Clean Coal: Vortecone Modification for Emission Control at Coal-Fired Power Plants

A. 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Problem & Opportunity 720 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. emit 76 million tons per year of fly-ash. The EPA is currently mandating reduction of particulate emissions by coal-fired power plants with a new focus on small particles less than 2.5 Om in diameter. There is no current technology to effectively capture the small particulate and mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. These issues affect both Kentucky's coal industry as well as Kentucky power plants that use coal. New green technology to recover small particulates and to remediate particulate losses at transfer points would help make the continued use of coal in power plants a viable option both economically and environmental1y, as called for in Kentucky's Comprehensive Energy Strategy, as developed by the Governor's Energy Policy Task Force, embody Governor Fletcher's guiding principles for Kentucky's energy future. Costs and Results: Current and Projected Currently, Kentucky coal-fired power plants use electrostatic precipitators to recover fly ash particles from coal combustion gases. The installed cost of these precipitators varies, depending on the fraction of fly ash removed, as dictated by environmental regulations when the plant was granted a permit. Typical costs ofthis technology, based on units (about 500 MW each) now in service in Kentucky, are given below. Note that as particulate recovery approaches 100%, cost increases exponentially.