United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA-600/S7-83-036 Aug. 1983
4?EB\ Project Summary
Fugitive Emission Testing at the
Kosovo Coal Gasification Plant
R. L Honerkamp and D. A. Dalrymple
Fugitive emission testing was par-
tially supported by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy and performed as part
of an ongoing cooperative environ-
mental data acquisition program which
is being sponsored by the U.S. EPA.
The government of Yugoslavia has pro-
vided technical, logistic, and manpower
support. The subject of the data acqui-
sition program i» a commercial-scale,
medium-Btu, Lurgi gasification plant
which is currently operating in the
province of Kosovo in Yugoslavia.
Fugitive emissions are generally de-
fined as emissions that are not re-
leased through an enclosure such as a
duct or vent pipe. Fugitives include
process fluid leakage from seals (e.g.,
valves, pumps, flanges, compressors),
process fluid purges (sampling), sec-
ondary emission sources (e.g., drains,
wastewater systems, cooling towers),
and particulate sources (e.g., storage
piles, unpaved areas). Process fluid
leakage sources were the subject of
the testing at Kosovo. The process
fluid species analyzed included hydro-
carbons, carbon monoxide, hydrogen
sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, and am-
monia. The four major objectives of
this assessment of fugitive emissions
were to: 1) determine the frequency of
leak occurrence, 2) measure leak rates
from leaking sources, 3) estimate total
fugitive emissions from leakage, and
4) compare the results to other fugitive
emission test data.
Source screening and source sam-
pling were the two types of emission
tests that were required in order to
fulfill the objectives of the program.
Source screening provided a determina-
tion of the number of sources leaking
and an order of magnitude estimate of
their leak rates. Source sampling in-
volved enclosure of a leaking source
and measurement of the leak rate from
the source. Detailed descriptions of
these two types of emission tests are
included in the project report.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Industrial Environmental Re-
search Laboratory, Research Triangle
Park, NC, to announce key findings of
the research project that is fully docu-
mented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction and Summary
The Kosovo test program was imple-
mented by the EPA in response to a need
for representative data on the potential
environmental impacts of Lurgi coal gasifi-
cation technology. Because many pro-
posed coal gasification projects in the U.S.
are based on Lurgi technology, the EPA is
interested in taking appropriate steps to
enhance the environmental acceptability
of the technology. Previous test efforts at
Kosovo have been directed toward charac-
terization of process and discharge streams
and also monitoring of ambient air. The
report summarizes results of a test pro-
gram to characterize fugitive emissions
from the Kosovo coal gasification facility.
Results of the study show similarities to
results of fugitive emission testing in U.S.
oil refineries and organic chemical plants.
The results indicate that most of the
sources tested have very low emission
rates, and most of the total emissions are
contributed by a small fraction of the
sources. Based on emission factors devel-
oped from the test data, Kosovo fugitive
sources emit 5.7 kg/day of hydrocarbons.
The environmental concern associated
with fugitive emissions depends on the
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composition of the process fluid contained
by the source, because the emissions are
the result of process fluid leakage from
valve packing and seats, pump seals', and
flange gaskets.
Fugitive emission controls that have
been implemented in the U.S. oil and
chemical industry include leak detection/
repair strategies and substitution of equip-
ment components with lower leak poten-
tial. These controls, also applicable to
fugitive emission sources in coal gasifi-
cation plants, should be considered during
the design of these plants. The report
contains a general description of the
Kosovo gasification facility and an over-
view of the process units and streams
included in the test program. The test
methodology is described, and results of
the tests are presented. Conclusions drawn
from the results and recommendations for
developing fugitive emission control are
summarized. Selected results are: gas
valves in clean gas service leak more than
gas valves m dirty gas service, 95 percent
confidence intervals on emission factors
span two or more orders of magnitude
about the mean valve, most emissions
were from valves in hydrocarbon service
followed by flanges in hydrocarbon ser-
vice, and liquid leaks from pump seals
were the largest of any other liquid source.
Appendices to the report contain de-
tailed test protocol descriptions, analytical
instrument technical data, discussions of
statistical treatment of the data, examples
of data recording forms, and the raw data
obtained during the test program.
R. L. Honerkamp and D. A. Dairymple are with Radian Corporation, Austin. TX
78766.
William J. Rhodes is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Fugitive Emission Testing at the Kosovo Coal
Gasification Plant," {Order No. PB 83-239 533; Cost: $ 19.00, subject to change)
will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield. VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
*US. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1983-659-017/7161
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
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