Evaluation and Improvement of Particulate Matter Measurement From Natural Gas Power Plants - Fact Sheet

Publication Number:    CEC-500-2012-FS-020

Abstract:
The California Energy Commission has the statutory responsibility for licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts and larger. One of the challenging siting problems is that many populated centers in California are classified as areas where air pollution levels persistently exceed the national ambient air quality standards so emissions from new power sources are required to offset emissions from existing sources. Adding to this challenge are emission levels so low they are often at the lower detection limit of current measurement methods, leading to uncertainty and reduced confidence in the actual measured values.

The uncertainty and inaccuracies in measurement of particulate matter (PM) can lead to decisions that limit the siting of plants. For example, in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), each pound of PM emissions from a new source is very expensive to offset. PM emission reduction credits in the South Coast AQMD went as high as $350,000 per pound per day in 2009 and averaged more than $140,000. These high costs are driven by the tight supply of PM emission credits, and lack of credits is impeding the siting of new power plants.

Therefore, accuracy of the PM measurement method needs to be improved to better align actual PM emissions with PM emission reduction credits. The current test methods used to measure PM emissions were not developed to assess natural gas (NG) plants with low PM mass emissions. The current test methods need to be updated using the many recent advances in PM measurement methods to reflect accurately the low emission levels now being seen from NG power plants. New real‐time instruments are capable of detecting very small concentrations at high exhaust gas velocities that need to be evaluated. An in‐depth analysis is needed to determine the best analytical methods to provide the required data for measuring PM with an acceptable range, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision.

Author(s):  Marla Mueller

Commission Division:    Technology Systems Division - R&D, PIER (500)

Office/Program:    PIER: Public Interest Energy Research

PIER Program Area:    Energy-Related Environmental Research

Date Published:    May 2012

Date On Line:    05/15/2012

Acrobat PDF File Size: 2 pages, 152 kilobytes