eprintid: 6653
rev_number: 4
userid: 6
dir: disk0/00/00/66/53
datestamp: 2011-11-10 19:33:26
lastmod: 2016-11-15 13:37:54
status_changed: 2011-11-10 19:33:26
type: thesis_degree
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: wes28@pitt.edu
item_issues_count: 0
eprint_status: archive
creators_name: Sun, Wei
creators_email: wes28@pitt.edu
creators_id: WES28
title: USE OF ABANDONED MINE DRAINAGE SOLIDS FOR THE CONTROL OF MERCURY EMISSIONS FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS
ispublished: unpub
divisions: sch_eng_civilenvironmental
full_text_status: public
keywords:  Flue gas; Mercury adsorption; Mercury oxidation; Mercury removal; Abandoned mine drainage; Injection
abstract: Abandoned mine drainage (AMD) solids were evaluated for their ability to capture mercury from the flue gas of coal fired power plants. A fixed bed system was used to test Hg adsorption and oxidation by this material in a typical simulated flue gas. Fixed-bed tests showed that abandoned mine drainage from three mines displayed considerable capability for absorbing and oxidizing Hg0. Among all the flue gas components, HCl showed the greatest impact on Hg capture in the fixed-bed test, while O2 was shown to be not as important. A decrease in mercury capture and oxidation was observed when SO2 and NO2 were added to the flue gas. The addition of SO2 and NO prohibited mercury uptake but showed no impact on Hg oxidation. An entrained flow system was utilized to test mercury removal efficiency when abandoned mine drainage solids were injected into the flue gas. Four different AMD solids were tested using both eastern coal and PRB coal flue gas. Results showed that one AMD sample achieved about 80% Hg removal at the solids injection rate of 0.39 g/m3 injection rate. Mercury removal efficiency with other AMD samples under the identical conditions ranged from 25%~50%. Thus, this material shows great potential as a novel sorbent on Hg emission control technology. Moreover, Hg removal efficiency was found to be positively related to the iron content of AMD solids. Therefore, AMD solids with high iron content would be more desirable as mercury removal sorbent. The foam index test was also performed using this material to study the possible effect of AMD solids on the application of fly ash in concrete making, which is the main disadvantage of activated carbon injection technology. The test results indicated that all AMD samples used in this study would not have any adverse effect on the fly ash with regards to its application for concrete making.
date: 2009-06-29
date_type: completed
institution: University of Pittsburgh
refereed: TRUE
etdcommittee_type: committee_chair
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_name: Vidic, Radisav D
etdcommittee_name: Monnell, Jason D
etdcommittee_name: Casson, Leonard W
etdcommittee_email: vidic@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: jdm49@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: casson@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_id: VIDIC
etdcommittee_id: JDM49
etdcommittee_id: CASSON
etd_defense_date: 2009-04-02
etd_approval_date: 2009-06-29
etd_submission_date: 2009-03-30
etd_access_restriction: immediate
etd_patent_pending: FALSE
assigned_doi: doi:10.5195/pitt.etd.2011.6653
thesis_type: thesis
degree: MSCE
committee: Radisav D. Vidic (vidic@pitt.edu) - Committee Chair
committee: Jason D. Monnell (jdm49@pitt.edu) - Committee Member
committee: Leonard W. Casson (casson@pitt.edu) - Committee Member
etdurn: etd-03302009-150750
other_id: http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-03302009-150750/
other_id: etd-03302009-150750
citation:   Sun, Wei  (2009) USE OF ABANDONED MINE DRAINAGE SOLIDS FOR THE CONTROL OF MERCURY EMISSIONS FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)  
document_url: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/6653/1/WeiSunTHESIS.pdf