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Low NOx Rotary Kiln Burner Technology
Low NOx Rotary Kiln Burner Technology
By :
Max H. VHCCARO
Sales Manager
PILLARD E.G.C.1, Marseilles, France
IEEE.
0-7803-7254-9/02/$10.00622002 265
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LOW NOx ROTARY KILN BURNER TECHNOLOGY :
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & CASE STUDY
By :
Max H. VACCARO
Sales Manager, PILLARD E.G.C.1
JNTRODUCTION
The operating principle of low NOx burners is a
stepwise combustion which delays the mixing
and input of fuel and air at appropriate stages in
order to achieve a controlled combustion
process. This results in a fuel rich flame core
and lower peak temperatures. Extensive
experience relating to low NOx burners has
In this bumer, a channel feeding pulverized coal
been made available since the early 1970s f"
by means of a constant conveying air flow was
boiler fumace engineering. The first generation of
located between two primary air channels for
low NOx burners applied to furnaces were using swirl air and axial air. The purpose of the interior
the basic principle of air staging (see figure 1).
swirl air component was to expand the
pulverized fuel flow and stabilize the flame by
generating an internal recirculation zone. In this
manner it was possible to control the flame
shape in conjunction with the constricting effect
of the exterior axial air component.
The basic principles of this burner were a low
coal injection velocity in order to reduce wear
and a low conveying air flow in order to keep
additional primary air input (necessary for
adjustment of flame shape) and thus total air
input along the burner, as low as possible.
The design principle of this multi channel burner,
which was generically called the "three channel
bumer', has played a dominant role in the
(Figure 1.) history of rotary kiln firing in the years following
its development.
Nowadays, the new generations of Iw NOx
bumers applied to heavy industrial fumaces not
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-
APPLICATION OF LOW NOX BURNER
In the meantime, Increased environmental
requirements in Europe made it necessary to
search for better solutions for reduction of NOx
emissions while maintaining or improving
thus prevent premature mixing of the fuel4
primary air mixture with hot secondary air.
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industrial cement kiln. This consortium was
known as "CEMFLAME". The first research Lastly, it was Observed that the ignition point
program was proposed to study the influence of location and temperature was of major
fuels and bumer design on NOx generation. importance in NOx generation ; the earlier the
ignition point occurs the lower the NOx
Effect of fuel type : emission level.
During the experimental campaign, fuel type
was Observed to have a strong influence on the
flame characteristics. Depending on the N IN NQx
pulverized fuel characteristics(type. fineness...), EMISSION WITH A LOW NOX BURNER
a long coal jet could be visible or ignition of the In 1996 the European Community financed a
coal close to the burner was observed. Ignition research program entitled "Ox emissions from
further downstream the furnace generally Cement Manufacture and Evaluationof Variws
resulted in higher NOx levels when compared to Possibilities for NOx reduction in the Cement
early ignition at the bumer tip. Industry". A series of tests were performed in a
cement plant, the aim of which was to
Effectof bumer design : demonstrate the potential reduction in NOx
The highest NOx emissions were obtained from emissions through the optimization of the main
a mono channel bumer design whatever the fuei kiln bumer design without affecting clinker
type. Due to high axial momentum promoting quality and production output but without
high entraining of secondary air, the flame was increasing other pollutant emissions.
igniting further downstream in the fumace, and For this purpose, a low NOx bumer was tested
at the point of ignition more air was entrained in the SARCHE cement plant in Italy :
into the flame leading to high thermal NOx
formation. SARCHE plant, a 700 tpd LEPOL grate cement
For the case of the generic three channel bumer kiln, was originally equipped with an indirect
design, the effects of tangential momentum fired mono channel type burner firing 100%
(radial air), resulted in the following : A slight petroleum coke and having a total primary air
reduction in NOx level was observed due to a input of 10.5% of the total combustion air
part of the wal flow being entrained into the requirement (stoechiometric basis).
oxygen lean condition of the flame centerline.
