The Atmospheric Oxidation of Flue Gases from a Coal-Fired Power Plant: A Comparison between Smog Chamber and Airborne Plume Sampling

Abstract

On June 5 and 6 of 1980, two parallel plume oxidation studies were carried out in the vicinity of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Colbert Steam Plant. One study was performed in a smog chamber into which stack gases were injected and mixed with ambient air. The other study included direct airborne sampling of the power plant plume. Atmospheric oxidation rates for the conversion of SO₂ to SO₄ ^2- and the removal rates of NO _x (which is presumably the rate of NO₃ ^- formation) were estimated for both studies. The SO₂ to SO₄ ^2- rate coefficients were found to be 0.022 ± 0.009 h^-1 for both chamber experiments and the first airborne sampling day. For the second day, a rate constant of 0.041 ± 0.052 h^-1 was estimated from the aircraft data. The large deviation in this value is explained by the fact that the plume from the power plant combined and reacted with the urban plume from the city of Florence, AL. The formation of a very large "O3 bulge" on this day is also attributed to the mixed plumes. The first order rate coefficients for NO _x removal were estimated to be 0.27 ± 0.14 h^-1 for both chamber experiments and the first airborne sampling day. A NO _x removal rate could not be determined for the second airborne sampling day.