Thermal power plants lead to both air and water pollution through their emissions. The main pollutants released are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, fly ash, and particulates. These pollutants can harm both human health and the environment. Methods to control these pollutants include removing sulfur from fuels before burning, scrubbing sulfur dioxide from flue gases, lowering combustion temperatures to reduce nitrogen oxides, and using devices like electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers and fabric filters to capture particulate matter. Electrostatic precipitators apply an electric charge to particulates to remove them from flue gases in an efficient manner.

1. MADEBY:
AMAY JAIN

2. • The electric power demand is continuously
increasing and it is expected that this demand would
be doubled after every 7-10 years due to which there
would be rapid rise in pollution of the environment.
• Presently the percentage of pollution caused by
electric plants is considerably less (15% of total)
which may increase over the years due to increase in
the demand of power.

3. • Elements that cause pollution are called
Pollutants.
• In case of thermal power plants, pollutants are
defined as emissions that are released from
power generating stations and lead to
pollution.

4. • A Thermal Power Plant leads to various types
of pollutions like:
1) Air Pollution
2) Water Pollution

5. • Principal pollutants from a Thermal Power
Plant are:
1)Carbon Mono-oxide
2)NOx
3)SOx
4)Fly Ash
5)Particulates formed due to use of fuel additives

6. Pollutants Effects (On Man)
SO2 Suffocation, irritation of throat
and eyes, respiratory, asthma,
lung cancer
NOX Irritation, bronchitis, oedema of
lungs
H2S Irritation, disease of bone,
mottling of teeth, respiratory
disease
CO Poisoning, cardiovascular
diseases
Particulates (Dust fume mist
and soot)
Respiratory diseases like
sillcosis, asbetosis

7. Pollutant Effects (On Vegetation,
Material & Animals)
SO2 On Vegetation: destruction of
sensitive crops and reduced
yields
On Materials: Corrosion
H2S On Vegetation: Destruction of
crops
On Animals: Fluorosis in
grazing cattle
Particulate (Dust fume mist and
soot)
On Material: Soiling and
corrosion

10. • Control of Particulates:
To remove the solid particles a majority of
thermal power plants uses one of the
following mechanical arresters namely:-
1) Wet Scrubbers
2) Fabric Filters
3) Electrostatic Precipitators

11. • Control of Sulphur Oxides:
Emission of sulphur into the atmosphere is very
harmful therefore it is very important to prevent
emission of sulphur which can be done by using
two methods:-
1) Removal of Sulphur from the fuel before
burning
2) Removal of Sulphur dioxide from the flue
gases

12. • Control of Nitrogen Oxides:
Nitrogen Oxides possess high biological activity and
they are poorly soluble in liquids and that’s why they
can penetrate deep into lungs and cause harmful
diseases and to prevent such problems nitrogen
oxides emissions needs to be controlled which can
be done by:
1) Reduction in temperature in Combustion zone
2) Reduction in residence time in Combustion zone
3) Increase in equivalence ration in the combustion

13. • An electrostatic
Precipitator (ESP) is a
highly efficient filtration
device that removes fine
particles, like dust and
smoke, from a flue gas
using the force of an
induced electrostatic
charge minimally
impeding the flow of flue
gas through the unit.

15. • Dry ESP: Dry ESPs remove dust from the collection
electrodes by vibrating the electrodes through the
use of rappers.
• Wet ESP: The basic components of a wet ESP are
the same as those of a dry ESP with the exception
that a wet ESP requires a water spray system rather
than a system of rappers. Wet ESP’s are more
efficient then Dry ESP’s.

16. • Wire Plate ESP: Wire-plate ESPs are by far the most
common design of an ESP. In a wire-plate ESP, a
series of wires are suspended from a frame at the top
of the unit.
• Wire Pipe ESP: In a wire-pipe ESP, a wire that
functions as the discharge electrode runs through
the axis of a long pipe, which serves as the
collection electrode. The weighted wires are
suspended from a frame in the upper part of the
ESP. The pipes can be cylindrical, square, or
hexagonal.