Diffuse Combustion Burner Reactant Diversion for NOx Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional furnace combustion systems face challenges in efficiently managing combustion modes to reduce NOx production while maintaining heat input, as they often require reducing total reactant supply rates to switch between stable flame and diffuse combustion modes.
Innovation Solution
A controller-driven system that diverts reactants between burners to either blow off or reignite stable flames without reducing the total reactant supply rate, allowing for seamless transitions between stable flame and diffuse combustion modes, thereby maintaining heat input while reducing NOx production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If the total reactant supply rate is reduced to switch between stable flame and diffuse combustion modes, then NOx production is reduced, but heat input is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the reactant supply among multiple burners, allowing selective operation of individual burners in different combustion modes. By segmenting the total reactant flow into separate burner channels, the system can reduce NOx from specific burners while maintaining heat input from others, resolving the contradiction between NOx reduction and heat input maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between stable flame and diffuse combustion modes by dynamically adjusting reactant supply rates to individual burners based on real-time conditions. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize NOx reduction while maintaining overall heat input through flexible, real-time mode transitions without requiring reduction in total reactant supply.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reactants are diverted from one burner to another to blow off or reignite flames, then combustion mode transitions are achieved, but burner operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reactant supply system is designed to serve multiple functions: it can supply reactants to individual burners, divert reactants between burners, control stable flame modes, and enable diffuse combustion modes. This multi-functionality allows a single control system to manage complex combustion mode transitions without requiring separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby managing complexity while achieving versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control to monitor combustion conditions and automatically adjust reactant distribution. By using sensors to detect flame status and combustion mode, the system automatically diverts reactants between burners to achieve desired mode transitions, reducing the need for complex manual control and simplifying operation while maintaining adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables continuous heat supply with reduced NOx production by switching between combustion modes without interrupting the total reactant flow, effectively managing combustion temperatures and reactant distribution to optimize furnace operation.
Implementation Method 1
At a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, a diffuse combustion mode is initiated
Implementation Method 2
supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner
Data Source
AI summary
A method supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber. In a stable flame mode of operation, stable flames are projected from the burners into the furnace process chamber. At a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, a diffuse combustion mode is initiated by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.