Nrgtek Inc.
Emission Control Systems
Under a recently completed project, Nrgtek Inc developed an electrochemical system for scrubbing nitrogen oxides from flue gas emissions. A US patent application has been filed for the same recently.
NOx removal
In this electrochemical process, either liquid or solid absorbents are used for absorbing nitric oxides. Laboratory testing has shown removal of NOx from an initial level of 200-400 ppm down to less than 1 ppm (non-detectable). The capacity of these sorbents was found to be very high, and the sorbents are regenerated electrochemically using an electrolysis cell, wherein the absorbed NOx is converted to nitrogen and oxygen gases. Typically, the developed process for liquid solvents is recommended for treatment of flue gases after post-combustion desulfurization. The process is much cheaper than selective catalytic reduction (SCRs), which need ammonia injection (or urea hydrolysis). Solid sorbents can be used for NOx reduction of automobile diesel exhausts, or smaller power-plant exhausts, and are also conveniently regenerated electrochemically offline with low power consumption, as a removable plugged-in NOx filter.
NOx reduction processes
NOx removal efficiency measurements
Carbon Monoxide Removal
A similar electrochemical process is used for removal of excess CO from synthesis gas streams (after methanation or liquid hydrocarbon production), with the only waste product being carbon dioxide, appropriately sequestered. Incidentally, hydrogen is produced during the regeneration of the solvent, which can be streamed back to the methanation reactor for additional production of bio-methane
