United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park. NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-92/084 Sept. 1992
Project Summary
Development of a Core
Combustion Research Program
Plan for EPA
G. EMair Martin
In a report entitled, "Future Risks:
Research Strategies for the 1990s," pre-
pared for then-EPA Administrator Lee
Thomas, the EPA Science Advisory
Board stated, "EPA should plan, imple-
ment and sustain a long-term research
program ... in areas where it has
unique responsibilities and capabili-
ties." Combustion and thermal destruc-
tion was specifically identified as a can-
didate core research area. This report
describes the plan that evolved from a
review of the state of the art in com-
bustion research. A strawman plan was
prepared and reviewed by a panel of
representatives from industry, acade-
mla, and government organizations. The
plan identifies four cornerstone areas
where technology gaps are perceived
to exist, and a keystone of basic and
engineering research needed to gener-
alize the technological developments
to a variety of systems.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
Ings of the research project that Is fully
documented In a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
I. What is the Problem?
The combustion of fuels and
waste will continue to create
environmental problems.
However, the development of
technology to solve these
problems will generate major
opportunities for U.S. Industry.
Combustion, Friend or Foe?
The combustion of fossil fuels and waste
plays a major role in our lives. Energy
consumed by a country is one measure of
its development as an industrialized na-
tion. However, combustion by-products
may create problems. They may: 1) con-
stitute health risks, and 2) have the poten-
tial to damage the environment. Society
must not buy the benefits of combustion
at the expense our environment.
New Problems are Inevitable
In the next decade changes in the com-
position of wastes and fuels will affect the
composition of combustion by-products.
The developed countries cannot solve glo-
bal environmental problems abne. The
developing nations must assist in the cost-
effective development and deployment of
environmentally acceptable combustion
technology to prevent the continued dete-
rioration of the global environment.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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New Problems will Create New
Opportunities
The national and international markets
for environmentally acceptable technolo-
gies will grow rapidly in the next decade.
This creates a major opportunity for U.S.
industry. Reduced imports of petroleum
products and the export of environmental
technologies could help to reduce this
country's trade deficit.
II What is the Solution?
The EPA has a unique mission
to protect the environment and
can further It by establishing a
core research program In
combustion and thermal
destruction.
Combustion Research is
Crosscutting
Basic combustion processes are com-
mon to the combustion of all gaseous,
liquid, and solid fuels and wastes. Re-
search on the formation and destruction
of a particular combustion by-product is
applicable to a wide range of combustion
systems. The application of knowledge
generated by a basic research program
will identify and solve environmental prob-
lems of the next 20 years.
Core Research Program
Objectives
1) Drive pollutai.i reduction technology
to the limit of technical and economic fea-
sibility. 2) Develop the capability to predict
the amount of all pollutants present in the
effluent streams of all combustion sys-
tems. 3} Promote the development of low
pollutant technology for existing equipment
and new advanced systems. 4) Provide a
technology base for improved regulations.
III. What is the EPA Role?
The Agency can provide a
leadership role by formulating
and executing a core research
program that will solve
environmental problems
associated with all types of
combustion systems, fuels, and
wastes well Into the next
century.
The EPA can Develop a Core
Research Program
The EPA is the only Agency with the
authority to regulate all combustion sys-
tems that have the potential to emit pollut-
ants in harmful concentrations. Also, the
Agency has the unique mission to protect
human health and welfare and to con-
serve the environment. In certain areas
the EPA is cooperating with other coun-
tries to control pollutants that spread be-
yond national boundaries. A core research
program in combustion and thermal de-
struction can be started by the Agency to
generate basic information that will: 1) pro-
vide the impetus for industry to develop
new technologies, 2) help the develop-
ment of future regulation by providing a
sound scientific base, and 3) help to iden-
tify and solve environmental problems cre-
ated by combustion of fuels and waste in
the future.
Focused on Prevention
The EPA core research plan in com-
bustion and thermal destruction should be
distinguished from the efforts of other
agencies It must provide for a balance
between in-house and extramural activi-
ties. Most importantly, the plan must con-
centrate upon preventing pollutant forma-
tion thereby avoiding the additional com-
plexity and expense of downstream con-
trols.
