Life cycle test of the NOXSO SO2 and NOX flue gas treatment process: Process modeling

The NOXSO process uses a regenerable sorbent that removes SO₂ and NO_X simultaneously from flue gas. The sorbent is a γ-alumina bead impregnated with sodium carbonate. The process was successfully tested at three different scales, equivalent to 0.017, 0.06, and 0.75 MW of flue gas generated from a coal-fired power plant. These test results were used to develop a mathematical model for the NOXSO fluid-bed adsorber (NOXSO Corp., Library, PA). The model predicts SO₂ and NO_X removal efficiencies as a function of process conditions and sorbent properties. The spent sorbent was successfully regenerated with either hydrogen or natural gas. The presence of steam during regeneration helps to remove the residual sulfur, but the benefit of steam diminishes when its inlet concentration exceeds 25%. A design equation for a moving-bed regenerator using natural gas as the regenerant was developed from the 0.06 MW results. The adsorber model and the regenerator design equation were used together to determine the optimum residual sulfur content of the regenerated sorbent. It was concluded that the NOXSO LCTU (0.06 MW) would operate at the minimum cycle time of sorption and regeneration if the sulfur content of the regenerated sorbent was controlled at 0.8 wt%.