REBURNING FOR CONTROLLING NOX AND HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS FROM INCINERATORS AND JET ENGINE TEST CELLS

THE U.S. AIR FORCE OPERATES JET ENGINE TEST CELLS AND WASTE INCINERATORS THAT MAY EMIT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF NITROGEN OXIDES. COMBUSTION MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED TO CONTROL NO(X) EMISSIONS FROM BOILERS ARE NOT PRACTICAL FOR TEST ENGINES OR INCINERATORS BECAUSE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND RAPID FUEL-AIR MIXING ARE REQUIRED TO MAXIMIZE ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND DESTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS WASTES. MOST POST-COMBUSTION NO(X) CONTROL TECHNIQUES, HOWEVER, TEND TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND OPERATE. THE PSI TECHNOLOGY COMPANY (PSIT) HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH COMBUSTION AND POST-COMBUSTION NO(X)-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES. HEREIN, WE PROPOSE A TECHNICAL AND ECONIMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY TO ASSESS A TECHNOLOGY KNOWN AS "REBURNING", WHEREBY NO(X) IS DESTROYED BY HYDROCARBON RADICALS PRODUCED IN A SECONDARY FLAME ZONE DECOUPLED FROM THE EMISSION SOURCE. THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF REBURNING INCLUDE LOW CAPITAL INVESTMENT, 50 TO 80 PERCENT NO(X) REDUCTION, HEAT RECOVERY FROM THE PROCESS, AND DESTRUCTION OF HYDROCARBONS, SOOT, OR DIOXIN PRECURSORS ESCAPING THE PRIMARY COMBUSTION ZONE. OUR APPROACH IS TO PERFORM TWO SITE-SPECIFIC REBURNING SYSTEM DESIGNS, SUPPORTED BY LIMITED PROOF-OF-CONCEPT TESTS IN AN EXISTING PSIT COMBUSTION FACILITY IN ORDER TO DUPLICATE THE FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE, NO(X), AND O(2) CONCENTRATIONS IN THE INCINERATOR/JET ENGINE EXHAUST. THE RESULTS OF THIS ANALYSIS WOULD LEAD TO PROCESS OPTIMIZATION TESTS AND DETAILED SYSTEM DESIGNS IN PHASE II.