Numerical investigation on the flow, combustion and NOx emission characteristics in a 500 MWe tangentially fired pulverized-coal boiler

The characteristics of the flow, combustion, temperature and NO_x emissions in a 500 MW_e tangentially fired pulverized-coal boiler are numerically studied using comprehensive models, with emphasis on fuel and thermal NO_x formations. The comparison between the measured values and predicted results shows good agreement, which implies that the adopted combustion and NO_x formation models are suitable for correctly predicting characteristics of the boiler. The relations among the predicted temperature, O₂ and CO₂ mass fractions are discussed based on the calculated distributions. The predicted results clearly show that NO_x formation within the boiler highly depends on the combustion processes as well as the temperature and species concentrations. The results obtained from this study have shown that overfire air (OFA) operation is an efficient way to reduce the NO_x emissions of the pulverized-coal fired boiler. Air staging combustion technology (OFA operation) adopted in this boiler has helped reduce fuel NO_x formation as well as thermal NO_x formation under the present simulated conditions. The decrease in the formation of fuel NO_x is due to the decreased contact of the nitrogen from the fuel with the oxygen within the combustion air, while the decrease in thermal NO_x formation is caused by a decrease in temperature. The detailed results presented in this paper may enhance the understanding of complex flow patterns, combustion processes and NO_x emissions in tangentially fired pulverized-coal boilers, and may also provide a useful basis for NO_x reduction and control.     

NOx and SOx emissions of a high sulfur self-retention coal during air-staged combustion

NO_x and SO_x emissions of air-staged combustion were investigated in a 1 MW tangentially-fired furnace combusting a high sulfur self-retention coal. Two variables including the air stoichiometric ratio of primary combustion zone and the relative location of over-fire air (OFA) injection ports were studied. These results suggest that NO_x reduction efficiency monotonically increases with increasing the relative location of OFA injection ports, and the lowest NO_x emissions are achieved when the air stoichiometric ratio of primary combustion zone is 0.85. In the meantime, SO_x emissions can be effectively reduced when the air stoichiometric ratio of primary combustion zone is 0.85 or 0.95, and SO_x emissions monotonically decrease with increasing the relative location of OFA injection ports.     

Optimisation of NOx reduction in advanced coal reburning systems and the effect of coal type

The advanced reburning process for NO_x emission control was studied in a down-fired 20 kW combustor by evaluating the performance of 15 pulverised coals as reburning fuels. The proximate volatile matter contents of the coals selected ranged from around 4 to 40 wt% (as received) with elemental nitrogen contents from around 0.6 to 2.0 wt%. The effects of reburn fuel fraction, reburning zone residence time, ammonia agent injection delay time (relative to the reburn fuel and burnout air injection points) and the nitrogen stoichiometric ratio are reported in detail and the optimum configurations for advanced reburning, established as a function of operating condition and coal type. The experimental results show that advanced reburning can reduce NO_x emissions up to 85%. The maximum benefits of advanced reburning over conventional reburning were observed at the lower reburn fuel fractions (around 10%). The results demonstrate that under advanced reburning conditions equivalent or higher levels of NO_x reduction can be achieved while operating the reburn zone closer to stoichiometric conditions compared with conventional reburning operating at high reburn fuel fractions (20-25%). Thus the practical problems associated with fuel-rich staged operation can be reduced. The effect of coal properties on the advanced reburning performance was also investigated. As with conventional reburning, the fuel nitrogen content of the coal used was found to have little influence on the NO_x reduction efficiency except at the highest reburn fuel fractions. There was, however, a strong correlation between the effectiveness of advanced reburning and the volatile content of the reburning fuels, which not only depended on the reburn fuel fraction, but also the mode (rich or lean) of advanced reburning operation. These parameters are mapped out experimentally to enable the best operating mode to be selected for advanced reburning as a function of the reburning fuel fraction and volatile content.     

