Energy and the Environment

Large scale utilization of fossil fuels is putting

significant stress on the environment.

The effects of combustion products on air quality and

the climate are both local and global in nature.
Localized environmental Concerns
Mostly in urban, highly populated areas
Local Air Pollution due to direct chemical reaction
with combustion products such as co, so 2,Nox,
unburned hydrocarbons, CO2 (global)
Formation of “ground-level ozone” due to
concentration of Nox reacting with sunlight.
“SMOG” in large urban centers due to high
concentration with high levels of solar insolation and
unburned hydrocarbons.
Emission Source Effect Mitigation
Products of
local
environmental
concern
CO Due to incomplete burning of carbon in Toxic gas, Seriously impact oxygen dependent Use catalytic converters
inadequate air, vehicle exhaust tissues in body in brain, heart and skeletal
muscles.
> 100 ppm headache, >500 ppm collapse, >1000
ppm fatal
CO2 Not considered as Primarily due to fossil fuel burning Increased concentration affects global climate, Carbon capture & storage
toxic gas. Essential for global warming due to greenhouse effect.
photosynthesis. Deforestation results in reduced photosynthesis
process
SO2 Burning of fuel containing sulfur, Low Causes respiratory diseases including asthma, Use flue gas de-sulfurization
quality gasoline/diesel eye irritation. equipment, sulfur removal
(power plants 70%, industry 15%, motor Causes acid rain which are harmful to equipment in refineries
vehicles 8%, solid waste disposal 5%, agriculture, forest, vegetation, soil, stones and
others 2%) buildings.

Nox Oxides of nirogen 80% of Nox is due to natural causes Respiratory and cardiovascular illness. Use technology to reduce
such as N2O, NO, NO2, (biological), 20% due to man made It deprives body tissues of oxygen. combustion temp. to reduce
N2O3 . mostly due to combustion process in air Forms acid in lungs, so more toxic than CO. Safe Nox emissions in boilers &
at high temp. Motor vehicles 7%, limit 100 μg/m3 furnaces; use low Nox
industry 7%, power plants 4%, solid Cause of “ground-level” ozone, SMOG causing, burners using multi-staged
waste 2% Eye irritation, lung problems, destroys combustion or “lean-burn”
vegetation, as well as man made materials like technology in which excess
rubber, plastics etc. air is used to reduce
combustion temp.
Use of 3-way catelic
converters oxidises
HC & CO and reduces Nox
Particulate Emission Pulverised coal combustion system, Reduces sunlight, visibility, > 100 μg/m3 (yearly Use of electrostatic
Particulate matter Diesel vehicle exhaust average) results in respiratory problems, > 300 precipitators,
CO, CO2 , Nox , Sox μg/m3 results in bronchitis
Annual average
permissible limit 75 Particle under 10 micron P10 is known to cause
μg/m3 asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer etc
Global Environmental Concern

 “Greenhouse effect” and global warming.

 Some of the gases in the earth’s atmosphere, just like window glass, are
particularly opaque (or have a low transmissivity) to the long wave
radiation trying to go out and are called GHGs.
 Out of GHGs CO2 – 70%, GWP 1, CH4 -24%, GWP 23, NO2 – 6%, GWP
296
UN IPCC Studies (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change)
CO2 concentration 280 ppm (pre-industrial revolution) has
gone to 370 ppm now (most rapidly last 200 years)
Average global temp. has gone up 0.75 to 10 C (mostly in last 100
years).
While the lower end is manageable, the higher end is
disastrous (rise in sea level – 0.1 m to 0.9 m, due to polar ice
melting, rise of water temp., desertification, particularly lower
latitude regions
Computer modeling considering future demand for energy and
use CO2 expected to go up to 540 ppm to 970 ppm in the next
100 years
Further, use of fossil fuels lead to air pollution affecting health,
visibility due to emission of Nox gases, unburned
hydrocarbons, CO leading to “smog” formation
Carbon Mitigation
Separate the co2 emission of from power plant exhaust
and other fossil fuel use, natural gas production.
Use for Enhanced Oil Recovery EOR and methane
recovery.
Store pressurized co2
using geological storage options or long term option of
deep sea storage by transporting by ship or pipeline.
Carbon Capture & Storage
“Carbon Sequestration” Options
 Carbon Capture & Storage
“Carbon Sequestration”

Geological storage options for co2

1. Depleted oil and gas reserves
2. Use co2 in enhanced oil recovery
3. Deep unused saline water saturated rocks Also long term storage option in deep sea
4. Deep unminable coal seems by transporting co2
5. Use co2 in enhanced coal bed methane
recovery
Issues in CCS
Difficulty of separation of co2 from flue gas (large volume
involved, co2 -12%, Nox-79%, water vapor)
Efforts to be taken pre-combustion, post combustion, or use
special membrane for direct capture
Post combustion popular but large sized scrubber used for co 2
absorption by special solvents, energy requirement for co2 release
from solvent though size reduction possible by using pure oxygen
for combustion (needs energy to produce)
Pre-combustion, use partial oxygen or gasification (pure oxygen
needed) to produce clean combusting fuel hydrogen and co2
which can later be separated from H2 using appropriate solvent.
Leakage issues in deep sea storage.
All the above in various stages of R &D and Demo projects.
 Adaptation
 Mankind learns to adapt to changing global
climate-learns to live with that
 Though not a preferred strategy, many believe
that it is possible to learn to live under new
circumstances, if the changes are not too harsh
and rapid.
 For e.g rise in average global temp some would
argue that this would not necessarily be
catastrophic for mankind though at the higher
end of scale it could become intolerable to live
in desert regions but could also result in
extension of growing seasons in cold regions
like Canada and Russia leading to increase in
the ability to grow additional crops for food
and fuel.
 Although few definitive studies have been
done, those advocating adaptation strategy
would argue that cost of adaptation in moving
mankind around the world would be
significantly lower than the cost of mitigation.
Mitigation
Proactive steps taken to reduce/limit CO2 emissions
While debates on global warming goes on,
countries world over have started taking efforts to
limit CO2 emissions such as
(1) Ratification Kyoto protocol to motivate signatories
to agreement to establish policies & procedures
aimed at achieving the target reduction in
specified time.
(2) Some of the carbon abatement measures being
taken are:
(1) Stricter fuel consumption standards for new
automobiles
(2) Increase energy efficiency of energy intensive
industrial processes
(3) Energy conservation measures such as
improved insulation for houses & commercial
buildings
(4) Fuel switches –coal to natural gas for power
generation or to nuclear
(5) Intensify reforestation not only to replace trees
lost to timber production but ton enhance the
role of global biomass as a CO2 sink.
(6) Technology up gradation-clean coal technology