Treatment of flue gas and coal to reduce air pollution-overview

This paper presents the procedures that can be used to reduce air pollution that originates from the burning of fossil fuels. Research has shown that burning coal is the largest source of emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and suspended particles. In order to reduce the emission of harmful agents from thermal power plants, several procedures based on various technologies are applied. It is possible to treat the already created flue gases created by burning coal in the classic way, treatment of the coal itself before the start of combustion in the thermal power plant and special procedures for coal treatment. Very effective procedures applied to protect air from pollution in the energy sector are: flue gas desulphurization (FGD), coal purification before the combustion process (coal washing), coal gasification and coal combustion in a fluidized bed. The paper also provides a detailed account of the advantages and disadvantages of the procedures described with an analysis of the contribution of scientific research in defining the technology itself.