Effects of NOx-inhibitor agent on fuel properties of three-phase biodiesel emulsions

Biodiesel is one of the more promising alternative clean fuels to fossil fuel, which can reduce the emissions of fossil fuel burning, and possibly resolve the energy crisis caused by the exhaustion of petroleum resources in the near future. The burning of biodiesel emits much less gaseous emissions and particulate matter primarily because of its dominant combustion efficiency. However, the high oxygen content in biodiesel not only promotes the burning process but also enhances NO_x formation when biodiesel is used as fuel. Biodiesel emulsion and the additive of NO_x-inhibitor agent are considered to reduce levels of NO_x emissions in this experimental study. The biodiesel was produced by transesterification reaction accompanied with peroxidation process. A three-phase biodiesel emulsion of oil-in water drops-in oil (O/W/O) and an O/W/O biodiesel emulsion containing aqueous ammonia were prepared afterwards. The effect of the existence of NO_x-inhibitor agent on the fuel properties and the emulsion characteristics of the O/W/O biodiesel emulsions were investigated. The experimental results show that the burning of the O/W/O biodiesel emulsion and the O/W/O biodiesel emulsion containing aqueous ammonia had larger fraction of fuel burnt and thus larger heat release than the neat biodiesel if water content is not considered for the calculation of heating value. The addition of aqueous ammonia within the dispersed phase of the O/W/O biodiesel emulsion appeared to deteriorate the emulsification characteristics. A smaller quantity of emulsion and greater kinematic viscosity were formed while a larger carbon residue and actual reaction-heat release also appeared for this O/W/O biodiesel emulsion. Aqueous ammonia in the O/W/O biodiesel emulsion produces a higher pH value as well. In addition, the number as well as the volumetric fraction of the dispersed water droplets is reduced for the O/W/O biodiesel emulsion that contains aqueous ammonia.     

Numerical investigation of NOx emissions from a tangentially-fired utility boiler under conventional and overfire air operation

A CFD investigation has been carried out about the performance of a 600 MW_e tangentially coal-fired boiler, focusing on the reduction of NO_x attainable by using overfire air. To this purpose, a comprehensive combination of NO_x chemistry models has been used, coupled with the numerical simulation of fluid and particle flow, solid fuel combustion and heat and mass transfer. Predicted values of gas temperature and species concentration have been adopted to validate the model against actual measurements from the full-scale boiler, under conventional and overfire air arrangements. A reasonable agreement has been attained in most cases. Additionally, modelling sensitivity has been evaluated against variations in some fuel-dependent parameters hard to measure or estimate (devolatilisation rates, nitrogen content in volatiles and char, reburning rates). As a result, an analysis tool is available to study the response of this kind of boilers to a variety of coal feedstock and combustion conditions, in a feasible and economic manner.     

Mitigation of NOx emissions from a jatropha biodiesel fuelled DI diesel engine using antioxidant additives

Biodiesel offers cleaner combustion over conventional diesel fuel including reduced particulate matter, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions. However, several studies point to slight increase in NO_x emissions (about 10%) for biodiesel fuel compared with conventional diesel fuel. Use of antioxidant additives is one of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate the formation of prompt NO_x. In this study, the effect of antioxidant additives on NO_x emissions in a jatropha methyl ester fuelled direct injection diesel engine have been investigated experimentally and compared. A survey of literature regarding the causes of biodiesel NO_x effect and control strategies is presented. The antioxidant additives L-ascorbic acid, α tocopherol acetate, butylated hydroxytoluene, p-phenylenediamine and ethylenediamine were tested on computerised Kirloskar-make 4 stroke water cooled single cylinder diesel engine of 4.4 kW rated power. Results showed that antioxidants considered in the present study are effective in controlling the NO_x emissions of biodiesel fuelled diesel engines. A 0.025%-m concentration of p-phenylenediamine additive was optimal as NO_x levels were substantially reduced in the whole load range in comparison with neat biodiesel. However, hydrocarbon and CO emissions were found to have increased by the addition of antioxidants.     

