Role of iron-based catalysts in reducing NO_(x) emissions from coal combustion

Nitrogen oxide(NO_(x))pollutants emitted from coal combustion are attracting growing public concern.While the traditional technologies of reducing NO_(x) were mainly focused on terminal treatment,and the research on source treatment is limited.This paper proposes a new coal combustion strategy that significantly reduces NO_(x) emissions during coal combustion.This strategy has two important advantages in reducing NO_(x) emissions.First,by introducing iron-based catalyst at the source,which will catalyze the conversion of coke nitrogen to volatile nitrogen during the pyrolysis process,thereby greatly reducing the coke nitrogen content.The second is de-NO_(x) process by a redox reaction between NO_(x) and reducing agents(coke,HCN,NH_(3),etc.)that occurred during coke combustion.Compared to direct combustion of coal,coke prepared by adding iron-based catalyst has 46.1% reduction in NO_(x) emissions.To determine the effect of iron-based additives on de-NO_(x) performance,demineralized coal(de-coal)was prepared to eliminate the effect of iron-based minerals in coal ash.The effects of iron compounds,additive dosages,and combustion temperatures on de-NO_(x) efficiency are systematically studied.The results revealed that the NO_(x) emission of the coke generated by pyrolysis of de-coal loaded with 3%(mass)Fe_(2)O_(3) decreases to 27.3% at combustion temperature of 900℃.Two main reasons for lower NO_(x) emissions were deduced:(1)During the catalytic coal pyrolysis stage,the nitrogen content in the coke decreases with the release of volatile nitrogen.(2)Part of the NO_(x) emitted during the coke combustion was converted into N_(2) for the catalytic effect of the Fe-based catalysts.It is of great practical value and scientific significance to the comprehensive treatment and the clean utilization process of coal.

The Cellular Toxicity of PM_(2.5) Emitted from Coal Combustion in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Objective To explore the relationship between different components of fine particulate matter（PM2.5） emitted from coal combustion and their cytotoxic effect in the vascular endothelial cells. Methods Coal-fired PM2.5 was sampled using a fixed-source dilution channel and flow sampler. The sample components were analyzed by ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy（ICP-AES）. The PM2.5 suspension was extracted using an ultrasonic water-bath method and then human umbilical vein endothelial cells（EA.hy926） were treated with various concentrations of the PM2.5 suspension. Cell proliferation, oxidative DNA damage, and global DNA methylation levels were used to measure the cellular toxicity of PM2.5 emitted from coal combustion. Results Compared to other types of coal-fired PM2.5 preparations, the PM2.5 suspension from Yinchuan coal had the highest cytotoxicity. PM2.5 suspension from Datong coal had the highest toxic effect while that from Yinchuan coal had the lowest. Exposure to coal-fired PM2.5 from Jingxi coal resulted in lower 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine（8-OHd G） levels. At the same dose, PM2.5 emitted from coal combustion could produce more severe DNA impairment compared to that produced by carbon black. Cell survival rate was negatively correlated with chloride and potassium ions content. The 5-methylcytosine（5-m C） level was positively correlated with Mn and negatively correlated with Zn levels. The 8-OHd G% level was positively correlated with both Mn and Fe. Conclusion PM2.5 emitted from coal combustion can decrease cell viability, increase global DNA methylation, and cause oxidative DNA damage in EA.hy926 cells. Metal components may be important factors that influence cellular toxicity.

Spontaneous coal combustion producing carbon dioxide and water

Gas products from the process of coal oxidization and spontaneous combustion have been studied at different temperatures with FTI spectroscopic tests. With temperatures rising to about 30~100 ℃, water and carbon dioxide gas were formed and from about 105~150 ℃, carbon monoxide was produced. Using the DFT B3LYP method with a 6-311G basis set, the reaction system, where spontaneous combustion between coal and oxygen occurs and produces water and monoxide, has been studied, with the geometric configuration for all stagnation points on the potential reaction energy surface optimized. With a frequency analysis and an IRC method, transient formations were tested. Our results indicate that in the reaction of coal oxidization and spontaneous com-bustion producing carbon dioxide and water, oxygen molecules attack carbon atoms of the terminal of the propyl alcohol group on the lateral chain of benzene rings, which causes this propyl alcohol group to produce the acid (-CH2-CH2-COOH) group and water. This acid group continues its break up into carbon dioxide and the (-CH2-CH3) ethyl group. We have come to the conclusion that this water-and-carbon dioxide-production reaction is spontaneous, based on the observation of the energy released by the reaction.

