Effects of Tertiary Air Staged Combustion on NOx

Emission Characteristic in a Pulverized-Coal Boiler

with Swirl Burner

Tao Bai, Baomin Sun, Yonghong Guo, and Zhizhong Kang

Key Laboratory of Condition Monitoring and Control for Power Plant Equipment,
North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China
hdbaitao@126.com, gongyonghong1@163.com, sbm@ncepu.edu.cn,
zz.kang@163.com

Abstract. Air-staged combustion which moves parts of the jet of tertiary air to
the top of Primary combustion zone for reducing the generation of NOx in a
300 MW pulverized-coal boiler with Swirl Burner. The primary purpose of this
work is to investigate the effect of moving parts of the jet of tertiary air and
changing the ratio of tertiary air on the distribution of temperature, the
efficiency of combustion and the emission of NOx. When the ratio of upper
tertiary air is increasing, the concentration of NOx is decreasing, but the carbon
content in fly ash is increasing and it will affect the efficiency of combustion.
Comprehensive comparison of all projects, when the ratio of upper tertiary air is
70%, the carbon content in fly ash is 3.31% and the emission concentration of
NOx in the export of air preheater can decrease to 767mg/Nm3.

Keywords: air-staged combustion, tertiary air, pulverized-coal boiler.

1 Introduction

Coal-fired power plant is the major emission sources of atmospheric pollutant for
example the dust, SO2 and NOx in China. Dust and SO2 are controlled basically along
with the governance of atmospheric pollutants, but the governance of the NOx is still
in the initial stage. It will not be changed that coal is a main energy source at the
present stage. The consumption of coal will increase continuously, it is estimated that
by the year 2010 coal production will reach above 2.9 billion tons or more. With the
development of economy and the increasing demand for electricity, the thermal power
generation capacity reached 601 gig watts and will reach 1200 gig watts in 2020.
According to the current level of emissions, the emission of NOx will reach 10.38
million tons in 2010 and will reach 14.52 million tons in 2020[1].
With the growing emissions of NOx, China will make greater efforts to control
NOx emissions. It is hoped that more practical and more economical technique which
can reduce the emission of NOx will be selected [2]. Because of the high cost and the
operation cost, fuel gas deNOx control technologies are not practical adopted widely.
Low NOx combustion technologies are more practical for its low cost, low operation

W. Hu (Ed.): Advances in Electric and Electronics, LNEE 155, pp. 255–263.

springerlink.com © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
256 T. Bai et al.

cost and better effect of low NOx. Low NOx combustion technologies conclude low
NOx burner, air staged combustion technology and fuel staged combustion
technology. These technologies mainly adopt combustion adjustment to low NOx in
the process of combustion. Using air staged combustion technology to low the NOx
emission of 300 MW pulverized-coal boiler with Swirl Burner, it is hoped that smaller
transformation can get a better effect of lowing NOx emission. It renders an important
reference to popularize this technique to the same kind of boiler.

2 NOx Formation Mechanisms

2.1 NOx Formation Mechanisms

NOx can be formed in the processes of combustion, which are classified as: thermal
NOx, prompt NOx and fuel NOx. Thermal NOx is formed from oxidation of
atmospheric nitrogen at relatively high temperature in fuel-lean environments [3].
Prompt NOx is formed by the reaction of atmospheric nitrogen with hydrocarbon
radicals in fuel-rich regions of flames, which is subsequently oxidized to form NOx
[4]. Fuel NOx is formed when nitrogen bound in the coal, both in the volatile matter
and in the char, combines with excess oxygen of the combustion air [5].
The formation of thermal NOx is modeled by the extended Zeldovich mechanism
as follows. It has strong temperature dependence and the temperature is in direct
proportion to the formation of thermal NOx. When the temperature of some regions is
above 1800K, the formation of NOx will increase by exponential. In the practical
combustion process, it will appear some regions with high temperature; it will make
the formation of NOx increase, so avoiding the high temperature region which above
1800K can inhibit the formation of NOx abundantly.
N 2 +O → N+NO (1)

N +O 2 → O+NO (2)

N+OH → O+NO (3)

