Next-Generation Activated Carbon

Performance in Emission Systems

Control #70

MEGA Symposium 2012

August 21, 2012

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 Next-Generation Activated Carbon
Performance in Emission Systems
Control #70
MEGA Symposium 2012
August 21, 2012

Kent Wanninger Robert Huston

Luke Ford Jacqueline Cecil
Margaret Ruane Chris Vizcaino
Midwest Generation EME, LLC Jacob Lowring
235 Remington Blvd., Suite A Sheila Glesmann
Bolingbrook, IL 60440 ADA Carbon Solutions, LLC
1460 West Canal Court
Littleton, CO 80120
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 Powdered Activated Carbon
for Mercury Capture

• MATS
• Mercury Air Toxics Standard
– 77 FR 9304
– February 16, 2012
• Mercury emission allowed
– 1.2# Hg per Tbtu (high rank coal)
– 4.0# Hg per Tbtu (low rank mine
mouth coal)
What Can Be Done to Powdered Activated Carbon
for Vapor Phase Mercury Control
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 Three Critical Mechanisms for
Efficient Mercury Capture
Conversion of elemental mercury
(Hg0) to an oxidized state (Hg+ or Hg+
+
) to enhance mercury’s receptivity to
activated carbon

Contact of
mercury, which
Diffusion and
is in very dilute
capture of the
concentrations Mercury mercury in the
in the flue gas, Capture activated carbon
with the
structure
activated
carbon

All Three Mechanisms Must Occur in Seconds

to Achieve Compliance
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 Innovation Focused on
Mercury Capture
First Generation of
Design for Purpose Next Generation
Mercury Capture PAC • SO3 Tolerant
Products • High Temperature
• ESP Optimization
Water Products Re- • Multi Pollutant Effects
Gen 2
Purposed for Mercury
• Power PAC Premium
Capture
PlusTM
• FastPACTM Platform
Gen 1
• Power PACTM
• Power PAC
PremiumTM

2000 - 2010 2011 2012 - Future

A Scientific Approach to PAC Design Guided by

Focused Applications Expertise
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 Activated Carbons Are Multi-purpose

Surfaces
– Host for chemical reactants, Surface
catalysts and chemical
functionalities

Pores Pores
– “Holes” of varying sizes to
“transport” and “capture” target
molecules to be removed

Particles
– Transportation medium to deliver Particles
desired properties to the right
location at the right time

Tuning Surfaces, Pores and Particles creates

specialized functions
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 Surfaces and Surface Area

1 lb. of activated carbon Surface Area of 50 Football Fields

Activated carbons posses a large quantity of surface

within each particle 7
 Surfaces and Surface Area
 Activated Carbons provide a surface for...

Bromine to facilitate Minerals to Moisture to Functional groups

oxidation of mercury catalyze oxidation promote mercury for chemical and
Hg0
of mercury adsorption steric effects
Br -
NaBr
NaBr Cl-
Br -
Br Br
CaBr2 -
-

Hg2+
Al+++
SiO - Fe++ H2O
2
Na +
Ca++

OH

=O
C-H
Carbon Particle Surface

=O
HgBr2
OH C - OH
H2O
-O-
HgCl2

Modification of surface area to capture vapor phase mercury

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 Pore Size and Pore Volume
GAS
MASK
Activated Carbon Application GAS
STORAGE

SOLVENT
RECOVERY

MERCURY REMOVAL

AUTOMOTIVE

WATER TREATMENT

CATALYST/CATALYST SUPPORT

DECOLORIZING

PORE
SIZE MICROPORE MESOPORE MACROPORE

10 20 50 100 150 200 500 1000

Pore Diameter (Angstrom = 10-10 Meter)

Carbon Pore Size and Distribution must match the Application

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 Pore Size and Pore Volume
 A distribution of Micropores and Mesopores are required for effective Hg removal ...