The Production and Release of CFCs from Coal Combustion

The destruction of the ozone layer in the atmosphere caused by industriallysynthesized CFCs has aroused greatest concerns from the international society, but the CFCs formedfrom burning of coal containing fluorine have not been recognized by the world yet. In the presentstudy, we condensed the gas through cold traps and used the GC-MS to measure the gas composition,and found that the content of CFC-12 in the smog from coal combustion was significantly higher thanthe background value of the local atmosphere. This proves that CFC- 12 is formed in the process ofcoal combustion. This paper discusses a new source of non-synthesized CFCs.

Analysis and key control technologies to prevent spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines

In order to prevent spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines in China, we have analyzed the characteristics of spontaneous coal combustion and explain theoretically the factors affecting spontaneous coal combustion, such as rock bursts, high temperatures, high ventilation resistance, slow advancing speed and large obliquity mining. Key technologies to prevent spontaneous combustion occurring in sharply inclined seams in deep mines are pro- posed; these include pouring water, stopping leakage in upper and lower comers of the working face, choking off the goaf and cov- eting the coal. CO concentrations were controlled within two years to less than 15×10^-6 at the upper comer by applying these tech- nologies at the 1410 working face of the Huafeng coal mine. Our method has significant theoretical value and is of practical impor- tance in controlling spontaneous coal combustion occurring at a fully mechanized caving face with large obliquity in deep mines.

Radiant Image Simulation of Pulverized Coal Combustion in Blast Furnace Raceway

The relationship between two-dimensional radiant image and three-dimensional radiant energy in blast furnace raceway was studied by numerical simulation of combustion process. Taking radiant image as radiant boundary for numerical simulation of combustion process, the uneven radiation parameter can be calculated. A method to examine three-dimensional temperature distribution in blast furnace raceway was put forward by radiant image processing. The numeral temperature field matching the real combustion can be obtained by proposed numeric image processing technique.

Flame radiant image numeralization for pulverized coal combustion in BF raceway

In order to establish correlativity between pulverized coal combustion in a blast furnace raceway and its radiant image, we investigated the relationships between two dimensional radiant images and three dimensional radiant energy in a blast furnace raceway, focusing on the correlativity of the numerical simulation of combustion processes with the connection of radiant images information and space temperature distribution. We calculated the uneven radiate characteristic parameterby taking radiant images as a kind of radiative boundary for numerical simulation of combustion processes, and put fonward a method to examine three-dimensional temperatures distribution in blast furnace raceway by radiant image processing. The numeral temperature fields matching the real combustion can be got by the numeric image processing technique.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds and carbonyl compounds from residential coal combustion in China

Emissions of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） and carbonyls from residential coal combustion of five coals with different maturities were studied in a simulated room.The coals were burned in form of honeycomb briquettes in a domestic coal stove,one of the most common fuel/stove combinations in China.Through a dilution system,VOCs and carbonyls samples were collected by canisters and silica-gel cartridges and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrum （GC/MS） and high performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet （HPLC/UV）,respectively.The results show that the bituminous coals with medium volatile matter content produce the highest emissions while the anthracite yields the lowest.Among the identified carbonyls from the coal smoke,the aromatic compounds （benzaldehyde,2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde and p-tolualdehyde,m/o-tolualdehyde,benzene,m,p-xylene and trimethyl-benzene） were relatively abundant,which might be due to the molecular structure of the coal.For formaldehyde,aromatic carbonyls and aliphatic alkanes,their concentrations increase up to the maximum values and then decrease with increasing coal maturity.The total carbonyls and VOCs have the same tendency,which was observed for the emission factors of organic carbon （OC）,elemental carbon （EC）,particulate matter （PM） and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） detected in the series study.

Numerical Simulation of NO_x Formation in Coal Combustion with Inlet Natural Gas Burning

A full two-fluid model of reacting gas-particle flows and coal combustion is used to simulate coal combustion with and without inlet natural gas added in the inlet. The simulation results for the case without natural gas burning is in fair agreement with the experimental results reported in references. The simulation results of different natural gas adding positions indicate that the natural gas burning can form lean oxygen combustion enviroment at the combustor inlet region and the NOx concentration is reduced. The same result can be obtained from chemical equilibrium analysis.

