ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

DUE TO POWER GENERATION

& ITS CONTROL

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Introduction
The electric power demand is
continuously increasing.
Simultaneously the electric utilities
are faced with harmful impurities
ejected by the power plants. The
power engineering specialists are
trying to develop and implement the
effective means in the field of
environmental protection from harmful
effects of power plants.
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Introduction cont’d…
The mainly affected parts of
environment are air, water and land.
It can be avoided if power plants are
located far from the populated areas.
The pollution from nuclear power
plants is the radio active based in the
form of gases liquids and solids
whose radio active property may
retain for no. of years.
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STEAM POWER PLANTS
POLLUTANTS

Conventional fuels for steam power

plants are coal oil and gas which
contributes in a large measure to air
pollution.

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Water Softening & Ash handling

Fly Ash are the ash particles which are

mixed with the flue gases. Fly ash is one
of the residues generated in the
combustion of coal. Fly ash is generally
captured from the chimneys of coal fired
power plants, and is one of two types of
ash that jointly are known as coal ash; the
other, bottom ash

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FLY ASH REMOVAL
The flue gases coming out of the boiler are mixed
with the AMMONIA (NH3), so that the ash particles
present will react with ammonia and forms
ammonium sulphate ((NH3)2SO4), which is wet and
hence when passed through electrostatic
precipitator, under the influence of the electric field
produced, attracts these small particles together and
forms big clusters or lumps which are then
separated out. These lumps are then sent to the
storage tanks or silos and hence can be USED FOR
cement and brick manufacturing.

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Bottom Ash Removal
Bottom ash are the ash particles, which are the direct
ash obtained under the boiler’s bottom portion.
Bottom ash is removed by mixing it with the water. This is
treated in the EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT, where this
ash mixed water is fed to large tanks and gravity settling
process or natural sedimentation is carried out

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Water Treatment
Natural Water supplies contains solid,
liquid and gaseous impurities and as such
this water cannot be used for generation of
steam in boilers.
The various impurities are:
Dissolved salts of calcium, sodium and
magnesium
Dissolved gases such as CO2, SO2 and
oxygen
Mineral acids
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 The salts of calcium and magnesium
are extremely harmful
When water containing them is
heated and steam is generated they
precipitate as solid residue and form
hard scale on wall surface, this scale
hampers the process of heat transfer.

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 Water softening is the act of reducing
the dissolved calcium, magnesium,
and to some degree manganese and
ferrous iron ion concentration in hard
water. A common water softener is
sodium carbonate (Na)2CO3

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The main pollutants are
CO
CO2
SO2
Nitrogen Oxides(NO,NO2)
Dust
Fly ash

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Effects of Pollutants:
1-Carbon monoxide
With incomplete combustion of fuel,
hydrocarbons(CH4,C2H4) CO is
produced it combines with the
haemoglobin in the red blood cells
and thus interfere with their function
of supplying Oxygen to the blood
tissues. In this way CO is very
injurious to health causing respiratory
problems.
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2-Carbon Dioxide

Thermal power plants contribute

substantially CO2 which has harmful
effects on atmospheric climate which
could turn fertile land into deserts if in
excess amount and also causes
green house effect. Therefore the
implications and control of CO2 need
priority study.

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 3-SO2

SO2 is the main pollutant from steam

power plants its primary source is
combustion of bituminous coal and
residual oil fuel. Vegetables are most
sensitive to the SO2 gas. Its toxic
effect is associated with deterioration
of the surfaces of leaves due to
destruction of their chlorophyll.

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4-Nitrogen Oxides
Nitrogen Oxides are collectively
referred to Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
and Nitric Oxide (NO).
Both are toxic and produce sharp
irritating effect. People living in NO2
contaminated areas suffer from
reduced respiratory function and have
higher probability of respiratory
diseases.
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 Acid rains is another effect caused by
thermal power plants.
Three main constituents of flue gases
which mainly effect the acidity of rain
are SO2, CO2 and Nitrogen Oxides
which are readily converted into
Sulphuric acid 60%, Carbonic acid
5% and Nitric acid 35%. These affect
the acidity of lake, well water and
rivers.

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Dust
The further detrimental effect of
power plants is the yielding of smoke,
dust and fly ashes. The quantity of
ash per Kg of fuel burnt is given by
Q=K*W/100(1+P/(100-P))
where K=fraction of solid particles
carried off from furnace
W=ash contents in % age
P=contents of combustible in fly ash
in %age
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Fly ash
It emits heat to the atmosphere as
well as small particles . Large quantity
of heat discharged also causes
pollution. Toxic substances can
produce harmful effect on biosphere.
Biosphere is the atmospheric layer
near the earth surface.

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 During high temp. combustion the
pollution can be minimised by suitable
solution of following
1)-Combustion process
2)-burning gas with excess air
3)-correct stabilisation of flame
4)-choice of proper length and
diameter of furnace chamber.

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 Control of Particulate Matter
Steam power plants use following
mechanical arrestors for removal of
dust particles.
 Fabric filters
 Electrostatic precipitators
A high degree of pollution control is
obtained over particles larger than 2
to 3 microns. About 95% of fly ash
which is under 2 microns is difficult
to remove.
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 Irrespective of the all the steps taken
to remove the particulates from
exhaust gases about 1% is always
discharged to the atmosphere.
The particulates effect can be
reduced by
 Coal cleaning
 Using improved electrostatic
precipitator design
 To control the dust this is done by
increasing the height of the chimney
thus reducing the concentration.
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Furnaces burning coal throw dust in
the form of fly ash and collector must
be installed to remove ash particles.
Smoke has deadly effect on vegetation
because of the sulphur products in it.
Smoke corrodes metals and darkens
paints.
Fuels should be completely burnt to
reduce the quantity of dust particles
into the atmosphere.

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