Modeling and simulating combustion and generation of NOx

This paper deals with the modeling and simulation of combustion processes and generation of NO_x in a combustion chamber and boiler, with supplementary combustion in a gas turbine installation. The fuel burned in the combustion chamber was rich gas with a chemical composition more complex than natural gas. Pitcoal was used in the regenerative boiler. From the resulting combustion products, 17 compounds were retained, including nitrogen and sulphur compounds. Using the developed model, the simulation resulted in excess air for a temperature imposed at the combustion chamber exhaust. These simulations made it possible to determine the concentrations of combustion compounds with a variation in excess combustion.     

A reduced NOx reaction model for pulverized coal combustion under fuel-rich conditions

A reduced NO_x reaction model was developed for analysis of industrial pulverized coal firing boilers. The model was developed from experiments of laminar premixed combustion under a variety of stoichiometric ratios, burning temperatures, coal ranks (from sub-bituminous coal to anthracite) and particle diameters. Calculations agreed with experimental results for NO_x and nitrogen species (NH₃ and HCN), if the model assumed that the hydrocarbon radicals were formed not only from pyrolysis of volatile matter, but also from char oxidation and gasification. The presence of hydrogen in char at the final burnout stage supported this assumption. NO_x reduction by hydrocarbon radicals was the most important reaction in high temperature (>1500 K), fuel-rich, char combustion regions. NO_x reduction from nitrogen species was sensitive to peak NO_x concentration in volatile combustion regions, but NO_x emission downstream had little influence from the peak NO_x concentration. The heterogeneous reaction between char and NO_x was important for fuel-lean or low-temperature conditions.     

Multi response optimization of NOx emission of a stationary diesel engine

In the present work the combined effect of fuel injection timing, percentage of EGR and fuel injection pressure in controlling the NO_x emission of a stationary diesel engine fuelled with diesel was investigated. Three levels were chosen in each factor and NO_x emission, smoke concentration and brake fuel conversion efficiency are taken as the response variables. Experiments were designed as per Taguchi’s L₉ orthogonal array and tests were conducted with different injection timings, percentage EGR (by volume) and injection pressures. Multi response signal to noise ratio (MRSN) was calculated for the response variables and the optimum combination level of factors was obtained simultaneously using Taguchi’s parametric design. Obtained combination was confirmed experimentally and significant improvement was observed in the response variables.     

Attempts to reduce NOx exhaust emissions by using reformulated biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable, domestically produced fuel that has been shown to reduce particulate, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions from diesel engines. Under some conditions, however, biodiesel produced from certain feedstocks has been shown to cause an increase in nitrogen oxides (NO_x). This is of special concern in urban areas that are subject to strict environmental regulations. Although soy-based biodiesel may increase the emission of nitrogen oxides, it is the most easily accessible in North America. We investigated two routes to reformulate soy-based biodiesel in an effort to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. In one of these, soy-oil methyl esters were modified by conversion of a proportion of the cis bonds in the fatty acid chains of its methyl esters to their trans isomers. In the other approach, polyol derivatives of soybean oil were transesterified to form soy methyl polyol fatty acid esters. The NO_x emissions of these modified biodiesels were then examined, using a Yanmar L100 single cylinder, four stroke, naturally aspirated, air cooled, direct injection diesel engine. Using either isomerized methyl oleate or isomerized soy biodiesel, at 20% blend level in petroleum diesel (‘B20’), nitrogen oxide emissions were elevated by between 1.5 and 3 percentage points relative to the combustion of a B20 blend of commercial biodiesel. Nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced in proportion to blend level during the combustion of polyol biodiesel, with a 20% blend in petrodiesel resulting in a reduction of about 4.5 percentage points relative to the emissions of a comparable blend of commercial soy biodiesel.     

Application of the thermal DeNOx process to diesel engine DeNOx: an experimental and kinetic modelling study

