South Coast Air Quality Management District

Back

Execute Contract to Evaluate Performance of an Emission Control Technology for Underfired Charbroilers

SYNOPSIS:

The AQMD’s Proposed Rule 1138.1 is to control PM and VOC emissions for commercial underfired charbroilers. A newly developed and/or improved control technology will be tested and evaluated at CE-CERT, from the following control technologies recommended by the Rule 1138.1 Working Group: 1) Microwave Filter System, 2) Bubbler Ventilation System, and 3) Grease, Particle, and Gas Filter System. AQMD’s contribution to this project shall not exceed $15,000.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, September 22, 2000, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with the University of California, Riverside, College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) to evaluate performance of an emission control technology in an amount not to exceed $15,000 from the Advanced Technology Fund.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The AQMD’s Proposed Rule 1138.1, targets the reduction of PM and VOC emissions from commercial underfired charbroilers. The AQMD has funded several projects during the past three years for development and evaluation of control technologies to achieve this goal in a cost-effective manner. To date, a significant amount of work has been accomplished in this area, and a number of potentially viable technologies have been developed and subsequently improved upon. However, the required level of cost-effectiveness combined with the amount of desired emissions reductions has not yet been achieved.

New technology developments and improvements have occurred, requiring further testing and evaluation. The potential successful performance of these technologies will facilitate the development of the Proposed Rule 1138.1.

Proposal

From the following 3 technologies reviewed by the 1138.1 Working Group, staff will select one technology for testing and evaluating at CE-CERT. This selection will be done based on cost-effectiveness potential of that technology.

• Microwave Ceramic Filter developed by Industrial Ceramic Solutions in cooperation with Greenheck Fan Corporation. In this technology, grease filter and a VOC trap remove PM and VOCs throughout the daily operating hours, which are later regenerated through a microwave-cleaning unit.
  
  
• Bubbler Ventilation System developed by Avtek Industries in cooperation with the Gas Research Institute. A combination of water bubbling system, a demister, and a HEPA filter are used in the hood to reduce emissions.
  
  
• Grease, Particle, and Gas Filter System developed by International Air Filtration. A series of filter systems are used in this technology to reduce emissions.

In addition to the above technologies, an ultraviolet cleaning system developed by Vent Master, a division of Garland will be tested at the Southern California Edison’s technical center. The AQMD will not contribute in-cash funding towards the testing of this technology, but will provide its source testing team to conduct the testing and analysis of the equipment at the Southern California Edison’s technical center.

The above three technologies have been recommended to the AQMD staff by the Rule 1138.1 Working Group as potentially suitable candidates.

Benefits to AQMD

The proposed project is included in the March 2000 update of the Technology Advancement Plan under Project 2000S3-4, "Evaluation of Advanced VOC Control Technologies for Miscellaneous Stationary Sources." The AQMP relies on the expedited implementation of advanced technologies and clean-burning fuels in Southern California to achieve air quality standards.

The outcome of this project will show the capability and efficiency of newly developed or improved control technologies to reduce PM and VOC emissions from underfired charbroilers. It will also help better understand the cost-effectiveness and performance behavior of these technologies. The results will in turn assist AQMD staff in further development of Proposed Rule 1138.1, to regulate emissions from commercial underfired charbroilers in existing and new restaurants.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII.B.2 of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d.: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interest of the AQMD. Specifically, these circumstances are: B.2.d.(8) research and development efforts with educational institutions or nonprofit organizations.

The University of California, Riverside’s CE-CERT brings together a critical mass of experience from academia, industry, and government agencies to accomplish the stated objectives of the proposed project. CE-CERT serves a unique role in the Basin as an independent and objective scientific body capable of providing in-depth and valid evaluations on new environmental regulations and technologies. It has established a broad-based research agenda with unique facilities, capabilities, and resources that are requisite and directly applicable for completion of the proposed scope of work. CE-CERT’s established areas of expertise and available resources that directly relate to the proposed work include, development of stationary source control strategies, and establishment of test protocols for emissions measurements from underfired charbroilers. Staff believes that these broad-based capabilities and resources, uniquely offered by an in-Basin university having a long history of academic excellence in the field of air pollution control, justify AQMD funding for the specified contract with CE-CERT.

Resource Impacts

The total amount of AQMD funding for this project shall not exceed $15,000. Sufficient funds are available from the Advanced Technology Fund. This fund was established as a special revenue fund for revenues received as a result of fines, penalties, and settlements from air pollution violations. These settlement payments by the violators are to be used by the AQMD to support the development and demonstration of advanced technologies, and the assessment of resulting emissions benefits.

/ / /