Factors and Uncertainties that Impact Economic Assessments of Non- Thermal Plasma Based Devices to Control NOx Generated from Jet Engine and Cruise Missile Test Facilities

摘要

Federal regulations concerning the generation and release of many gaseous pollutants, including NOxs, are becoming increasingly more stringent. A number of diverse military operations generate large amounts of NOxs on an episodic basis. Therefore, the military is motivated to acquire new pollution control technologies that will bring them into compliance with the evolving more stringent regulations. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) devices and their variants- such as hybrid systems- offer attractive alternatives to more traditional acid gas (SOx and NOx) control approaches. such as scrubbers, catalytic systems, or adsorbers. The higher performance that is possible with NTP-based pollution control systems comes at a price of complexity and cost. Widespread use of NTP- based pollution control technology by the commercial or military sectors will occur only when the economics for such systems are favorable compared to competing technologies. This paper identifies and discusses the many factors that cause uncertainly in the economic analysis of NTP-based reactors for NOx control. In particular, we focus on conditions representative of jet-engine exhaust containing nitric oxide (NO) combined with hydrocarbons in an emission stream that is primarily air.