Fate of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Oxygen-Fired Coal Combustion with Different Flue Gas Recycling

Experiments were performed to characterize transformation and speciation of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), including SO2/SO3, NOx, HCl, particulate matter, mercury, and other trace elements in oxygen-firing bituminous coal with recirculation flue gas (RFG) from 1) an electrostatic precipitator outlet or 2) a wet scrubber outlet. The experimental results showed that oxycombustion with RFG generated a flue gas with less volume and containing HAPs at higher levels, while the actual emissions of HAPs per unit of energy produced were much less than that of air-blown combustion. NOx reduction was achieved in oxycombustion because of the elimination of nitrogen and the destruction of NO in the RFG. The elevated SO2/SO3 in flue gas improved sulfur self-retention. SO3 vapor could reach its dew point in the flue gas with high moisture, which limits the amount of SO3 vapor in flue gas and possibly induces material corrosion. Most nonvolatile trace elements were less enriched in fly ash in oxycombustion than air-firing because of lower oxycombustion temperatures occurring in the present study. Meanwhile, Hg and Se were found to be enriched on submicrometer fly ash at higher levels in oxy-firing than in air-blown combustion.