TITLE:
Assessment of NOx Emissions in Combustion Engines for Thermoelectric Power Plants: An Approach with the R and Screen View Programs
AUTHORS:
Eduardo dos Santos Piropo, Adonias Magdiel Silva Ferreira, Anastácio Pinto Gonçalves Filho
KEYWORDS:
Atmospheric Emissions, Internal Combustion Engines, Thermal Power Plants
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.13 No.2,
February
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: Thermal power plants are present in the Brazilian electrical matrix (8% in 2022) and worldwide (61.5% in 2021). Combustion engines are used to drive generators in most thermal power plants, serving as the main sources of atmospheric emissions. This study aims to present a model that allows for the pre-selection of these engines, identifying those most suitable to the recommended standards for obtaining environmental licenses. Data from twelve engine models were used to evaluate the studied alternatives. Computational resources were utilized through the R program for statistical analysis of the data. Simulations with the Screen View software enabled the investigation of atmospheric dispersion scenarios. The study showed that dispersion presented significant correlations with the following variables: emission rate, with a significance of 0.60, and chimney height, with a significance of −0.57. It was possible to conclude that for wind speeds equal to or greater than the local annual average of 2.1 m/s, a distance of 1800 meters to the community (location of the thermal power plant), a flue gas exit speed of 35 m/s, and the analyzed engine standards and design, engines with a NOx emission rate of up to 3.0 g/kWh showed good dispersion values, below 200 mg/Nm3 of NOx, the standard required by Brazilian environmental legislation. Thus, only four engine models meet this condition.