Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Utilisation of coal for power generation and related emissions lie the area of strategic research in the province of Alberta. The first application for RTI from the applicant aims to establish the basic research facility at the University of Alberta in the general area of combustion and gasification of solid fuels and assessment of combustion and emission characteristics of Canadian coals. The main workhorse for this type of research is a Drop Tube Furnace (DTF) that provides the atmosphere similar to that prevalent in practical furnaces. A DTF has been acquired from Alberta Research Council. This RTI application aims to acquire necessary accessories and analytical instruments needed to perform experiments in the general area of coal utilisation and emission control of trace elements such as mercury, arsenic and selenium during combustion and gasification of coal and other solid fuels. The accessories requested are for upgrade of temperature controllers for the heating elements in the furnace, mass flow controllers for different gases, a vibrating coal feeder, a cyclone to separate combustion residues from flue gases, and feeder and sampling probes. A gas chromatograph is requested for analyzing the flue gases from the DTF. These accessories are essential for general research in combustion and gasification of coal. The specific equipments requested in RTI related to the research proposed in my Discovery Grant application) on Fate of Trace Elements also requires a cascade impactor for separating fly ash into several size bins. This is essential in determining the distribution and speciation of trace elements when released during combustion and gasification.