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Report GLC Stack Height 2018

The document outlines the calculation of stack heights for a Sulphuric Acid Plant and Copper Smelter Furnace at Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite Copper Unit 1, highlighting that the current stack heights are inadequate according to CPCB standards. It details the methodology for calculating emissions and the resulting Ground Level Concentrations (GLCs) of SO2, indicating potential health risks due to excessive concentrations. The findings emphasize the need for increased stack heights to ensure compliance with air quality standards and effective dispersion of pollutants.

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Santosh Jayasaval
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11 views5 pages

Report GLC Stack Height 2018

The document outlines the calculation of stack heights for a Sulphuric Acid Plant and Copper Smelter Furnace at Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite Copper Unit 1, highlighting that the current stack heights are inadequate according to CPCB standards. It details the methodology for calculating emissions and the resulting Ground Level Concentrations (GLCs) of SO2, indicating potential health risks due to excessive concentrations. The findings emphasize the need for increased stack heights to ensure compliance with air quality standards and effective dispersion of pollutants.

Uploaded by

Santosh Jayasaval
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Calculation of Stack Height for Sulphuric Acid Plant and

Copper Smelter Furnace at Vedanta Ltd's Sterlice Copper Unit 1


Verification of Adequacy By Estimating GLC

As per Consent to Operate (Air) dated 19.4.2005, permitted production of Copper = 1200 tpd,
and of Sulphuric Acid = 4200 tpd

SULPHURIC ACID PLANT


Applicable Standards prescribed as CPCB PCLS/02/2010 (Sixth Edition)1 including:
“Plants having more than one stream or unit of sulphuric acid at one location, the combined
capacity of all the streams and units shall be taken into consideration for determining the stack
height and applicability of emission standards.”

Method for calculating height of SO2 emitting stacks, including those attached to SAPs.
“The height of the stack emitting sulphur-dioxide or acid mist shall be of minimum of 30 metre or
as per the formula H=14Q 0.3 (whichever is more). Where „H‟ is the height of the stack in metre;
and „Q‟ is the maximum quantity of SO2 expected to be emitted through the stack at 110% rated
capacity of the plants and calculated as per the norms of gaseous emission.”

“Norms of Gaseous Emission” = 2 kg/tonne of acid produced at 100 percent plant capacity. (For
plants existing prior to 2010)

Stack Height Calculation


Total H2SO4 capacity = 4200 tpd
110% capacity = 4620 tpd
At 2 kg/T acid produced, design emission = 9240 kg/day
Q (kg/hr) = 9240 kg/24 hours = 385 kg/hr
Height (as per CPCB norms) = 14Q(E+0.3) = 14 x 385(E+0.3) = 14 x 5.97 = 83.5 metres

If emission factor of 1 kg/T were to be considered for stack height design


Total H2SO4 capacity = 4200 tpd
110% capacity = 4620 tpd
At 1 kg/T acid produced, design emission = 4620 kg/day
Q (kg/hr) = 4620 kg/24 hours = 192.5 kg/hr
Height = 14Q(E+0.3) = 14 x 192.5(E+0.3) = 14 x 4.85 = 67.8 metres

Finding:
SAP stack height of 60 metres not in consonance with CPCB rules. Nor is it adequate if the lower
emission rate of 1kg/tonne is considered. Prima facie, it appears that stack height will be inadequate
for effective dispersion of SO2 pollutants. It has to be verified if this can contribute to excessive
Ground Level Concentration of SO2 in ambient air under neutral or adverse meteorological
conditions.

ISA Smelter Furnace


Applicable Standards prescribed as CPCB PCLS/02/2010 (Sixth Edition) for copper smelters2 state:
“Off-gases must be utilized for sulphuric acid manufacture. The limits of sulphur dioxide emission
from stock shall not exceed 4 kilogramme per tonne of concentrated (one hundred per cent acid
1
Pollution Control Rules, Acts and Notifications Issued Thereunder. CPCB June, 2010, incorporating amendments
until March 2010. http://cpcb.nic.in/PollutionControlLaw.pdf Downloaded 15 July, 2018.
2 Pollution Control Rules, Acts and Notifications Issued Thereunder. CPCB June, 2010. Serial No. 21, page 423
produced).”

Formula for calculating stack height is stated above.

Stack Height Calculation for Furnace


Total H2SO4 capacity = 4200 tpd
110% capacity = 4620 tpd
At 4 kg/T acid produced, design emission = 18480 kg/day
Q (kg/hr) = 18480 kg/24 hours = 770 kg/hr
Height as per CPCB 2010 = 14Q(E+0.3) = 14 x 770(E+0.3) = 14 x 7.34 = 102.8 metres

Height as per 1 kg/tonne emission rate = 67.8 metres

Finding
Furnace stack height is 60 metres against 102.8 metres as calculated by CPCB norms. Height will
be inadequate for effective dispersion of SO2 pollutants, and may contribute to excessive Ground
Level Concentration of SO2 in ambient air.

I certify that the methodology and results above are correct.

