The report documents the travels of a four-member study team in Japan during March 1980 to assess NOx flue gas treatment (FGT) technology and related areas.

Available Information on control of NOx emissions from stationary combustion sources has been compiled to assist new source permitting activities by regulatory agencies. The sources covered are combustion turbines, Internal combustion engines, non-utility boilers and heaters, and waste Incinerators. The report discusses the background of NO, formation in the combustion process, major NO sources, and processes for NOx control. The current status of NO control technology Is discussed and applications to meet permitting requirements Is detailed. Permitted NOx emission levels are summarized by combustion source, fuel type and control technology. Documentation includes references and contacts for further Information.

"The Environmental Protection Agency has maintained a program to further the advancement of NOx control by flue gas treatment technology since the early 1970s. The program consists of technology assessment studies in conjunction with small scale experimental projects. These activities have shown that 80-90% reduction of NOx emissions by selective catalytic reduction with ammonia has been commercially demonstrated on gas- and oil-fired sources in Japan, and that such processes are ready for test application on coal-fired sources. The Japanese experience, combined with experimental projects in the U.S., should establish the technology as a viable control technique for use in tackling NOx environmental problems in the U.S. However, some significant technical concerns need to be addressed in demonstration projects before wide-spread application of the technology can be recommended."--Abstract.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate and evaluate commercially available Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts from US, Japanese and European catalyst suppliers on a high-sulfur US coal-fired boiler. SCR is a post-combustion nitrogen oxide (NO(subscript x)) control technology that involves injecting ammonia into the flue gas generated from coal combustion in an electric utility boiler. The flue gas containing ammonia is then passed through a reactor that contains a specialized catalyst. In the presence of the catalyst, the ammonia reacts with NO(subscript x) to convert it to nitrogen and water vapor.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate and evaluate commercially available Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts from US, Japanese and European catalyst suppliers on a high-sulfur US coal-fired boiler. SCR is a post-combustion nitrogen oxide (NOx) control technology that involves injecting ammonia into the flue gas generated from coal combustion in an electric utility boiler. The flue gas containing ammonia is then passed through a reactor that contains a specialized catalyst. In the presence of the catalyst, the ammonia reacts with NOx to convert it to nitrogen and water vapor, Although SCR is widely practiced in Japan and Europe, there are numerous technical uncertainties associated with applying SCR to US coals. These uncertainties include: (1) potential catalyst deactivation due to poisoning by trace metal species present in US coals that are not present in other fuel performance of the technology and effects on the balance-of-plant equipment in the presence of high amounts of SO2 and SO3. (3) performance of a wide variety of SCR catalyst compositions, geometries and methods of manufacture under typical high-sulfur coal-fired utility operating conditions. These uncertainties will be explored by constructing a series of small-scale SCR reactors and simultaneously exposing different SCR catalysts to flue gas derived from the combustion of high sulfur US coal.