Abstract:
Methods by which new or used boilers or furnaces ranging from small industrial to the largest utility units that are designed for coal or oil or natural gas or shredded waste or shredded biomass firing can substantially improve their technical operation and sharply reduce their capital and operating costs by implementing component modifications and process steps that (a) minimize the adverse impacts of coal ash and slag on boiler surfaces and particulate emissions thereby also facilitating the use of oil or gas designed boilers for coal firing, (b) drastically reduce the loss of water used to transport coal in slurry form to power plants, (c) essentially eliminate the combined total nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), mercury (Hg), trace metals, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, (d) separate and permanently sequester carbon dioxide released during combustion and (e) improve the coal and solid fuel combustion efficiency.
Abstract:
A process for burning coal or other carbonaceous fuels captures sulfur and other undesirable compounds are captured and retained in non-reactive ceramic-like form after the combustion phase. The process involves addition of multiple element alkali powders and/or sorbents preferably containing oxidizing anions such as nitrates and nitrites, preferably based on calcium. In various embodiments, the remediation materials when applied in a complex powder and/or liquid containing multiple elements, result in higher sulfur capture than the materials would otherwise achieve on an individual basis. In a preferred embodiment, the sorbents contain elements that minimize or lower the melting point of the ash. This leads to lowered cohesiveness and toughness of the ash so that less ash builds up on the boiler and better heat transfer is obtained.
Abstract:
A process for mitigation of fouling deposits within a combustion zone, capturing of toxic metal emissions, and reduction of visible sulfur emissions attributable to sulfuric acid mist during coal combustion. SO3 formed during coal combustion is reduced by the addition to the coal of raw, unprocessed magnesium-containing minerals such as magnesite ore or brucite ore. The minerals are pulverized to a fine particle size and combined with pulverized coal to provide a mixture of the particles. The mixture is combusted and the ore particles calcine and decrepitate to very fine magnesium oxide particles that have a significant particle surface area. The magnesium oxide particles react with the SO3 produced during combustion of the coal and also capture toxic metals to reduce the quantity of undesirable stack discharge components.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for combusting an organic waste concentrate, which contains alkali metal compounds, under oxidative conditions for recovering the alkali metal compounds as alkali metal carbonates. According to the invention, the combustion is carried out at a temperature of at least about 850° C. The formed flue gases are cooled below a sticking temperature range of the alkali carbonates by mixing, and simultaneously water (8) is poured on the walls (9) of a cooling zone (2) at least at the sticking temperature range.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for reducing NO.sub.x emissions from the combustion of carbonaceous fuels using three stages of oxidation. In the first stage, a partial oxidation combustor is used to partially combust the fuel in the presence of heated combustion air. The fuel gas produced in the partial oxidation process is passed to a second stage partial oxidation combustor while molten slag is removed and disposed of. A second preheated combustion air is introduced into the second stage combustor to produce a reducing flue gas. A third combustion air is mixed with the flue gas in a third stage combustor to substantially complete the combustion process. Preheated steam may be added at any or all of the combustion stages. The stochiometric ratios at each stage of combustion are controlled to minimize overall NO.sub.x emissions to acceptable levels. An excess air cyclone-fired furnace modified to operate in a three-stage combustor mode by adding a preheated air system, with air introduction into the furnace at the cyclone barrel re-entrant throat location followed by overfire air introduction in the upper part of the furnace can be utilized to provide the three stages of combustion.
Abstract:
A continuous fluidized-bed combustion process for particulate carbonaceous feedstock of high ash content. The feedstock fuel is prepared from culm or mine tailings washed in a dense media and crushed to yield a fuel product having an ash content in a range of about 30 percent to about 50 percent, by weight. The feedstock fuel is mixed with fine particles of scavenging material, such as limestone or dolomite, and the resulting feedstock mixture is burned in a circulating fluidized-bed combustion chamber. A portion of the ash remaining after combustion is discharged out the bottom chamber, the remainder being carried with the combustion gases through a hot cyclone and heat exchangers for generating power. The ash within these gases is separated and recirculated through the fluidized bed, and the combustion gases are discharged.
Abstract:
Sorbent compositions containing halogen and either nitrates or nitrites are added to coal to mitigate the release of mercury and/or other harmful elements into the environment during combustion of coal containing natural levels of mercury.
Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to the field of emission control equipment for boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices (e.g., those located at power plants, processing plants, etc.) and, in particular to a new and useful method and apparatus for reducing or preventing the poisoning and/or contamination of an SCR catalyst. In another embodiment, the method and apparatus of the present invention is designed to protect the SCR catalyst. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for increasing the service life and/or catalytic activity of an SCR catalyst while simultaneously controlling various emissions.
Abstract:
Disclosed are novel engineered fuel feed stocks, feed stocks produced by the described processes, methods of making the fuel feed stocks, methods of producing energy from the fuel feed stocks. Components derived from processed MSW waste streams can be used to make such feed stocks which are substantially free of glass, metals, grit and noncombustibles and contain a sorbent. These feed stocks are useful for a variety of purposes including as gasification and combustion fuels. In addition, one or more sorbents can be added to the feed stocks in order to reduce the amount of a variety of pollutants present in traditional fuel and feed stocks, including, but not limited, sulfur and chlorine. Further, these feed stocks with added sorbent can mitigate corrosion, improve fuel conversion, extend power generating plant lifetime, reduce ash slagging, and reduced operating temperature.