Long & Medium-Term Research: The Evolution and Reactions of NOx Precursors from Coal Volatiles This award recommendation is made under the Program for Long & Medium-Term Research at Foreign Centers of Excellence. The program seeks to enable US scientists and engineers to conduct long-term research abroad at research institutions of proven excellence. Awards provide opportunities for the conduct of joint research, and the use of unique or compli- mentary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions in foreign countries. This award will support a 15 month visit by Dr. John C. Chen to go to Australia to work with Dr. Peter F. Nelson of CSIRO in North Ryde on "The Evolution and Reactions of NOx Precursors from Coal Volatiles." Coal combustion generates photochemical smog and pollutants causing acid rain. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are among the most severe of these pollutants, primarily the result of oxidation of nitrogen bound in the coal matrix (fuel NOx). This research seeks to clarify several aspects of NOx formation from coal volatiles. The researchers will study the evolution of NOx precursors for a range of Australian coals in a three-section reactor: the first generates the volatiles by rapid coal pyrolysis in a fluidized bed; the second serves as a heated transport line and contains a sintered quartz frit to eliminate the char and ash residues from the gaseous product stream; the final reactor is simply a tubular quartz furnace where the primary coal volatiles are subjected to secondary reactions at various furnace tempera- tures and residence times. The NOx precursors and other reaction products will be measured with FTIR, GC, and GC/MS. The specific goals of the research are: (1) to measure and relate the rate formation of the precursors to forms of nitrogen in the tar and the parent coal; (2) to study the interactions of the precursors with other coal volatiles and with various gas species (including O2) introduced into the tubular furnace; and (3) to use these data as input to models for NOx formation. The attainment of these goals will be a significant achievement in understanding and predicting NOx formation from Australian coals in practical combustion devices and the results may be extended to coals of any geographic origin. The award recommendation provides funds to cover, as appropriate, international travel, local travel abroad, stipend, dependents' allowance if applicable, and a flat administrative allowance of $250 for the U.S. home institution.