Resuts Must be Quantifiable
The plan is closely coupled with real
world problems. It is applicable to all fuels
and pollutants. It will generate identifiable
products in both the near and the long
term. These products may be procedures,
solutions to problems, or prototype pollu-
tion control systems; therefore, the results
of the research plan can be readily quan-
tified.
The EPA Role
The EPA can assume a leadership role.
The program needs the participation of
industry. There should be a balance be-
tween in-house and extramural activities.
The existing infrastructure within the
Agency should be upgraded and a stron-
ger technology base developed. The suc-
cessful execution of the plan requires that
the technical leadership reside within the
EPA laboratories. The EPA should make
a long-term commitment to combustion
research to attract and retain top flight
researchers to assume this leadership role.
Because of the diversity of equipment
manufacturers, there is a need to transfer
the results of the research to many indus-
tries who can then use the information to
develop proprietary products. Industry must
take part, but the EPA can serve in an
impartial role ensuring that the benefits of
this important core research program are
readily available.
IV. What is Proposed?
The Core Research Program Is
based on two components,
cornerstones (applied, system-
specific development projects)
and a keystone (broadly based
fundamental research).
Cornerstones and Keystones
Cornerstones are vertically integrated
development projects targeted at specific
problems with outputs: new systems, ret-
rofit technologies, and design procedures.
The keystone is the heart of the plan. It
includes basic and engineering research
programs that have long-term applicability
to a wide range of problems.
Initial Cornerstones Defined
Figure 1 shows the proposed Core Re-
search Program in Combustion and Ther-
mal Destruction. A review of the environ-
mental problems of combustion systems
and a survey of the activities of other
agencies indicated that the EPA program
should concentrate upon incineration,
steam generators, area sources, and bio-
mass systems. Figure 1 shows typical cor-
nerstone programs in each of these areas
and keystone projects. The format of a
typical cornerstone program involves sev-
eral coupled projects and an integrated
government, academic, industry team.
V. What are the Products?
The core research plan was
presented to a Blue Ribbon
Panel of experts. Based on the
panel's recommendations, 10
products have been Identified
as outputs for the first 5 years.
The Plan has been Reviewed
A Blue Ribbon Panel of experts from
industry, academia, and government re-
viewed the first plan. Panel members were
enthusiastically supportive of the plan. The
panel made many suggestions, most of
which were incorporated into the final ver-
sion. Ten priority products were identified
for the first 5 years of the program.
The 10 Products
Products 1 through 6 are the result of
cornerstone programs and the remainder
are products of the keystone.
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1. A general assessment procedure
to evaluate environmental conse-
quences of new fuels, wastes, and
combustion systems.
2. An integrated small scale incinera-
tor.
3. Feed systems for solid and viscous
liquid wastes.
4. Optimized biomass combustion sys-
tems.
5. Low NO combustion systems for
liquid fuels.
6. An evaluation of the total pollutant
emissions resulting from the use of
alternate fuels in internal combus-
tion engines.
7. An investigation of the chemistry
of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-di-
oxin/polychlorinated dibenzofuran
(PCDD/PCDF) synthesis from
products of incomplete combus-
tion (PICs).
8. An evaluation of metal release from
wastes and fuels.
9. The development of surrogates to
ensure equipment compliance on a
real time basis.
10. An expert system for monitoring and
control of combustion systems.
ES OF THE
FUT
UAbU, AKiD LNGINEERING
iSEAitCH
Figure 1. J^a structure of the Core Combustion and Thermal Destruction Research Program
'U.S. Government Printing Office: 1992 — 648-080/60081
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The EPA author, (also the EPA Project Officer, see below), is G. Blair Martin.
The complete report, entitled "Development of a Core Combustion Research
Program Plan for EPA," Order No. PB92-180868/AS; Cost: $17.00; 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:
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
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EPA
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EPA/600/SR-92/084
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