However, the overall entraining of the sewndary A multi channel low NOx bumer design was
air was enhanced due to an increased tangential installed to replace the mono channel bumer
momentum resulting in higher overall oxygen and was commissioned in March 1996.
concentration at the point of ignition. Both
effects were competing against each other, Commissioning phase :
therefore results in terms of NOx reduction were Due to oversizingof the low NOx bumer tip with
not optimum. regard to heat output (24 Gcalhr instead of 16
GcaVhr) a higher percentage of total primary air
Conclusions : was found when compared with the original
In view of the above observations, the influence mono channel design (17.5% versus 10.5%).
of the pulverized coal channel location in Notwithstanding the fact of higher primary air
comparison to the primary air channels (axial compared to the original mono channel bumer, a
and radial) was proven to be of extreme NOx reduction of 28% at kiln inlet was obtained
importance because of its strong effect on the while keeping low CO and SO2 levels and a
amount of coal being entrained in the local normal kiln shell temperature. However, a
oxygen lean region of the bumer. Hence, it was higher specific fuel consumption (830 KcaVkg
proven that best location for coal channel shwld clinker versus 805 KcaVkg clinker) was found,
be in the bumer center, then surrounded by both partially due to the high percentage of primary
primary air streams. air and to a change in the buming zone.
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The main goal of this experimental campaign petformance and clinker quality, this setting was
was the optimization of the bumer tip through an adopted as the final one. It is to be noted that
understanding of the effect of axial and radial during this last period, the production was
flow rates in terms of axial momentum and swirl increased to 710tpd (+15 .E%) and specific heat
number. For this purpose it was decided to -
consumption was reduced to 800 805 KcaVkg
install continuous flow measuring devices on the clinker while NOx emissions were reduced by
axial and radial air channels. After installation 35% from those by original mono channel bumer
of these flow measuringdevices, new tests were design.
performed to investigate the effect of a different
primary air distribution and a higher primary air
Row on the NOx emission level. This series of
tests confirmed the fact that the bumer tip was
oversized and justified a revision of the tip
design with smaller cross sections.
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With a few modifications to the coal milling tip by means of an additional channel
circuit it is possible to convert the firing system surrounding the burner. In this way, this
to semi direct i.e. by adding a cyclone on the 'additional secondary air does not enter the
primary air stream coming from the coal mill and nain flame which can now fire with a lower
redirecting this primary air to a multi channel primary air amount leading to reduced NOx
low NOx type burner. In this case, the primary emissions.
air to the bumer is indeed higher than with an
indirect firing, however the effect of flame
stability, and combustion staging, as CO"
demonstrated before, may effectively contribute The above paper has discussed the design
to a reduction in NOx emissions. principles of low NOx burners and shown how
NOx emissions can be reduced at the kiln inlet
This type of semi direct firing system was by the means of such bumers.
commissioned in 2001 on two long wet kilns at
LOGANSPORTplant in Indiana. The theoretical studies from 'CEMFUME'
NOx data after installation of the low NOx research group have proven that it is possible to
burners are not yet available at this plant. achieve drastic NOx emission reductions by
However kiln stability and clinker quality have burner design. Geometricalfeature of the bumer
been improved since installation of these low and mostly. the location of coal channel in
NOx burners. According to users, the clinker comparison to the primary air channels are of
reduced iron content is lower and average extreme importance.
clinker free lime have been increased. Finally,
there is no more problem with nose ash ring Additionally, actual testing in SARCHE cement
Formation since installationof the new burners. plant has demonstrated that low NOx kiln
burners can, with a good repeatability and over a
Experience gained from the LOGANSPORT long period of time, reduce the NOx emissions
project has lead to a new generation of semi at kiln inlet while maintaining clinker quality.
direct firing systems (see figure 4) which aim to heat consumption and kiln stability, and without
reduca NOx by installing a low NOx kiln burner increasing SO2 and CO emissions.
design and additionally by reducing the primary
air inside the main flame core. Still experience and research in the field of NOx
reduction from the kiln bumer standpoint is
progressing. In partnership with ITALCEMENTIa
new campaign of tests will be performed shortly
in Europe with the goal of looking at additioml
design features to furlher reduce NOx f" the
current levels obtainable today with a 'standard.
low NOx type bumer while maintaining or
improving clinker quality and production
petformance. The new burner designs are
subject to several patents :
m US patent 6293208 by :
R.GuioVL.Russo/JC.Gauthier/JC.Pillard
US patent 6315551 by :
P.Salzsieder/ G.Endres/R.Guiot
m Europeanpatent 0421903 by :
W.Collenbush
Europeanpatent 0926435 by :
JC.Pillard/JC.Gauthiar/J.Pizant
Europeanpatent 0967434 by :
P.Salzsieder/G.Endres/R.Guiot
Europeanpatent 1045203 by :
'igure4.)
R.GuiotlR.Asdiguian
In this type of semi direct firing system the
primary air going into the main flame is limited
to the amount necessary to provide the required
momentum for flame control. The primary air in
excess (called 'additional secondary ai?) , i.e.
that which is not necessary for flame control. is
evacuated inside the kiln hood before the bumer
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