B HB
r- gr-
Br Br 2+

= Mercury Bromide
-
-
Hg 2+

(Mercury Chloride) Carbon Pore

B HB B HB
B HB r- grB- HB r- gr-
r- gr-
2+
r- gr- B HB 2+
B HB B HB
2+ B HB 2+ r- gr-
r- gr- 2+ B HB B HB r- gr-
B HBr- grB HB
-
2+ 2+
- gr-
2+ r- gr- r- gr-
r r- gr- 2+ 2+
2+ 2+

B HB
r- gr-
2+ B HB
r- gr-
2+
B HB
r- gr-
2+

B HB
r- gr-

Micropores
2+

Mesopores Macropores
Sequester Transport & Capture Transport
20 Å 500 Å
Distribution of pore volume for effective vapor phase mercury capture 10
 Carbon Particles
Want flat, high aspect ratio particles for high surface area for mercury
capture, but need rounder particles to enhance flowability and handling

We are modifying activated carbon particle morphology

to enhance mercury removal effectiveness and efficiency
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 Applying the Science

“Driving the critical

aspects of activated
carbon to optimize
performance in your
emission train”

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 Analysis of Emission Train Processes is Key
to Specifying Mercury Capture Solutions

Gaining a deep understanding of your emission train is key to

specifying the optimum activated carbon type and proper
application in your system
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 Midwest Generation EME, LLC Fisk
#19

• Midwest Generation EME, LLC

• Fisk #19
• Commissioned 1959
• Subbituminous coals (PRB)
• Full Load
– 50 - 55 MMscfh at 280-350 °F
• Mercury measurements
– Sorbent Trap (method 30B)

Thomas Edison Has Been Here

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 Fisk #19 Unit Parameters
Parameter Identification Units Unit 19
Boiler Manufacturer   Combustion Engineering
Furnace Type   Tangentially-Fired
Unit Rating MWEG 348
Minimum Load MWEG ~90
NOx Control   Low NOx Burners with
OFA
ACI Injection Location   Upstream of APH
Particulate Matter Control Device   Cold-Side ESP
ESP Manufacturer   Research Cottrell
Design SCA Ft2/kacfm 135
Typical ESP Operating Temperature °F 280 – 350
Flue Gas Conditioning Agent   None
Fly Ash Carbon Content (LOI) wt% 2.5%
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 Stack Emission Data
PAC ID Test Date Sorbent Hg Hg
injection Emissions Emissions
ratio, lb/TBtu lb/GW-hr
lb/MMacf

PowerPAC Premium Plus™ 11/4/2011 5.1 0.53 0.0048

11/4/2011 4.0 0.51 0.0047

PowerPAC Premium Plus™ 11/9/2011 5.0 0.25 0.002

Or blend (FastPAC Premium™
in silo, appears to have
comingled)

FastPAC Premium™ 11/11/2011 2.2 0.93 0.0085

11/11/2011 3.6 0.53 0.0048
11/11/2011 5.0 0.36 0.0033

Competitor’s PAC July 2011 5 0.81 0.0076

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 Gen 2 - FastPAC™ Premium
Fisk #19
6.0

5.0

FastPAC
FastPAC™ PremiumTM
4.0
Emission rate (lb/Tbtu)

3.0

2.0

Federal Limit

1.0 State Limit

Competitor
PowerPAC
Premium Plus™
0.0
0 2.16 3.65 5.00
Lbs of Activated Carbon/MMacf

FastPAC Premium™ and PowerPAC Premium Plus met State Emission limit at well below the
competitor’s and State–specified rate of 5 lb MMacf
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 The authors would like to thank
 The personnel at Fisk Station
 Mostardi Platt
 MEGA 2012

• Kent Wanninger • Robert Huston

– kwanninger@mwgen.com – robert.huston@ada-cs.com
– Director. Environmental – Director of Technical Services
Controls & Strategy – ADA Carbon Solutions, LLC
– Midwest Generation EME, LLC

Thank You
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