The study of the environmental effect of the Vladivostok CHPP-2 having been transferred to burning of natural gas

The operation of energy facilities produce a constant effect upon the environment. Often, the environmental load can be reduced by transferring heat electropower stations to burning more environmentally friendly fuels, such as natural gas. An interesting case is the Vladivostok CHPP-2 partially transferred to the burning of natural gas in 2012. The paper deals with the design and technical and economic parameters of the operation of the boiler having the steam capacity of 210 tons per hour at the Vladivostok CHPP-2 before and after the latter’s reconstruction, when it was transferred from solid fuels to gaseous ones. The reconstruction has made it possible to reduce the emissions of harmful gaseous substances into atmosphere by an average of 2.5–4 times. Particularly harmful are emissions of nitrogen oxides due to the fact that, during combustion, it is the air nitrogen that is primarily oxidised. The examination of the created mathematical model has demonstrated the best operating conditions for boilers transferred to gaseous fuels. Also, the areas of occurrence of nitrogen oxides as well as the dynamics of their changes in different operating modes of the boiler burners have been revealed. Certain operation modes enable one to decrease the emissions of nitrogen oxide nearly twice. Certain ways to suppress the nitrogen oxides during combustion have been presented as well.