Status of combustion-modification technology for utility-boiler NO/sub x/ control

Abstract

This report documents significant developments in the subject area of combustion modifications as applied to coal-fired utility boilers. The primary emphasis is on the status of NO/sub x/ control technology, but related topics, such as boiler corrosion and hazardous emissions during modified-combustion operation, are also discussed. This report is intended as a complement to the 1977 Assessment of NO/sub x/ Control Technology for Coal-Fired Utility Boilers (ANL/ECT-3, Appendix D). A synopsis of recent NO/sub x/ field-test programs undertaken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is presented along with a status report on the major boiler manufacturers' low-NO/sub x/ burner/boiler development efforts. Because of concerns that low-NO/sub x/ operating modes may increase boiler-tubewall corrosion and increase polycyclic-organic-matter (POM) and SO/sub 3/ emissions, discussions of recent test programs and analytical studies on these topics are also included.