Control of combustion-generated nitrogen oxide emissions: Technology driven by regulation

Shale Gas Nanofluid in the Curved Carbon Nanotube: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Curved nanochannels are prevalent in porous and tortuous materials, with shale matrices being a noteworthy example. The tortuosity of shale matrices significantly influences the behavior of shale gas, holding crucial implications for gas recovery engineering. In this study, we employ molecular dynamics simulation (MD) to investigate the impact of curvature and radius in tortuous nanochannel formed by a curved single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) on the adsorption and transport properties of methane gas fluid. Our findings reveal that the inner half surface of the SWCNT, characterized by negative curvature, exhibits enhanced methane adsorption. Methane in straighter and narrower channels displays higher flow velocities, while wider channels exhibit higher flow flux. The nonzero flow velocity alters adsorption strength, causing the outer half to surpass the inner half. Tangent and vertical velocities of the flow are heterogeneously distributed in the channel, with the outer half having higher tangent velocities. Additionally, a vertical velocity pulse near the entrance induces turbulent vortex flow, slowing down the tangent flow velocity. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of shale gas properties in matrices with bent and curved channels, offering insights into nanofluids in carbon nanotubes and porous media featuring curved nanochannels.

Flame Characterization of Cofiring Gaseous and Solid Fuels in Suspensions

This work characterizes technical scale flames of suspension firing of gaseous and solid fuel mixtures through in-flame measurements with focus on nitrogen oxide (NOx) formation. The aims are to investigate the impacts of substituting a solid fuel with a gaseous fuel on the important mechanisms for NOx formation and to highlight important considerations for burner design. The investigation was performed in a 100 kW test unit that fires mixtures of propane and lignite. The global emissions levels and in-flame compositions were measured. A detailed reaction model was used to interpret the experimental results. The study highlights the importance of the early release of volatile nitrogen to reduce the levels of NOx. The findings indicate that substituting lignite by propane is advantageous in terms of reducing NO emissions, primarily due to the diminished input of fuel-bound nitrogen to the flame. However, this holds true only if the flame temperature of the gaseous fuel does not increase excessively. Finally, introducing a relatively small quantity of solid fuel to a propane flame appears to alter the flame behavior to resembles that of the "solid fuel," with a longer and wider flame. Despite this, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide concentrations remain like gas combustion but more dispersed.

Effects of π-π Stacking on Shale Gas Adsorption and Transport in Nanopores

The π-π interaction is a prevalent driving force in the formation of various organic porous media, including the shale matrix. The configuration of π-π stacking in the shale matrix significantly influences the properties of shale gas and plays a crucial role in understanding and exploiting gas resources. In this research, we investigate the impact of different π-π stacking configurations on the adsorption and transport of shale gas within the nanopores of the shale matrix. To achieve this, we construct kerogen nanopores using π-π stacked columns with varying stacking configurations, such as offset/parallel stacking types and different orientations of the stacked columns. Through molecular dynamics simulations, we examined the adsorption and transport of methane within these nanopores. Our findings reveal that methane exhibits stronger adsorption in smoother nanopores, with this adsorption remaining unaffected by the nanoflow. We observe a heterogeneous distribution of the 2D adsorption free energy, which correlates with the specific π-π stacking configurations. Additionally, we introduce the concept of "directional roughness" to describe the surface characteristics, finding that the nanoflow flux increases as the roughness decreases. This research contributes to the understanding of shale gas behavior in the shale matrix and provides insights into nanoflow properties in other porous materials containing π-π stackings.

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) and Beat Frequency-QEPAS techniques for air pollutants detection: A comparison in terms of sensitivity and acquisition time

In this work, a comparison between Quartz Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS) and Beat Frequency-QEPAS (BF-QEPAS) techniques for environmental monitoring of pollutants is reported. A spectrophone composed of a T-shaped Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) coupled with resonator tubes was employed as a detection module. An interband cascade laser has been used as an exciting source, allowing the targeting of two NO absorption features, located at 1900.07 cm^-1 and 1900.52 cm^-1, and a water vapor absorption feature, located at 1901.76 cm^-1. Minimum detection limits of 90 ppb and 180 ppb were achieved with QEPAS and BF-QEPAS techniques, respectively, for NO detection. The capability to detect multiple components in the same gas mixture using BF-QEPAS was also demonstrated.