The formation of prompt NOx is in the condition that the excessive air coefficient is
less than 1. In the process of combustion, the hydrocarbons radicals collide with N2
generate the compounds of CH and then it is oxidized to NOx. Prompt NOx is only
significant in fuel-rich systems, and is a small portion of the whole NOx formation in
the process of combustion.
Fuel NOx is formed by the oxidation of nitrogen bound in the coal in oxygen-rich
regions. The nitrogen of coal is partially released in the volatiles and partially retained
in the char. In the volatile matter the nitrogen containing intermediate species is
widely accepted as HCN and NH3. In fuel-lean regions HCN and NH3 react to O2
form NOx and in fuel-rich regions HCN and NH3 react to O2 form N2. In addition, in
the process of char combustion the nitrogen containing in the char is oxidized to NOx,
in the meantime, part of NOx will react to C which is on the surface of char form N2.
The main objective of lowing fuel NOx is to reduce the contact between nitrogen
from the fuel and oxygen in the combustion air [6], the main reaction mechanism as
follow.
 Effects of Tertiary Air Staged Combustion on NOx Emission Characteristic 257

HCN/NH 3 +O 2 → NO+ " (4)

HCN/NH3 +NO → N 2 +" (5)

N Char +O 2 → NO (6)

Char+NO → N 2 + " (7)

2.2 Air Staged Combustion Technology

In the three types of NOx, thermal NOx is 15%~20% percent of the total NOx
emissions; prompt NOx is 5% percent; fuel NOx is 75%~80% percent, so in the
practical process of combustion, thermal NOx and fuel NOx are considered mainly.
Base on NOx formation mechanisms, the main objective of reducing the formation
of NOx is to minimize the temperature of reaction regions and the contact between
nitrogen in the fuel and oxygen from the combustion air. Air staged combustion
technology is the concrete applications base on this theory. Air staged combustion
technology divide the process of combustion into two stages.
First stage is to reduce the air quantity and put the residual air on the primary
combustion zone as replenish-ment. When the excessive air coefficient is less than 1,
the coal will be imperfect combustion in fuel-rich regions, it will reduce the velocity
of combustion and the tempera-ture in primary combustion zone, the formation of
thermal NOx will decrease. In addition, imperfect combustion will produce reducing
ambient to decrease the rate of formation of fuel NOx.
Second stage is to put the additional air into the region which is above primary
combustion zone for complete combustion. Combining the coal of incomplete
combus-tion with the additional air the remaining coal will burn out completely in the
condition of the excessive air coefficient is greater than 1. Because of low temperature
and higher air volume, it reduces the temperature of the primary combustion zone and
contains the formation of NOx.
Adopting air staged combustion technology, the smaller the excessive air
coefficient is, the better the effect of inhibiting NOx formation, but it will make more
product of incomplete combustion, reduce the efficiency of combustion and slagging
in the furnaces. It should organize the air staged combustion correctly for reducing the
emission of NOx and making sure of the economy and reliability of combustion.

3 Study Object and Reconstruction

3.1 Study Object

The pulverized-coal boiler with Swirl Burner in this study is a 300 MW, natural
circulation, single furnace balanced ventilation and dry-bottom unit. The cross
sectional dimensions of boiler are 13350mm×12300mm, as shown in Fig.1. The type
of burners is EI-DRB. Twenty-four burners with different swirl direction are arranged
on the front and the back of the wall, and are opposite each other in four levels. There
are four steel ball coal mills in coal pulverizing system, pulverized-coal system with
inter -mediate storage bunker. Sixteen jets of tertiary air are arranged on the wall and
258 T. Bai et al.

are opposite each other in two levels and arranged symmetrically between the
adjacent burners. There are eight jets of NOx located on the wall and above the
primary combustion zone as shown in Fig.2(a).

Fig. 1. The structure of furnace

3.2 Reconstruction

By moving parts of jets of tertiary air to the top of the primary combustion zone, it
will make oxygen-lean in the primary combustion zone, parts of pulverized coal is
incomplete combustion, it will enhance reducing atmos-phere and inhibit the
formation of NOx. In addition, it is good for the pulverized coal fired by removing
parts of jets of tertiary air which next to the burner, because the temperature of tertiary
air is low. The remaining air is put into the top of primary combustion zone; it can
ensure the remaining coal burnout. The temperature of remaining air is low; the
remaining coal burnout in the region of low temperature the NOx emission can not
produce more and the total NOx emission will reduce.

OFA reconstructive location

of tertiary

Top burner

Top tertiary air original location of tertiary

Mid burner
Lower tertiary air

Lower burner

(a) Former reconstruction (b) After reconstruction

Fig. 2. Former and after reconstruction of half Primary combustion zone

Though low NOx combustion burners were installed in the furnace and adopting
low NOx combustion technologies, the emission of NOx still increase for the bad
properties of the coal. When the boiler was designed, air staged combustion had been
 Effects of Tertiary Air Staged Combustion on NOx Emission Characteristic 259

taken into account and the positions of over fire air can make sure that the unburned
pulverized-coal continue to burnout. If the parts of jets of tertiary air move to the top
of the over fire air, it will extend the time of the pulverized-coal burnout, carbon
content in fly ash will increase and the efficiency of combustion will decrease. If the
parts of jets of tertiary air move to the position between the top of primary
combustion zone and the section of over fire air, it will get the same result as above.
In order to reduce the adverse effects made by tertiary air, the parts of jets of tertiary
air will be located between the top of primary combustion zone and the section of
over fire air in two levels, after reconstruction of half Primary combustion zone is
shown in Figure.2(b).

