Novel circulating fluidized bed reactors for NOx reduction and hydrogen production

在化学反应途径合成、产品设计、工艺开发以及工业系统和社区规划中，将生态原则与生命周期思维相结合是实现可持续工业发展的最有前途的工程方法。加拿大需要解决的两个紧迫问题是改善当地空气质量和减少温室气体排放。为了实现加拿大对《京都议定书》的承诺，在未来6年内，加拿大需要减少35%以上的温室气体排放，目前每吨二氧化碳当量的成本约为30美元。另一方面，要改善本港空气质素，必须减少氮氧化物的排放。氮氧化物是造成光霾的主要污染物，也是所有主要空气污染物中控制成本最高的污染物（每公吨氮氧化物2000美元）。为了以经济的方式减少二氧化碳和氮氧化物的排放，需要考虑综合办法，使环境和健康效益与经济利益相平衡。我们建议开发两种新型流化床反应器，用于固定源和移动源富氧燃烧烟气中NOx的催化还原，以及碳氢蒸汽重整反应器中二氧化碳的原位去除，以提高工艺效率，并利用综合经济、生态和社会影响评估工具进行系统的技术评估。新型脱硝技术的成功开发将有助于控制来自发电厂、炼油厂、锅炉和熔炉等工业来源的氮氧化物排放，有助于改善当地和区域空气质量，从而改善公众健康。另一方面，这种新型制氢技术将有助于提高制氢过程的效率，从而减少二氧化碳的排放，帮助加拿大履行其在京都议定书中的承诺。

Incorporation of ecological principles with the life cycle thinking in the chemical reaction pathway synthesis, product design, process development and industrial system and community planning is the most promising engineering approach in achieving sustainable industrial development. Two of the urgent issues to be addressed in Canada are the improvement of local air quality and the greenhouse gas emission reduction. To meet Canada's Kyoto Accord commitment, more than 35% greenhouse gas emissions needs to be reduced in the next 6 years at a current cost of about $30/tonne carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. On the other hand, the improvement of local air quality, requires the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions which is the primary pollutant responsible for photo-smog formation and is the most costly pollutant to be controlled among all major air pollutants (>$2000/tonne NOx). To reduce CO2 and NOx emissions at an economical way, one needs to consider integrated approaches in which the environmental and health benefits are balanced by the economical interest.      We proposed to develop two novel fluidized bed reactors for catalytic reduction of NOx in oxygen-rich combustion flue gases from both stationary and mobile sources and for in-situ carbon dioxides removal from hydrocarbon steam reforming reactors to improve process efficiency, as well as on conducting a systematic technology evaluation using integrated economical, ecological and social impact assessment tools. The successful development of the novel deNOx technology will contribute to NOx emission control from industrial sources such as power plants, oil refineries, boilers and furnaces, contributing to the improvement of local and regional air quality and thus public health.  The novel hydrogen production technology, on the other hand, will help improving the hydrogen production process efficiency, leading to reduction in CO2 emission, helping Canada to meet its Kyoto commitment.