Mercury in coal and its emission by coal combustion in the Northeast China

This paper reports on the mercury content distribution in coals produced in the Northeast of China, and the east of Inner Mongolia, and transmission of mercury from coals into the burned products. The arithmetic average value of mercury content in coals is 0.158 mg/kg, and the mercury content shows considerable positive correlation with ashes in coals. The mercury content in fly ash is increased as the particle diameter of fly ash decrease. After combustion, 23.1—26.9 percent of mercury in coals enters fly ash,and 56.3—69.7 percent of mercury escapes into atmosphere. We estimated that the amount of mercury in raw coals produced in the Northeast of China and the east Inner Mongolia was 30.9 tons in the whole year and the amount emitted into atmosphere was 20 30 tons in 1990.

Advances in LES of Two-phase Combustion(Ⅱ) LES of Complex Gas-Particle Flows and Coal Combustion

Large-eddy simulation(LES) is under its rapid development and is recognized as a possible second generation of CFD methods used in engineering.Large-eddy simulation of two-phase flows and combustion is particularly important for engineering applications.Some investigators,including the present authors,give their review on LES of spray combustion in gas-turbine combustors and internal combustion engines.However,up to now only a few papers are related to the state-of-the-art on LES of gas-particle flows and combustion.In this paper a review of the advances in LES of complex gas-particle flows and coal combustion is presented.Different sub-grid scale(SGS) stress models and combustion models are described,some of the main results are summarized,and some research needs are discussed.

Coal combustion restrained by ultra-fine water mist in confined space

In order to apply ultra-fine water mist technology on spontaneous coal combustion in the goaf of a coal mine, we built a small scale compartment with ultra-fine water mist for restraining coal combustion in a confined space and then investigated the restraining efficiency and related factors. The study obtained the following results： a descending rate of heat release, an increase in 02, the production of CO2 decreased gradually, while the production of CO increased dramatically and quickly and then decreased; ultimately it tended to become stable after the discharge of an ultra-fine water mist. The technology showed that the ultra-fine water mist can effectively reduce the heat release rate of coal and the rate to generate components. We found that the restraining effect relied on the mist flux, the discharge time and other factors. A sufficient amount of mist has a better effect compared to an insufficient amount of mist. To combat coal combustion, the greater the discharge time, the better coal flames are extinguished.

The transformation and concentration of environmental hazardous trace elements during coal combustion

Studied the content and distribution of 18 environmental hazardous trace elementsin the lignite, fatty coal, anthracite and its burnt products by combustion simulatingexpriment in the one-dismensinal boiler.The transformations and concentration of 18 traceelements during different coal combustion were discussed.The results show that there aresome content distribution of 18 hazardous trace elements in every burnt product, but thelaw of concentration and dispersion of every trace element during different coal combustionis very different.Experiment results indicate that the transformation and concentrationof trace elements during coal combustion are related to the element contents and occur-rencesof trace elements in raw coal, but are also affected by some man-made factorssuch as the combustion method of boiler, combustion temperature and atmosphere, thetype of precipitators and so on.

Temperature dependence on reaction of CaCO_3 and SO_2 in O_2/CO_2 coal combustion

The temperature dependence on the reaction of desulfurization reagent CaCO3 and SO2 in O2/CO2 coal combustion was investigated by thcrmogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction measurement and pore structure analysis. The results show that the conversion of the reaction of CaCO3 and SO2 in air is higher at 500-1 100 ℃ and lower at 1 200 ℃ compared with that in O2/CO2 atmosphere. The conversion can be increased by increasing the concentration of SO2, which causes the inhibition of CaSO4 decomposition and shifting of the reaction equilibrium toward the products. XRD analysis of the product shows that the reaction mechanism of CaCO3 and SO2 differs with temperature in O2/CO2 atmosphere, i.e. CaCO3 directly reacts with SO2 at 500 ℃ and CaO from CaCO3 decomposition reacts with SO2 at 1 000 ℃. The pore analysis of the products indicates that the maximum specific surface area of the products accounts for the highest conversion at 1 100 ℃ in O2/CO2 atmosphere. The results reveal that the effect of the atmosphere on the conversion is temperature dependence.

