FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A PULSE COMBUSTOR IN-FURNACE NOX

EFFECTIVE, LOW-COST AND RETROFITTABLE NOX EMISSION CONTROLS ARE NEEDED TO ALLOW THE WIDESPREAD USE OF COAL WHILE NOT ADVERSELY IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT. REBURNING, OR IN-FURNACE NOX REDUCTION (IFNR) IS A RELATIVELY ECONOMICAL AND RETROFITTABLE NOX REDUCTION TECHNIQUE. HOWEVER, THIS TECHNIQUE IS RESTRICTED IN APPLICATION BY THE LIMITED TIME WITHIN THE FURNACE FOR IFNR FUEL DISPERSION, REACTION WITH NOX AND BURNOUT. THE NOVEL PULSE COMBUSTOR IN-FURNACE NOX REDUCTION (PCIFNR) TECHNIQUE, TO BE EVALUATED DURING THIS PROGRAM, OVERCOMES THESE LIMITATIONS BY UTILIZING PULSATING FLOW TO FLASH VOLATILIZE THE COAL AND DEVELOP A REACTIVE CHAR, RAPIDLY DISPERSE AND MIX REBURNING FUEL WITH THE FURNACE GASES, ENHANCE FUEL BURNOUT AND PREVENT TUBE DEPOSITS. IN ADDITION, BECAUSE THE DEVICE IS SIMPLE AND CONVERTS COMBUSTION ENERGY DIRECTLY TO FLOW MOMENTUM, SYSTEM COSTS ARE LOW. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PHASE I PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE, BY EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL MEANS, IMPROVED NOX REDUCTION AT LOWER COSTS USING THE NOVEL PCIFNR TECHNIQUE. IN THE PHASE I EFFORT, AN EXISTING PULSE COMBUSTOR AND COAL COMBUSTION COMPUTER MODEL WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE PCIFNR SYSTEM NOX REDUCTION AND BURNOUT PERFORMANCE. THE NOX REDUCTION RESULTS WILL BE COMBINED WITH PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ANALYSES TO SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT.