Experimental study and kinetic analysis of NO emission characteristics in ammonia/coal co-firing process with different ammonia injection methods

Ammonia/coal co-firing in coal-fired power plants is an effective way to achieve CO2 reduction. In this paper, the ammonia/coal co-firing study was carried out in a 45 kW wall-temperature-controlled staged combustion downstream furnace at 1100 °C. Bituminous coal was used as the experimental object to analyze the effects of ammonia injected at the main combustion zone, reduction zone, with the burnout air, and at the burnout zone on NO release characteristics at different ammonia co-firing ratios. To ascertain the significant reaction of NO production in the ammonia/coal co-firing, chemical reaction kinetics calculations were performed. When co-firing ratios of 10∼30%, the NO emission concentration is lower by the ammonia injection position of the main combustion zone which is 275–346 mg/m3. When co-firing ratios reach to 40% and 50%, NO releases are lower by the ammonia injection position of burnout zone which is 511–574 mg/m3. In addition to exhibiting a greater capacity to decrease NO in environments with low oxygen concentrations and high NO concentrations, ammonia can also, under specific circumstances, have a significant capacity to decrease NO in environments with high oxygen concentrations. Based on the experimental results and chemical kinetic calculations, the NO release pattern and mechanism during ammonia-coal co-combustion with different ammonia injection methods under air staged combustion were investigated, which provides a technically feasible solution to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants. © 2024 Energy Institute