Systems and methods for removing mercury from emissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016714-B2
Application number	US-201214655204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

The present technology is generally directed to systems and methods for removing mercury from emissions. More specifically, some embodiments are directed to systems and methods for removing mercury from exhaust gas in a flue gas desulfurization system. In one embodiment, a method of removing mercury from exhaust gas in a flue gas desulfurization system includes inletting the gas into a housing and conditioning an additive. In some embodiments, conditioning the additive comprises hydrating powder-activated carbon. The method further includes introducing the conditioned additive into the housing and capturing mercury from the gas.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of removing mercury from exhaust gas in a flue gas desulfurization system, the method comprising:
inletting the gas into a housing;
conditioning powder activated carbon by hydrating the powder activated carbon and increasing a moisture content of the powder activated carbon;
introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon, with the increased moisture content, into a dry scrubber associated with the housing; and
capturing mercury from the gas.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein conditioning powder activated carbon comprises hydrating the powder activated carbon with water.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein hydrating the powder activated carbon comprises forming an approximately 1%-7% solution of hydrated powder activated carbon.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising drying previously-hydrated powder activated carbon, which removes excess fluid from the powder activated carbon but leaves it with an increased moisture content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon comprises introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon via an atomizer, throat, or nozzle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon into the housing comprises automatically modifying a dilution percentage of the conditioned powder activated carbon.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sensing at least one of a mercury level, temperature or humidity condition.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon comprises automatically introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon in response to the sensed mercury level.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon comprises introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon continuously or at a pre-set timing interval.

10. A method of removing mercury from exhaust gas in a flue gas desulfurization system, the method, comprising:
conditioning powder activated carbon by hydrating the powder activated carbon and increasing a moisture content of the powder activated carbon;
introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon to emissions within a housing;
passing the emissions to a baghouse, the baghouse having fly ash therein; and
the increased moisture content of the powder activated carbon controlling a moisture content of the fly ash in the baghouse in response to the introducing; and
capturing mercury from the emissions.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising hydrating the fly ash.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein conditioning the powder activated carbon comprises hydrating and at least partially drying the powder activated carbon.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein conditioning the powder activated carbon comprises hydrating the powder activated carbon within the housing.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein conditioning the powder activated carbon comprises hydrating the powder activated carbon prior to introducing the powder activated carbon into the housing.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein conditioning the powder activated carbon comprises introducing steam or water to the powder activated carbon.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein introducing the conditioned powder activated carbon to emissions comprises pumping the conditioned powder activated carbon into a flue-gas desulfurization system.

17. A flue gas desulfurization system, comprising:
a source of emissions, the emissions including mercury;
a housing comprising an inlet in communication with the source, and an outlet in communication with a baghouse;
a source of conditioned powder activated carbon; wherein the powder activated carbon is conditioned by increasing a moisture content of the powder activated carbon; and
an introducer configured to introduce the conditioned powder activated carbon, with the increased moisture content, to a dry scrubber associated with the housing.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the introducer comprises an atomizer, throat, or nozzle configured to inject the conditioned powder activated carbon to the housing.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense at least one of a mercury level, temperature, dew point, or pressure, wherein the sensor is in communication with the introducer.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the source of the emissions comprises at least one of a coke processing system, a power plant, a trash to steam plant, a carbon alloy processing system, a dry sulfur removal system, or a hot ash circulator.

Assignees

• Suncoke Tech & Development Llc

Inventors

• Quanci John Francis
• Seaton Ashley Nicole
• Prien Justin Leigh
• Mclaren Jennifer Renee

Classifications

• B01D2253/102

  Carbon · CPC title

• B01D53/64 Primary

  Heavy metals or compounds thereof, e.g. mercury · CPC title

• B01D53/50

  Sulfur oxides (B01D53/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D2257/602

  Mercury or mercury compounds · CPC title

• B01D53/025 Primary

  with wetted adsorbents; Chromatography (analytical chromatography G01N30/00 - G01N30/96; for liquids B01D15/08) · CPC title