Nonlinear modeling of industrial boiler NOx emissions

Pollutant emissions into the atmosphere are recognized as a significant problem in fossil fuel combustion. The pollution emission measurement in industrial boilers is difficult and expensive but fundamental for monitoring and controlling. Frequently continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) system is out of service or useless due to obsolescence, high maintenance cost, and so on or simply is not installed. When a system for measuring pollutant emissions is not available, an alternative method must be employed to get the pollutant emission value. According to the black-box model approach, this article describes the nonlinear modeling of NOx emissions from a utility boiler. Bayesian-Gaussian (BG), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and Volterra polynomial basis functions (VPBF) neural networks are developed for model benchmarking. Experimental data from a utility boiler was acquired in order to model definition and evaluation. The models process three boiler variables oxygen excess, fuel mass flow and flue gas recirculation gates for NOx emission estimation. Models with BG show better performance than models with MLP and VPBF for NOx prediction.Implications: The technology to control NOx emissions generated by combustion operates under strict regulations. In order to reduce NOx emissions, theoretical models of NOx generation have been studied extensively, including nitrogen chemistry and the dynamic flow of gas particles which is very complex. The new technology trends would require the continuous measurement of high precision NOx emissions to achieve further reductions in NOx emissions. Currently, NOx emissions are measured by a Continuous Emission Monitoring system, which turns out to be extremely expensive and difficult to maintain, so alternative low-cost solutions are desirable. Our contribution shows how algorithms based on different artificial intelligence techniques are viable and quality alternatives for the measurement of continuous NOx emissions. The NOx emissions models based on IA algorithms are viable alternatives that have versatility and self-tuning capacity due to the fact that they are based on boiler operation parameters which have valuable information few explored nowadays.

Empirical NOx Removal Analysis of Photocatalytic Construction Materials at Real-Scale

The NOx removal performance of photocatalytic construction materials is demonstrated using two experiments under indoor and outdoor environments: (1) A photoreactor test was conducted to assess the NO removal performance of construction materials (e.g., coatings, paints and shotcrete) using a modified ISO 22197-1 method; (2) A water washing test was conducted using two specimens enlarged to the size of actual building materials and artificially exposed to NOx in a laboratory to analyze NOx removal performance. For (1), the UV irradiation of the outdoor environment was analyzed and the experiment was conducted in an indoor laboratory under UV irradiation identical to that of the outdoor condition. Photoreactor tests were conducted on construction materials applied to actual buildings located in Seoul, South Korea. In (2), the enlarged specimen was used for a field experiment by applying a modified method from the ISO 22197-1 standard. On sunny days, the NOx removal performance (3.12-4.76 μmol/150 cm²·5 h) was twice as much as that of the ISO 22197-1 standard specification (2.03 μmol/150 cm²·5 h) in the real-world. The washing water test results indicated that general aqueous paint achieved a NOx removal of 3.88 μmol, whereas photocatalytic paint was superior to 14.13 μmol.

Sediment from lake with missing egg bank is toxic to hatchlings of model zooplankton: A reason to consider obligate dormancy in toxicological assessment