Diesel DeNO_x experiments have been conducted using the selective noncatalytic ‘thermal DeNO_x’ process in a diesel fuelled combustion-driven flow reactor which simulated a single cylinder (966 cm³) and head equipped with a water-cooling jacket and an exhaust pipe. NH₃ was directly injected into the cylinder to reduce NO_x emissions. A wide range of air/fuel ratios (A/F=20-40) was selected for NO_x reduction where an initial NO_x of 530 ppm was usually maintained with a molar ratio (β=NH₃/NO_x) of 1.5.The results indicate that a 34% NO_x reduction can be achieved from the cylinder injection in the temperature range, 1100-1350 K. Most of the NO_x reduction occurs within the cylinder and head section (residence time<40 ms), since temperatures in the exhaust are too low for additional NO_x reduction. Under large gas quenching rates, increasing β values (e.g. 4.0) substantially increase the NO_x reduction up to 60%, which is comparable with those achieved under isothermal conditions. Experimental findings are analysed by chemical kinetics using the Miller and Bowman mechanism including both N/H/O species and CO/hydrocarbon reactions to account for CO/UHC oxidation effects, based on practical nonisothermal conditions. Comparisons of the kinetic calculations with the experimental data are given as regards temperature characteristics, residence time and molar ratio. In addition, the effects of CO/UHC and branching ratio (α=k₁/(k₁+k₂)) for the reaction NH₂+NO=products are discussed in terms of NO reduction features, together with practical implications.     

The application of FLOX/COSTAIR technologies to reduce NOx emissions from coal/biomass fired power plant: A technical assessment based on computational simulation

Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) is one of the harmful emissions from power plants. Efforts are made to reduce NO_x emissions by researchers and engineers all the times. NO_x emissions are from three resources during the combustion: prompt NO, fuel NO and thermal NO. The last one - thermal NO, which is described by ‘Zeldovich-mechanism’, is the main source for NO_x emissions. The thermal NO emission mainly results from the high combustion temperature in the combustion process. In order to control the NO formation, the control of peak combustion temperature is the key factor, as well as the oxygen concentration in the combustion areas. Flameless oxidation (FLOX) and continuous staged air combustion (COSTAIR) are two relatively new technologies to control the combustion temperature and the reaction rate and consequently to control the NO_x emissions.In this study both FLOX and COSTAIR technologies are assessed based on a 12 MW_e, coal-fired, circulating fluidised bed combustion (CFBC) power plant by using ECLIPSE simulation software, together with a circulating fluidised bed gasification (CFBG) plus normal burner plant. Two different fuels - coal and biomass (straw) are used for the simulation. The technical results from the study show that the application of FLOX technology to the plant may reduce NO_x emissions by 90% and the application of COSTAIR technology can reduce NO_x emissions by 80-85% from the power plant. The emissions from the straw-fuelled plants are all lower than that of coal-fuelled ones although with less plant efficiencies.     

Impact of air staging along furnace height on NOx emissions from pulverized coal combustion

Experiments were carried out on an electrically heated multi-path air inlet one-dimensional furnace to assess NO_x emission characteristics of an overall air-staged (also termed air staging along furnace height) combustion of bituminous coal. The impact of main parameters of overall air-staged combustion technology, including burnout air position, air stoichiometric ratio, levels of burnout air (the number of burnout air arranged at different heights of the furnace), and the ratios of the burnout air flow rates and pulverized coal fineness of industrial interest, on NO_x emission were simulated to study in the experimental furnace, as well as the impact of air staging on the carbon content of the fly ash produced. These results suggest that air-staged combustion affects a pronounced reduction in NO_x emissions from the combustion of bituminous coal. The more deeply the air is staged, the further the NO_x emission is reduced. Two-level air staging yields a greater reduction in NO_x emission than single-level air staging. For pulverized coal of differing fineness, the best ratio between the burnout air rates in the two-level staging ranges from 0.6 to 0.3. In middle air-staged degree combustion with f_M = 0.75, pulverized coal fineness, R₉₀ (%), has a greater influence on NO_x emission, whereas R₉₀ has little influence on NO_x emission for deep air-staged degree with f_M = 0.61. Air-staged combustion with proper burnout air position has little effect on the burnout. For overall air-staged combustion, proper burnout air position and air-staged rate should be considered together in order to achieve high combustion efficiency.     