4 Measurements
Using flue gas analyzer to measure the concentration of NOx in the air preheater and
adopting grid method to arrange sixteen sampling points, data gathered on-line, four
sampling points were arranged in the inlet of the air preheater, twelve sampling points
were arranged in the outlet.
In the inlet and outlet of the air preheater, twelve sampling points were arranged
separately for measure temperature.
In the peephole of the furnace, the temperature of furnace was measured by
pyrophotometer.

5 Results and Discussion

5.1 Influence of Coal Mill

The boiler which uses pulverized-coal system with intermediate storage bunker put
exhaust air with parts of fine breeze as tertiary air into the boiler for improving the
efficiency of economical. The characteristic of tertiary air is low temperature, fine
coal and high speed of wind. It will cause some adverse effects, for example
decreasing the temperature of flame, combustion instability, et al, but there are some
advantages can be used, for example smaller particles of pulverized-coal, easy-to-fire
and rapid combustion, et al. In the characteristics of ignition, Primary air is better than
tertiary air. It will play a key role to inhibit the formation of NOx for tertiary air.
Studying on the influence of combustion and NOx formation at the operation with
mill and non-mill was performed with the rated load in the furnace. Tertiary air take
part in the combustion with mill. By adjustment air staged combustion can be still
used to reduce the formation of NOx with non-mill.
Fig.3 shows the temperature distribution along the height of furnace with mill and
non-mill. It is not much difference at the temperature distribution; the highest
temperature is nearby the section of OFA. The temperature is higher with the
operation of mill than with the operation of non-mill in the section between mid
burner and OFA. It is the reason that the temperature of tertiary air is low (about
90℃), when the tertiary air is mixed with fuel gas, it will reduce the tempera -true of
the furnace. In addition, the jets of tertiary air are arranged nearby mid burner, it will
260 T. Bai et al.

55
mill
non-mill
50

45

40

35

Height/m
30
OFA
25 upper burner

20 mid burner
lower burner
15

10
800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500
o
temperature/ C

Fig. 3. Temperature distribution along the height of furnace

reduce the temperature of the section from the top of mid burner to the exit of furnace
and the difference of temperature in the section of OFA is 62.25℃ between mill and
non-mill.
Fig.4 shows the influence to carbon content in fly ash and slag with and without
mill. Carbon content in fly ash and slag is higher and the efficiency of combustion is
lower with mill than without mill. The main reason is that when low temperature of
tertiary air mix with flue gas in primary combustion zone, it will reduce the
temperature of primary combustion zone and the speed of combustion, the
characteristics of pulverized coal combustion is worse. In this case Slag and carbon
content in fly ash will increase. Because the nitrogen from volatile oxidize to NOx is
the integral part of fuel NOx and the fuel NOx is 75%~80% percent in total of NOx,
the content of nitrogen in volatile will decide the total of the formation of NOx.
Tertiary air is put into the furnace with mill, there is not tertiary air put into the
furnace without mill. Though the presence of tertiary air will reduce the temperature
of the primary combustion zone, it won’t influence the volatile separate out from
pulverized -coal and the particle size in the fine powder is small than pulverized-coal,
the fine powder will release volatile faster than pulverized-coal, the formation of NOx
will be more with mill than without mill. Carbon content in fly ash and slag are
reduced obviously, carbon content in slag is decreased by 46.4% and carbon content
in fly ash is decreased by 17.2%. It indicates that the situation of combustion is better
without mill than with mill and the thermal efficiency of furnace is above guarantee
value which is 91.75%, Tertiary air impact the combustion of lower burner greater.
The concentration of NOx is decreased from 1074mg/Nm3 with mill to 1047mg /Nm3
without mill.
It can conclude that the efficiency of combustion and the reduction of NOx
formation without mill are better than with mill, but the concentration of NOx can’t
decrease the guarantee value which is 800mg/Nm3 . It can reduce the formation of
NOx with increasing the volume of over fire air, but it could enhance the reducing
atmosphere in primary combustion zone, the region nearby the water wall can be
prone to high temperature corrosion, Carbon content in fly ash and slag increase, the
efficiency of combustion will be worse than before. It must improve air-staged
combustion technology and select a new way which is operated and adjusted easily,
little influence to the furnace. But there are some advantages of tertiary air can be
 Effects of Tertiary Air Staged Combustion on NOx Emission Characteristic 261

