MINIMIZATION OF NOX EMISSIONS FROM EXISTING FIXED SOURCES

EXHAUSTS FROM MILITARY INCINERATOR AND JET ENGINE TEST CELLS CONTAIN NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX) WHICH POSE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH HAZARDS. CONVENTIONAL NOX CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES ARE EXPENSIVE, ENERGY INTENSIVE, OR TECHNICALLY INSUFFICIENT. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A NOVEL, ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL NOX EMISSIONS. THE TECHNOLOGY USES A SOLID-STATE REACTOR WHICH ELECTROCHEMICALLY CONVERTS NOX INTO NITROGEN AND OXYGEN. INITIAL EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS INDICATE NOX REMOVAL RATES OF 95+% TO LESS THAN 1 PPM. ENERGY REQUIREMENTS ARE ABOUT 33% AND CAPITAL AND ANNUAL COSTS APPROXIMATELY 15% OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED WORK IS A DESIGN STUDY OF AN IGR SOLID-STATE, ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTOR CAPBLE OF CONTROLLING OR ELIMINATING NITROGEN OXIDES FROM MILITARY INCINERATORS AND JET ENGINE TEST CELLS. FROM THIS DESIGN, A SMALL UNIT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND TESTED USING SIMULATED EXHAUST GAS STREAMS. THE RESULTING DATA WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR A PROCESS ECONOMIC EVALUATION WHICH WILL DETERMINE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.