Over the last 60 years, valuable progress was made in the standardization of environmental monitoring with model zooplankton. However, obligate dormancy in zooplankton life cycles is not yet considered in standardized toxicology methods. Most zooplankton from coastal and inland waters use dormancy as a critical ecological strategy, and exposure to toxicants during dormancy or resurrection from dormancy alters developmental patterning and hatching success. The present study accounts for this by using both standardized and novel toxicology assays to assess the impacts of coal ash contaminated sediments and water on development, hatching, and survivorship of model zooplankton. The results demonstrate that standardized assays with rotifer and cladoceran models detect no toxicity in surface water and sediment pore water from Lake Sutton, North Carolina, USA. By contrast, novel toxicity assays with cladoceran and anostracan models demonstrate that development and larval survivorship are negatively impacted by Lake Sutton water and sediment. Embryos of Artemia franciscana display developmental patterning and hatching aberrations that match those observed in previous studies with metals when hatched in filtered surface water or pore water after a period of anoxia-induced dormancy. Larval survivorship in Daphnia magna and A. franciscana also decreases when post-diapause embryos are hatched in the presence of sediment. The effects of whole sediment on larval survivorship are not explained by coal ash impacts on water pH. These data provide an explanation for the missing egg bank and historic community restructure in Lake Sutton. The data also demonstrate a need for standardized assays that include dormant life stages.

The sap flow-based assessment of atmospheric trace gas uptake by three forest types in subtropical China on different timescales

Assessing the uptake of trace gases by forests contributes to understanding the mechanisms of gas exchange between vegetation and the atmosphere and to evaluating the potential risk of these pollutant gases to forests. In this study, the multi-timescale characteristics of the stomatal uptake of NO, NO₂, SO₂ and O₃ by Schima superba, Eucalyptus citriodora and Acacia auriculiformis were investigated by continuous sap flow measurements for a 3-year period. The peak canopy stomatal conductance (G_C) for these three species appeared between 9:00 and 12:00, which was jointly regulated by the vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Additionally, annual and seasonal variations in the stomatal uptake of trace gases for these three tree species suggested that there was a combination effect between canopy stomatal conductance and ambient concentration on the uptake of trace gases. Furthermore, the result demonstrated that the trace gas absorption capacities among these three forest types followed the order of S. superba > E. citriodora > A. auriculiformis. The findings of this study have theoretical significance and application value in assessing air purification and the risk of harm to forests in Southern China.

Full-Dimensional Theory of Pair-Correlated HNCO Photofragmentation

Full-dimensional semiclassical dynamical calculations combining classical paths and Bohr quantization of product internal motions are reported for the prototype photofragmentation of isocyanic acid in the S₁ state. These calculations allow one to closely reproduce for the first time key features of state-of-the-art imaging measurements at photolysis wavelengths of 201 and 210 nm while providing insight into the underlying dissociation mechanism. Quantum scattering calculations being beyond reach for most polyatomic fissions, pair-correlated data on these processes are much more often measured than predicted. Our theoretical approach can be used to fill this gap.

The effect of functional forms of nitrogen on fuel-NOx emissions

This work explores the effects of different nitrogen functional forms on fuel-NOx emissions at 900 °C. The majority of tests are performed with an excess air coefficient of 1.4. Fuel-NOx is detected by measuring N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (C₁₂H₁₆Cl₂N₂) via spectrophotometry. The different functional forms of nitrogen in the raw materials are identified by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A reliable density functional theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level is employed to investigate the reaction pathways of all functional forms of nitrogen during combustion. The results indicate that the functional forms of nitrogen influence the formation of nitrogen oxides. While under the same experimental conditions, fuel-NOx emissions increase by using less activation energy and nitrogen-containing groups with poor thermal stability. It is determined that fuel-NOx emissions vary in the following order: glycine > pyrrole > pyridine > methylenedi-p-phenylene diisocyanate (MDI). Glycine is the chain structure of amino acids in waste-leather and has low activation energy and poor thermal stability. With these properties, it is noted that glycine produces the most fuel-NOx in all of the raw materials studied. More pyrrole than pyridine in coal lead to high yields of fuel-NOx. The lowest yields of fuel-NO x are obtained using polyurethanes in waste-PU.

