TurboSonic Scores a Client for New SO₂ Recovery Technology

TurboSonic Technologies, Inc. (Waterloo, ON) has won a contract from Continental Nitrogen & Resources Corp. (CNR; Rosemount, MN) to provide preliminary engineering for a new SO₂ control system for a large coal-fired power generating facility in the U.S., the first such contract from the power industry for this new technology. Continental Nitrogen & Resources Corp. (CNR), a member of the Sasol DHB Holdings, Inc. group, is a wholesale distributor of nitrogen-based products to the industrial and agricultural markets in the U.S.

In March 1998, Dow Chemical Co. introduced Gas/Spec TurboSOx Amine, a regenerable amine for removing sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from gas streams. This new amine formulation, which is designed to selectively absorb SO₂ from process gas streams, including oil and coal-fired power boilers, acid plants and refineries, is used exclusively in the Turbotak SO₂ Recovery System marketed by TurboSonic. The Turbotak SO₂ Recovery System allows the power plant to use lower-cost, higher sulfur fuels. SO₂ is recovered as a pure byproduct that can be processed to produce liquid SO₂, sulfuric acid, elemental sulfur and other products, depending upon available markets. TuboSonic says that the process is best suited to process streams under 7% (70,000 ppm) SO₂. "We believe our use of this new Dow amine as an integral part of our TurboSonic SO₂ control system may positively impact our future business potential due to increasing global requirements for SO₂ removal," said Ed Spink, president and CEO of the company.

The process (see figure 1) is fairly straightforward: SO₂-laden gas contacts the amine solvent, and the solvent is regenerated in an SO₂ stripper column and recycled. TuroSonic has also designed a proprietary nozzle, called TurboTak, that improves atomization and contacting of the solvent and process gas, with a pressure drop of only 3 in. w.c. Particulates and HCl can also be removed. The system competes with conventional lime-based fluegas scrubbers, but offers a considerably smaller footprint because no lime- or lime sludge-handling equipment is necessary.

TurboSonic Technologies designs and markets proprietary air pollution control technologies to industrial customers worldwide. Its products are designed to meet and exceed the strictest emissions regulations, improve performance, reduce operating costs and recover valuable byproducts. Industries served include pulp & paper, metals & mining, cement, waste processing & incineration, power generation and petrochemicals.

By Nick Basta

For more information: TurboSonic Inc. 550 Parkside Drive, Suite A-14, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 5V4. Tel: 519-885-5513, fax: 519-885-6992.