Why is there thick white smoke coming from the chemical plant?

The boilers in the power plant burn coal, producing flue gas at 1,000 degrees Celsius; through heat exchange, this heat is transferred to the water. Water turns into high-temperature, high-pressure steam that drives the turbine, which in turn powers the generator to produce electricity to supply energy to various devices. As for the flue gas, it is treated in stages: dust removal, desulfurization, and denitrification. Eventually, the flue gas, which starts at 1000 degrees Celsius, is transformed into flue gas at around 100 degrees Celsius before being released. The chimney is equipped with dust detectors and an online continuous monitoring system for flue gas, which is connected to the monitoring platform of the environmental protection department. The standards for flue gas emissions are strictly controlled, and penalties are imposed in case of violations.

Water used in chemical plants is generally sourced from rivers, lakes, seas, reservoirs, groundwater, etc., and then circulated within the plant, commonly known as industrial circulating water. The main function of circulating water is cooling, after which it returns to the cooling tower, flowing downward from a higher height. On one hand, a cooling fan is installed inside the cooling tower; it blows air upward, using the cold air to remove the heat from the hot circulating water, thereby cooling the circulating water. On the other hand, the inside of the cooling tower features a water spray tray structure, which allows the circulating water to stay there for as long as possible before falling into the pool below, thereby exchanging heat with the air and cooling the circulating water.

What was once a symbol of industrialization is now the source of environmental protection. The flue gas contains a considerable amount of aerogel; it would be great if it could be recycled.

Previously, there were no mandatory requirements regarding indicators such as particulates, NOx, SO2, and CO2 in the exhaust gases; now, continuous online monitoring is required at all times, and the system automatically issues alarms once the limits are exceeded – supervision is very strict. Wastewater discharge testing is also similar to online monitoring.

"The white smoke is \"mostly water vapor\"; currently, large coal-fired boilers operate under ultra-low emission standards, with particle emission concentrations below 10 mg/m3, SO2 emission concentrations below 35 mg/m3, and nitrogen oxide emission concentrations below 50 mg/m3. Regarding the control of white plumes in exhaust stacks, some provinces have already issued relevant regulations, adopting smoke heating as a method to eliminate these plumes.

"The white smoke is \"mostly water vapor\"; currently, large coal-fired boilers operate under ultra-low emission standards, with particle emission concentrations below 10 mg/m3, SO2 emission concentrations below 35 mg/m3, and nitrogen oxide emission concentrations below 50 mg/m3. Regarding the control of white plumes in exhaust stacks, some provinces have already issued relevant regulations, adopting smoke heating as a method to eliminate these plumes.