Technologies for SO2 Removal & Acid Gas Control
B&W offers a variety of solutions for SO2 removal and other acid gases such as SO3, hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Our technologies include wet SO2 scrubbers, dry SO2 scrubbers, and other application-specific technologies that have been proven reliable and effective since the 1970s.
Download our SO2 Removal Technologies and Acid Gas Control Brochure (PDF)
Utility Wet FGD Systems
Our wet FGD systems, or wet SO2 scrubbers, have operated efficiently, economically and reliably since 1971. Current designs can achieve more than 99% SO2 removal, with system availability greater than 99.5%. Our absorber design also provides reduced operating and maintenance costs. Up to 99% SO2 removal can be achieved with our wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubber systems.
Dry Sorbent Injection
Our dry sorbent injection (DSI) systems provide a low-cost solution to capture acid gases, either separately or combined, in coal-fired boilers (typically less than 300 MW), biomass boilers and industrial applications. On larger units, DSI systems also can be used for HCI or SO3 control when combined with other air emissions control technologies.
Our DSI systems provide up to 80% SO2 removal efficiency, and high HCl and SO3 removal efficiencies, and are designed to handle a variety of reagents including trona, sodium bicarbonate and hydrated lime.
Spray Dryer Absorbers (SDA)
Our SDA systems, proven to remove more than 98 percent of SO2, SO3, HCl and HF emissions, are designed for utility boilers typically burning low to medium sulfur coals, smaller utility and industrial applications, and combined HCl and SO2 control on waste-to-energy units.
When integrated with our pulse jet fabric filter and dry sorbent injection (DSI) technologies utilizing powdered activated carbon (PAC), our dry SO2 scrubbers provide an integrated approach to high performance acid gas emissions control.
Circulating Dry Scrubbers (CDS)
Circulating dry scrubbers is an SO2 removal technology that is ideal for smaller units that are firing medium to high sulfur coals. Compared to wet FGD systems, capital costs are lower with the potential for greater particulate emissions reduction due to the integral pulse jet fabric filter. Like the SDA, the CDS creates a dry solid byproduct and does not require a wastewater treatment facility.
Wet Gas Scrubbers for Refinery FCCs
As a licensee of the ExxonMobil wet gas scrubbing (WGS) technology we can help refiners to reliably meet stringent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) emissions regulations with well-proven technology. The WGS technology removes particulates and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by intimate mixing of the flue gases with an aqueous scrubbing liquid. The technology can also be enhanced to meet tighter restrictions on nitrogen oxides (NOx) or particulate.