Particulate Emission Rate Calculator

Work out particulate emission rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Particulate Emission Rate Calculator

Emission limits are set at a reference oxygen level so that diluting the flue gas with excess air cannot make a concentration look compliant. The correction multiplies the measured concentration by (20.9 - reference O2) / (20.9 - measured O2). Mass rate is corrected concentration times flow.

Formulas

Oxygen correction

C_corrected = C_measured x (20.9 - O2_reference) / (20.9 - O2_measured)

Mass rate

Mass rate (kg/h) = corrected concentration (mg/Nm3) x flow (Nm3/h) / 1,000,000

Worked example

With the default values below, Particulate Emission Rate Calculator returns Oxygen-Corrected Concentration of 22.5378. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Flue Gas Flowminimum 0 Nm3/hour: 50,000 Nm3/hour
Particulate Concentrationminimum 0 mg/Nm3: 18 mg/Nm3
Measured Oxygenaccepts 0–21 %: 9 %
Reference Oxygenaccepts 0–20.9 %: 6 %

Results

Oxygen-Corrected Concentration: 22.5378
Mass Emission Rate: 1.12689
Oxygen Correction Factor: 1.25210
Annual Emission: 9.0151

Step by step

1Values used
2Oxygen correction
3Mass rate
4Oxygen-Corrected Concentration= 22.5378
5Mass Emission Rate= 1.12689
6Oxygen Correction Factor= 1.25210
7Annual Emission= 9.0151

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Emission monitoring and reporting must follow the standard reference methods and conditions specified in the permit, including oxygen, temperature, pressure and moisture basis.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Emission monitoring and reporting must follow the standard reference methods and conditions specified in the permit, including oxygen, temperature, pressure and moisture basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Nm3 mean?

Normal cubic metre, at a defined temperature and pressure — usually 273 K and 101.3 kPa — and often on a dry basis. Reporting in actual cubic metres without stating conditions makes results meaningless.

Why do limits differ between plant types?

Reference oxygen levels reflect typical combustion conditions: 3% for oil and gas boilers, 6% for solid fuel, 11% for waste incineration. Comparing concentrations across different references is invalid.