Sulphur Removal Potential of American Coals as a Determinant of Sulphur Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants [and Discussion]

• Published in: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences Vol. 300; no. 1453; p. 89
• Main Authors: S. Ergun, N. D. Parkyns, M. M. Hirschler
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 20.03.1981
• ISSN: 1364-503X; 1471-2962
• DOI: 10.1098/rsta.1981.0050

The presence of sulphur in coals is a major obstacle to their use in coal-fired power plants because of the restrictions placed on sulphur dioxide emitted from such plants. In this study, it has been found that the recently imposed sulphur dioxide emission standards in the United States are unrealistic because they are not consonant with the reserve base of U.S. coals by total and pyritic sulphur contents, and with factors influencing the removal of pyrite by physical methods. Since cleaning of coal by physical means is inexpensive compared with converting coals into clean-burning fuels before burning them in the boilers or reverting to stack-gas clean-up, and since direct firing of coal conserves the coal if the end product is electricity, it is recommended that the standards to be imposed should be consonant with the reserve base and the potential of physical methods.