Possibility of Reducing Formations of NO_x and SO_2 Simultaneously during Coal Combustion

Comparing with other NO_x and SO_2 control technologies, in-bed reducing NO_x and SO_2 simultaneously during coal combustion may lower the investment and operation cost. However, there are several possible contradictions between the reduction of NO_x and the capture of SO2 during combustion: 1) CO rich atmosphere is favorable for the reduction of NO_x, whereas O_2 rich favorable for the capture of SO_2; 2) higher preheating temperature of coal is favorable for reducing NO_x, but unfavorable for reducing SO_2; 3) sulphation of some minerals may deactivate their catalytic effect on the reduction of NO_x. The attempts to eliminate such contradictions by coating coal granules with thin layer of monometallic oxides and mixed oxides were proposed. Ni_2O_3 and Fe_2O_3 showed high activity on NOx reduction and CaO and Cr_2O_3 showed good effect on sulfur capture. The mixed metallic oxides, e.g., Fe_2O_3NiO, etc., showed effective for both NO_x reduction and SO_2 retention. It is possible to in-bed reduce NO_x and SO_2 simultaneously if the adhering materials are properly chosen to be difunctional materials of both active catalysts for NO_x reduction reactions and better sorbents for SO_2 retention.

Restraining NO_x Formation during Coal Combustion in Packed Bed

The effects of various combustion conditions (i. e. particle size of coals, oxygen concentration in combustion gas and coal content in the fuel bed, etc.), on reducing conversion of NO_x during coal combustion were studied. Under the present combustion conditions, coals with smaller particle size gave the lower conversion of NO_x, and as expected that an decrease in overall stoichiometric ratio, whether by an decrease in O_2 content in combustion gas or by an increase in coal content in fuel bed would lead to a lower conversion of NO_x. In order to investigate the effect of metallic oxide layers on restraining NO_x formation, the combustion experiments for coal granules with adhering layer of various metallic oxides including Fe_2O_3, Ni_2O_3 and mixed oxides Fe-Ni-O_x were conducted in a packed bed combustor. The combustion experiments have shown that most of adhering materials gave considerable effect on reduction of NO_x emission during coal combustion.

Monitoring of Potential carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds in the emission from coal combustion

A comprehensive summary for the study on the monitoring of potential carcinogenicpolycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the emission of coal combustion is presented in this pa-per. Some PACs in the stack gases of coal-fired boiler have been determined with a procedure whichconsists of isokinetic stack sampling, extraction, preseparation and some instrumental analysis stepssuch as gas chromatographylmass spectrometry (GC/MS), high performance liquid chromatographyfHPLC), room temperature phosphorimetry (RTP) and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS)and so on. The results indicate that the air pollution of PACs in China are related closely to thecoal combustion.

Accounting Research about Soot Emission Caused by Coal Combustion in Chongqing

As rapid development of economy and acceleration of urbanization process, air pollution problem in Chongqing was more and more prominent. By referring to statistical yearbook and investigating energy usage and economy activity levels of various industrial sectors of Chongqing, basic data （activity level, energy production and consumption situation） of various economic sectors of Chongqing during 2007 -2012 were ob- tained. Using emission coefficient method, soot emission inventory in Chongqing during 2007 -2012 was established. Meanwhile, input-output model containing environmental factor was established to study relationship between economy development and environmental protection and number relationship between economy development and pollutant emission. According to the results, countermeasures of emission reduction in Chongqing were put forward.

Experimental research on combustion fluorine retention using calcium-based sorbets during coal combustion(Ⅱ)

During the fixed bed tube furnace combustion experimental study,stimulated the calcium-based sorbent grain size and microstructured influencing factors to explain the fluorine retention effect influence law,and expounded the combustion fluorine retention agent developing principle,and probed into the high-temperature fluorine retention agent technical approach.The results show that the calcium-based sorbent particle grain size and pore structure also have the bigger influence on the combustion fluorine retention ef- fect,and reducing the calcium-based sorbent particle grain size and improving the calcium sorbent structure characteristics at very high temperature to enhance the fluorine retention effect is the important approach to the fluorine retention agent development.

Experimental research on combustion fluorine retention using calcium-based sorbets during coal combustion(Ⅰ)

In order to provide experimental guide to commercial use of fluorine pollution control during coal combustion, with fluorine pollution control during coal combustion in mind, this paper proposed the theory of combustion fluorine retention technology. Feasibility of fluorine retention reaction with calcium-based fluorine retention agent was analyzed through thermo-dynamic calculation during coal combustion. By simulating the restraining and retention effects and influential factors of calcium-based sorbets on vaporized fluoride during experimental combustion using fixed bed tube furnace, the paper systematically explored the influential law of such factors as combustion temperature, retention time, and added quantities of calcium-based sorbets on effects of fluorine retention. The research result shows that adding calcium-based fluorine retention agent in coal combustion has double effects of fluorine retention and sulfur retention, it lays an experimental foundation for commercial test of combustion fluorine retention.