A numerical investigation into the anomalous slight NOx increase when burning biodiesel; A new (old) theory

Biodiesel is a notable alternative to petroleum derived diesel fuel because it comes from natural domestic sources and thus reduces dependence on diminishing petroleum fuel from foreign sources, it likely lowers lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, and it lowers an engine's emission of most pollutants as compared to petroleum derived diesel. However, the use of biodiesel often slightly increases a diesel engine's emission of smog forming nitrogen oxides (NO_x) relative to petroleum diesel. In this paper, previously proposed theories for this slight NO_x increase are reviewed, including theories based on biodiesel's cetane number, which leads to differing amounts of charge preheating, and theories based on the fuel's bulk modulus, which affects injection timing. This paper proposes an additional theory for the slight NO_x increase of biodiesel. Biodiesel typically contains more double bonded molecules than petroleum derived diesel. These double bonded molecules have a slightly higher adiabatic flame temperature, which leads to the increase in NO_x production for biodiesel. Our theory was verified using numerical simulations to show a NO_x increase, due to the double bonded molecules, that is consistent with observation. Further, the details of these numerical simulations show that NO_x is predominantly due to the Zeldovich mechanism.     

Effects of dimethyl-ether (DME) spray behavior in the cylinder on the combustion and exhaust emissions characteristics of a high speed diesel engine

The purpose of this study was to analyze the exhaust emissions of DME fuel through experimental and numerical analyses of in-cylinder spray behavior. To investigate this behavior, spray characteristics such as the spray tip penetration, spray cone angle, and spray targeting point were studied in a re-entrant cylinder shape under real combustion chamber conditions. The combustion performance and exhaust emissions of the DME-fueled diesel engine were calculated using KIVA-3V. The numerical results were validated with experimental results from a DME direct injection compression ignition engine with a single cylinder.The combustion pressure and IMEP have their peak values at an injection timing of around BTDC 30°, and the peak combustion temperature, exhaust emissions (soot, NO_x), and ISFC had a lower value. The HC and CO emissions from DME fuel showed lower values and distributions in the range from BTDC 25° to BTDC 10° at which a major part of the injected DME spray was distributed into the piston bowl area. When the injection timing advanced to before BTDC 30°, the HC and CO emissions showed a rapid increase. When the equivalence ratio increased, the combustion pressure and peak combustion temperature decreased, and the peak IMEP was retarded from BTDC 25° to BTDC 20°. In addition, NO_x emissions were largely decreased by the low combustion temperature, but the soot emissions increased slightly.     

Experimental investigation of NOx emissions in oxycoal combustion

This work presents the results of an experimental investigation on NO_x emissions from coal combustion in a pilot scale test facility. Three oxidiser atmospheres have been compared, namely air, CO₂/O₂, and O₂ enriched recirculated flue gas. NO_x emissions from two different combustion modes have been studied, swirl flame and flameless combustion. The influence of the burner oxygen ratio and the oxidiser O₂ concentration on NO_x formation and reduction have been analysed. With increasing burner oxygen ratio, an increase of NO_x emissions has been obtained for air and CO₂/O₂ in both, swirl flame and flameless combustion. In case of the swirl flame, flue gas recirculation leads to a reduction of NO_x emissions up to 50%, whereas in case of flameless combustion this reduction is around 40% compared to CO₂/O₂. No significant impact of the oxidiser O₂ concentration in the CO₂/O₂ mixture on NO_x emissions is observed in the range between 18 and 27 vol.% in swirl flames. An analysis of NO_x formation and reduction mechanisms showed, that the observed reduction of NO_x emissions by flue gas recirculation cannot be attributed to the reduction of recirculated NO_x alone, but also to a reduced conversion of fuel-N to NO.     