Assessment of nitrous oxide emission from cement plants: real data measured with both Fourier transform infrared and nondispersive infrared techniques

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the third most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane, and contributes about 6% to the greenhouse effect. Nitrous oxide is a minor component of the atmosphere, and it is a thousand times less than carbon dioxide (CO2). Nevertheless, it is much more potent than CO2 and methane, owing to its long stay in the atmosphere of approximately 120 yr and the high global warmingpotential (GWP) of298 times that of CO2. Although greenhouse gases are natural in the atmosphere, human activities have changed the atmospheric concentrations. Most of the values of emission of nitrous oxide are still obtained by means ofemission factors and not actually measured; the lack ofreal data may result in an underestimation ofcurrent emissions. The emission factors used for the calculation of N2O can be obtained from the "Guidelines for the implementation of the national inventory of emissions" of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which refer to all nations for the realization of their inventory. This study will present real data, measured in several Italian cement plants with different characteristics. The work also shows a comparison between N2O concentration measured with in situ-Fourier transform IR (FTIR) and the reference method EN ISO 21258 based on nondispersive IR (NDIR), in order to investigate the interfering compounds in the measurement with NDIR.

Waste to energy operability enhancement under waste uncertainty via oxygen enrichment

Waste to energy (WTE) performance is evaluated by maximization of electrical energy production and throughput, while maintaining low operational costs and complying with emission limits. Uncertainty in the quantities, composition and heating values of received wastes, pose severe operability problems and impair performance and emissions. The present work demonstrates and quantifies the possibility of improving WTE efficiency under feedstock uncertainty via oxygen enrichment of the combustion air. Acting essentially as a nitrogen depletion mechanism, oxygen enrichment has reverse effects compared to excess air (EA); synergistic use provides extended capabilities for performance improvement, without impairing final emissions, while satisfying capacity constraints. Increased oxygen enrichment is required at higher EA to maintain temperature. Lower charging rates of rich wastes (plastics, paper, etc.) or diminishing heating values, require higher oxygen enrichment or lower EA. The opposite holds for lower charging rates of poor wastes (biodegradables, biosludge, inerts, etc.) or rising heating values. The results establish the possibility of nominal designs to respond to feedstock variations and may be useful for low range excess air operation (low cost) or adiabatic operation (high EA, combustor temperature controlled by large fluegas volumes). The vector formulation facilitates digital coding for applications featuring multiple waste mixture variability. A 700000 tpa WTE facility in Athens, now under public-private-partnership contract tender is investigated.

Advanced Laser Imaging Diagnostics in Combustion

Laser-based imaging diagnostics allow the quantitative determination of scalar fields (concentrations, temperature) in combustion environments. Beyond instantaneous two-dimensional distributions, multi-dimensional imaging can provide simultaneous information about concentration of more than one species and temperature, about three-dimensional concentration and temperature distributions as well as the temporal evolution of reactions, flows and evaporation processes. Various examples in combustion environments are presented.

Control of combustion-generated nitrogen oxides by selective non-catalytic reduction

Controlling nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) emissions is becoming a daunting technical challenge as increasingly strict emission limits are being imposed. The stringent regulations have prompted the innovation and characterization of NO(x) control technologies suitable for various applications. This paper presents a review on NO(x) removal techniques with particular reference to selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) technology. This includes initially how SNCR emerged as a technology along with a comparison with other relevant technologies. A review of various features related to selective non-catalytic gas phase injection of ammonia and ammonium salts (as reducing agent) is presented. The use of urea solution as a reducing agent and its performance in laboratory and pilot scale tests as well as large-scale applications is also discussed. Use of cyanuric acid as a potential reducing agent is also presented. The underlying reaction mechanisms have been reviewed for ammonia, urea and cyanuric acid for the explanation of various observations. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling as applied to SNCR is also presented. Subsequently the use of SNCR coupled with other in-combustion and post-combustion NO(x) control techniques is elaborated. Additionally, a two-stage NO(x) removal strategy to control un-reacted ammonia slip and to improve overall efficiency is discussed. At the end a summary is given which highlights various areas needing further research.

