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LABORATORY EVALUATION OF NO(SUB X) REDUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR REFINERY CO BOILERS
Citation:
Lange, H., J. Arand, M. Mansour, AND S. Hunter. LABORATORY EVALUATION OF NO(SUB X) REDUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR REFINERY CO BOILERS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-85/017.
Description:
The report describes a laboratory test program to investigate NOx emissions from refinery CO boilers. The program had three major objectives: (1) to simulate in the laboratory a full-scale refinery CO boiler, (2) to investigate the effects of operational variables on NOx formation in the boiler furnace, and (3) to evaluate combustion modification techniques to reduce the NOx emissions. The laboratory model was shown to accurately represent combustion and NOx formation processes occurring in the full-scale boiler by comparing combustion products analyses over a range of operating conditions. The most significant operating variables influencing NOx formation in the CO boiler were found to be the ammonia level in the CO-gas and the burner stoichiometry. NOx reduction methods that were tested included combustion air staging, staged admission of fuel, fuel injection in the CO-gas, redesign of the fuel injectors, and burner throat redesign. The most effective NOx reduction technique was found to be combustion air staging. NOx formation in the CO boiler was reduced to zero (NOx emission equivalent to NOx entering with CO-gas) in the laboratory while maintaining acceptable (<200 ppm) CO levels in the stack gas. While zero NOx formation will probably not be achievable in the field, substantial NOx reductions should be achievable under practical operating conditions.