Pulverized coal combustion in air and in O2/CO2 mixtures with NOx recycle

This paper presents experimental results of a 20 kW vertical combustor equipped with a single pf-burner on pulverised coal combustion in air and O₂/CO₂ mixtures with NO_x recycle. Experimental results on combustion performance and NO_x emissions of seven international bituminous coals in air and in O₂/CO₂ mixtures confirm the previous findings of the authors that the O₂ concentration in the O₂/CO₂ mixture has to be 30% or higher to produce matching temperature profiles to those of coal-air combustion while coal combustion in 30% O₂/70% CO₂ leads to better coal burnout and less NO_x emissions than coal combustion in air. Experimental results with NO_x recycle reveal that the reduction of the recycled NO depends on the combustion media, combustion mode (staging or non-staging) and recycling location. Generally, more NO is reduced with coal combustion in 30% O₂/70% CO₂ than with coal combustion in air. Up to 88 and 92% reductions of the recycled NO can be achieved with coal combustion in air and in 30% O₂/70% CO₂ respectively. More NO is reduced with oxidant staging than without oxidant staging when NO is recycled through the burner. Much more NO is reduced when NO recycled through the burner (from 65 to 92%) than when NO is recycled through the staging tertiary oxidant ports (from 33 to 54%). The concentration of the recycled NO has little influence on the reduction efficiency of the recycled NO with both combustion media—air and 30% O₂/70% CO₂.     

Coal characterisation for NOx prediction in air-staged combustion of pulverised coals

A series of world-traded coal samples has been tested using the Imperial College high temperature wire mesh apparatus (HTWM) in order to assess the relationship between high temperature (1600°C) char nitrogen content and NO_x formation in Hemweg Power Station (in the Netherlands) using deep furnace air staging. A linear relationship between high temperature char nitrogen and NO_x formation has been confirmed. These results suggest that high temperature char N content is the main factor limiting NO_x emissions with deep air-staged combustion.Char N and (hence apparently deep air-staged NO_x) can be predicted with an accuracy of approximately ±20% for most coals from the coal proximate and ultimate analysis—but this might not be sufficient for stations operating close to their emission limits. Measuring high temperature char N directly reduces the likely uncertainty in deep air-staged NO_x emissions for coals (and most blends) to approximately ±10%. Its use should be considered on a routine basis for coal selection on plants employing this technology.     

Simultaneous reduction of NOx and SO2 emissions from coal combustion by calcium magnesium acetate

The potential of calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) as a medium for the simultaneous control of NO_x and SO_x emissions has been investigated using a pulverized coal combustion rig operating at 80 kW. A US and a UK coal of significantly different sulphur contents were used as primary fuel and CMA was injected in solution form into the combustion gases by horizontally opposed twin-fluid atomisers at temperatures of 1100-1200 °C. SO₂ reductions typically greater than 80 and 70% were found for initial SO₂ levels of 1000 and 1500 ppm, respectively, at Ca/S ratios greater than 2.5. There did not appear to be significant limitation on sulphation by pore blockage using CMA due to the open structure formed during calcination and there is clear potential for zero SO₂ emissions at higher Ca/S ratios. The Ca content of the CMA in the form of CaO, via a droplet drying/particle calcination process, absorbs SO₂ by sulphation processes by penetration into the open pore structure of these particles. The effect of primary zone stoichiometry (λ₁=1.05, 1.15 and 1.4) on NO_x reduction was investigated for a range of CMA feed rates up to a coal equivalent of 24% of the total thermal input. NO_x reductions of 80, 50 and 30% were achieved at a primary zone stoichiometry of λ₁=1.05, 1.15 and 1.4, respectively, for a reburn zone residence time of 0.8 s. At lower equivalent reburn fuel fractions, coal gave greater NO_x reductions than CMA but similar levels were achieved above Rff=18%. The mechanism for NO_x reduction involves the organic fraction of CMA which pyrolyses into hydrocarbon fragments (CH_i), but to a lesser degree than coal, which may then react with NO_x in a manner similar to a conventional ‘reburn’ mechanism where NO_x is partly converted to N₂ depending on the availability of oxygen.     

Biodiesel combustion,emissions and emission control

The use of biodiesel is rapidly expanding around the world, making it imperative to fully understand the impacts of biodiesel on the diesel combustion process, pollutant formation and exhaust aftertreatment. Because its physical properties and chemical composition are distinctly different from conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel can alter the fuel injection and ignition processes whether neat or in blends. As a consequence, the emissions of NO_x and the amount, character and composition of particulate emissions are significantly affected. In this paper, we survey observations from a spectrum of our earlier studies on the impact of biodiesel on diesel combustion, emissions and emission control to provide a summary of the challenges and opportunities that biodiesel can provide.