14 6.4

6.2

carbon content in fly ash /%

carbon content in slag/%

12 6.0

5.8

10
5.6

5.4
8
5.2

) 5.0

6%O2
6

mill non-mill mill non-mill

92.2 (1075
thermal efficiency of boiler/%

3
concentration of NOx/mg/Nm
1070
92.0
1065

91.8 1060

1055
91.6

1050

91.4
1045

mill non-mill mill non-mill

Fig. 4. Comparisons of results with and without mill

used, for example smaller particles of pulverized-coal, easy-to-fire and rapid

combustion, et al. In addition, it is easy to reconstruct the position of tertiary air and
adjust the volume of tertiary air to realize air staged combustion.
Moving parts of jets of tertiary air can enhance the reducing atmosphere in primary
combustion zone to inhibit the formation of NOx; furthermore, moving parts of
tertiary air which is low temperature is good for the combustion of pulverized coal.
The position which parts of the tertiary air move to is between the section of OFA and
above the primary combustion zone. It can put the remnant air into the furnace in two
levels and make sure the residual pulverized-coal burnout.

5.2 Influence of Tertiary Air

Fig.5 shows the temperature distribution at different proportion of upper tertiary air.
With the proportion of upper tertiary air increase, the distribution of temperature
volume of furnace is lower than before. Increasing the volume of upper tertiary air

45
80%
70%
40
60%
35

30
Height/m

OFA

25 upper burner

mid burner
20

lower burner
15

10
1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300 1350 1400
o
Temperature/ C

Fig. 5. Temperature distribution at different Proportion of upper tertiary air

262 T. Bai et al.

and decreasing the volume of oxygen can make the pulverized coal burn at oxygen-
lean, the rate of combustion is lower and the temperature is reduced. In the section of
the tertiary air present, the temperature is highest as the proportion of upper tertiary
air is 60% and the temperature is lowest as the proportion of upper tertiary air is 80%.
The difference is 65℃ between the lowest temperature and the highest tempera-ture.
The distribution of temperature in the furnace is decreased as the volume of upper
tertiary air increase.
Fig.6 shows the variety of carbon content in fly ash and slag, the thermal efficiency
of boiler and the concentration of NOx with different proportion of upper tertiary air.
With increasing the proportion of upper tertiary air, the concentration of oxygen is
decreased; it will generate a lot of CO which can form reducing ambient and inhibit
the formation of NOx, so the concentration of NOx is decreased with increasing the
proportion of upper tertiary air. In addition, decreasing the concentration of oxygen
can increase the carbon content in fly ash and reduce the efficiency of combustion,
but it can’t influence the carbon content in slag indicate that there is no effect on
the carbon content in slag as increasing the proportion of upper tertiary air. When the
proportion of upper tertiary air is 70%, the carbon content in fly ash is 3.31%,
the concentration of NOx at the exit of air preheater is 767mg/Nm3 which is blow the
guarantee value (800mg/Nm3) and the thermal efficiency of boiler is 92.36% which is
above the guarantee value (91.75%). The proportion of upper tertiary air is 70%
which is the best operating mode.

6
3
Concentration of NOx/mg/Nm

860
carbon contant in fly ash/%

840
5

820

4 800

780

3
760

740
2
60 70 80 60 70 80
93.0 proportion of upper tertiary air/% proportion of upper tertiary air/%
Thermal efficiency of boiler/%

carbon contant in slag/%

8.6

92.5
8.5

8.4
92.0

8.3

91.5
8.2

91.0 8.1
60 70 80 60 70 80
proportion of upper tertiary air/% proportion of upper tertiary air/%

Fig. 6. Comparisons of results with different proportion of upper tertiary air

6 Conclusions
The concentration of NOx is decreased from 1074 mg/Nm3 with mill to
1047mg/Nm3 without mill, but the concentration of NOx can’t decrease the
guarantee value which is 800mg/Nm3 .The position which parts of the tertiary air
move to is between the section of OFA and above the primary combustion zone, by
adjusting the volume of upper tertiary air can reduce the formation of NOx. When the
 Effects of Tertiary Air Staged Combustion on NOx Emission Characteristic 263

proportion of upper tertiary air is 70%, the carbon content in fly ash is 3.31%, the
concentration of NOx at the exit of air preheater is 767mg/Nm3 and the thermal
efficiency of boiler is 92.36%. The proportion of upper tertiary air is 70% which is the
best operating mode.

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