Dr. T. Swaminathan Date: 17 July, 2018


Professor (Retd),
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT-Madras
Email: [email protected]
Estimation of Maximum Ground Level Concentrations from Stacks

Stack height calculations are usually based upon single source of emission for which simplified
Gaussian plume model is adopted. This model assumes that emissions are constant and there is no
disturbance for the free dispersion of the pollutants in the atmosphere. If there are multiple stacks
emitting the similar pollutants within close proximity, then the plume of one stack can impact the
plume of the others. Under such conditions the GLCs predicted by Gaussian plume modeling can
give erroneous results. Some attempts have been made to predict GLCs using domain models and
computational techniques but they are not really suitable for design of stack heights. In such cases,
it is preferable to design all stacks to the height of maximum emission conditions, which will give a
close approximation to a single source as in the Gaussian model assumption.

The below tables provide estimate of the maximum GLC resulting from emissions from stacks
attached to SAP, ISA smelter and converters. The methodology for the calculations is also provided
below. Atmospheric stability class Neutral has been assumed, though it might give a conservative
estimate, as it is likely to be prevalent most time.

SAP and furnace stacks will contribute to higher-than-permissible concentrations of SO2 at the
Ground Level even if they perform strictly as per design parameters. These predicted values have
to be added to the pre existing ambient concentrations to get the actual GLCs due to the emissions.
Thus it is clear that with the present heights of the stacks the population near the plant are exposed
to more than permissible concentrations of SO2 which will cause adverse short term and chronic
health effects.

TABLE – 1: Maximum Ground Level Concentrations from Smelter and Converter Stacks (Sterlite Copper Unit 1)

Source Stack Dia Temp Velocity Flow SO2 GLC, Max GLC
p
of Height (M) C M/Sec Rate Emission SO2, Location, (M)
Emission (M) M3/hr rate, µg/M3
gm/sec

ISA / RH 60 1.95 40 9.7 97,834 10.8 104 811


Furnace µg/M3

Source: Measured Values, June 07 by Vimta Labs for M/s Sterlite Industries 3

TABLE - 2: MAXIMUM GROUND LEVEL CONCENTRATONS FROM THE SAP STACK


(Emission Rate: 1 kg/T of Acid)
H2SO4 Stack Dia Temp Velocity Flow Rate SO2 GLC, Max GLC
p
Prodn Height, (M) C m/Sec m3/hr Emission SO2, Location
T/DAY M rate, µg/m3 (m)
gm/sec
2006 (1200 tpd existing Sterlite Copper Unit 1)

4200 60 1.6 75 34.5 2,50,000 48.5 125 1600

Source: Consent to Operate (Air Act), 2006.

Present base-line SO2 values from the ambient air to be added to find the actual GLC values.

3 Rapid EIA for Proposed Expansion of Copper Anode Production from 1200 tpd to 2400 tpd at Thoothukudi, Tamil
Nadu. For Sterlite Industries (I) Ltd. Vimta Lab. July 2008. Table 2-25. Page 2-60.
METHODOLOGY OF CALCULATIONS – ALGORITHM .
1.0 Name of the unit : ABCD
2.0 Stack Height, M : H
3.0 Diameter, M :
4.0 Stability class : D - Neutral
5.0 Stack gas temperature, oK: Ts
6.0 Stack gas velocity, M/Sec: V
7.0 Stack gas Flow rate, M3/hr: Qf
8.0 SO2 emission rate, gm/sec: QSO2

Assumed Meteorological parameters


Wind velocity, U, M/Sec : 3.0
Ambient Temperature Ta, oC: 30
Atmospheric pressure, Pa, KPa: 1010

V Ts - Ta Hollands
equation for
Plume Rise, H, M = ---- 1.5 + 2.65 x 10 -2 ( Pa ) x ----------------- x D Neutral condition
U Ts, oK

Effective stack height, He, M = H + H

Plume dispersion standard deviation coefficients – Vertical and horizontal are given Pasquill and
Gifford dispersion model as

Z, M = 0.112 x ( X ) 0.91 and Y, M = 0.195 x ( X ) 0.9 -

Maximum Ground level concentration occurs, where

Z, M = He / 2 = 0.112 x ( X ) 0.91

Hence X = { ( He/2 )/0.112 } 1/0.91

Y, M = 0.195 x ( X ) 0.9

Maximum Ground level Concentration at a down wind distance X meter, C max calculated by
Gaussian Dispersion model as

QSO2, gm/sec x 10 6
C max = ---------------------------------- in µg/M3
e  Y x Z x U

The maximum ground level concentration occur at a down wind distance of X from the emission
source. It is assumed that all the time the wind is in the same direction of the receptor and there is
loss of pollutant between the source and the receptor. The C max is mainly depends on SO2
emision rate gm/sec and the effective stack height M. The location totally depends on the effective
stack height only.
It gives only an incremental value of the pollutant at the receptor, but the actual value is obtained by
adding the actual base-line value of the pollutant measured at the receptor. The ambient air SO2
concentration value should not exceed the limit value ( 80 µg/M3) given in the Ambient Air Quality
standard values given by CPCB, 2009.

The methodology and the results are verified to be correct.

Dr. T. Swaminathan Date: 17 July, 2018


Professor (Retd),
Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT-Madras
Email: [email protected]

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