The benefits of flue gas recirculation in waste incineration

Flue gas recirculation in the incinerator combustion chamber is an operative technique that offers substantial benefits in managing waste incineration. The advantages that can be obtained are both economic and environmental and are determined by the low flow rate of fumes actually emitted if compared to the flue gas released when recirculation is not conducted. Simulations of two incineration processes, with and without flue gas recirculation, have been carried out by using a commercial flowsheeting simulator. The results of the simulations demonstrate that, from an economic point of view, the proposed technique permits a greater level of energy recovery (up to +3%) and, at the same time, lower investment costs as far as the equipment and machinery constituting the air pollution control section of the plant are concerned. At equal treatment system efficiencies, the environmental benefits stem from the decrease in the emission of atmospheric pollutants. Throughout the paper reference is made to the EC legislation in the field of environmental protection, thus ensuring the general validity in the EU of the foundations laid and conclusions drawn henceforth. A numerical example concerning mercury emission quantifies the reported considerations and illustrates that flue gas recirculation reduces emission of this pollutant by 50%.

Theoretical mechanistic study on the radical-radical reaction of ketenyl with nitrogen dioxide

The radical-radical reaction between the ketenyl radical (HCCO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) played a very important role in atmospheric and combustion chemistry. Motivated by recent laboratory characterization about the reaction kinetics of ketenyl radical with nitrogen dioxide, in this contribution, we applied the coupled cluster and density functional theory to explore the mechanism of the title reaction. These calculations indicate that the title reaction proceeds mostly through singlet pathways, less go through triplet pathways. It is found that the HCCO + NO(2) reaction initially favors formation of adduct OCCHNO(2) (1) with no barrier. Subsequently, starting from isomer 1, the most feasible pathway is ring closure of 1 to isomer O-cCCHN(O)O (2) followed by CO(2) extrusion to product HCNO + CO(2) (P(1)), which is the major product with predominant yields. Much less competitively, 1 can take the successive 1,3-H- and 1,3-OH-shift interconversion to isomer OCCNOHO (3(a), 3(b), 3(c)) and then to isomer OCOHCNO (4(a), 4(b)), which can finally take a concerted H-shift and C-C bond fission to give HCNO + CO(2) (P(1)). The least competitive pathway is the ring-closure of isomer 3(a) to form isomer O-cCCN(OH)O (5(a), 5(b)) followed by dissociation to HONC + CO(2) (P(2)) through the direct side CO(2) elimination. Because the intermediates and transition states involved in the most favorable channel all lie below the reactants, the title reaction is expected to be rapid, as is confirmed by experiment. Therefore, it can be significant for elimination of nitrogen dioxide pollutants. The present results can lead us to a deep understanding of the mechanism of the title reaction and can be helpful for understanding NO(x)-combustion chemistry.

Quantitative temperature measurements in high-pressure flames with multiline NO-LIF thermometry

An accurate temperature measurement technique for steady, high-pressure flames is investigated using excitation wavelength-scanned laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) within the nitric oxide (NO) A-X(0, 0) band, and demonstration experiments are performed in premixed methane/air flames at pressures between 1 and 60 bars with a fuel/air ratio of 0.9. Excitation spectra are simulated with a computational spectral simulation program (LIFSim) and fit to the experimental data to extract gas temperature. The LIF scan range was chosen to provide sensitivity over a wide temperature range and to minimize LIF interference from oxygen. The fitting method is robust against elastic scattering and broadband LIF interference from other species, and yields absolute, calibration-free temperature measurements. Because of loss of structure in the excitation spectra at high pressures, background signal intensities were determined using a NO addition method that simultaneously yields nascent NO concentrations in the postflame gases. In addition, fluorescence emission spectra were also analyzed to quantify the contribution of background signal and to investigate interference in the detection band-width. The NO-LIF temperatures are in good agreement with intrusive single-color pyrometry. The proposed thermometry method could provide a useful tool for studing high-pressure flame chemistry as well as provide a standard to evaluate and validate fast-imaging thermometry techniques for practical diagnostics of high-pressure combustion systems.