identification of the modes of occurrence of various trace inorganic species in coal and ash using unique analytical techniques such as XAFS analysis and selective leaching. Combustion testing of the bituminous coals continued and additional data were obtained on trace element vaporization in the combustion zone. Studies of post-combustion trace element transformations, such as mercury speciation in the flue gas, were also begun in the last quarter.