MINIMIZATION OF NO EMISSIONS FROM MULTI-BURNER COAL-FIRED BOILERS; SEMIANNUAL

Coal continues to be one of the principal energy sources for electric power generation in the United States. One of the biggest environmental challenges involved with coal utilization is the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO(sub x)) formed during coal combustion. The most economical method of NO(sub x) abatement in coal combustion is through burner modification. Air-staging techniques have been widely used in the development of low-NO(sub x) pulverized coal burners, promoting the conversion of NO(sub x) to N(sub 2) by delaying the mixing in the fuel-rich zone near the burner inlet. Previous studies have looked at the mechanisms of NO(sub x) evolution at relatively low temperatures where primary pyrolysis is dominant, but data published for secondary pyrolysis in the pulverized coal furnace are scarce. In this project, the nitrogen evolution behavior during secondary coal pyrolysis will be explored. The end result will be a complete model of nitrogen evolution and NO(sub x) precursor formation due to primary and secondary pyrolysis