Conference theme - October 1980 International Symposium Industrial Process Combustion Technology

f t Igo CONFERENCE THEME S. C. HUNTER KVB, INC., IRVINE, CALIFORNIA SYMPOSIUM CHAIRMAN Welcome to the American Flame Research Committee's Symposium on Industrial Process Combustion Technology. First let me acknowledge the support of KVB, Inc. in sponsoring this symposium and its staff in assisting me with the organization of this symposium. The symposium focuses specifically on industrial process combustion. The major thrust of combustion research, energy conservation and emissions control has been directed to steam generating equipment, both in utility and industrial applications. The Clean Air Act and the need for energy conservation impact industrial process equipment in much the same manner as for steam generators, but the impact is less widely discussed. Process limitations not experienced with boiler combustion technology can present unique challenges to those who must deal with these impacts. An important distinction between the status of industrial process combustion technology and that of steam generators concerns the timing of the environmental and conservation impacts. The impact of environmental concern on steam generating equipment has evolved over a period of 10 to 15 years as a natural consequence of the larger size and greater fuel consumption of steam generating equipment compared to other industrial equipment. Manufacturers and operators of steam generators have been able to stay in step with the technology cycles of research, regulatory activity, and design evolution for compliance. This cycle of timing has been greatly accelerated for the industrial process sectors. Not too many years ago, queries regarding emissions of industrial process equipment engendered replies such as "What is NOx?" These questions have now subsided with a general awareness that NOx is not the same as Nox, The Greek Goddess of Darkness. But many are still in the dark regarding control methods for NOx that are applicable to the very wide range of industrial process equipment. The real impact of this timing difference is that regulations are being formulated for industrial process emissions control that are based on the current levels of control technology for steam generators. Thus, the process industries will be expected to implement, in a few short years, technologies that have evolved over a decade or more. This must be accomplished while, at the same time, dealing with the need for energy conservation. The AFRC is an important forum in which to raise the issues that must be addressed in adopting steam boiler emission controls to industrial processes. It is the specific objective of this 1980 AFRC Symposium to address industrial process equipment emission control and energy conservation. We did not specifically identify NQx as the sole topic of the symposium but most of the papers to be presented deal primarily with NOx. There will be three presentations of work done abroad on today's program. Dr. J. Witkamp, from IFRF in Holland will present results of work at IFRF on "Pollutant Bnission Characteristics of Oil Fired Industrial Process Burners." Commercial process burners firing heavy fuel oil have been optimized for low NOx emissions. Influence of atomizer design, swirl air staging, confinement and heat extraction rate are discussed. Dr. Roy Payne of IFRF was originally scheduled to present this paper but was unable to attend as the result of the death of his father. We extend our sympathy to Roy and certainly appreciate Dr. Witkamp's filling in for him. Mr. Yasuo Hirose of Nippon Furnace Kogyo Kaisha in Yokohama, Japan will update us on "Low NOx Combustion Technology in Japan, History and Future Trend." He will review more than 20 burners used in Japan, discussing classifications, technical background, and future trends. Dr. Peter Nutcher of Process Combustion Corp., Pittsburgh, PA, will present a paper prepared by Dr. William Wheeler of Urquhart Engineering in England. The paper is entitled "Chemical and Engineering Aspects of Low NOx Concentration." Two requirements for low NOx burners are explained. One involves gas burners to produce one ppm of NOx for direct application to foodstuffs using high excess air techniques. The other involves heavy oil burners firing crude fuels containing up to one percent fuel bound nitrogen to produce 150 ppm of NOx for firing oilfield steamers using low excess air techniques. The final paper of today's session will be presented by Mr. Robert Tidona of KVB, Inc. in Irvine, CA. This paper presents results of "Field Testing of Staged Combustion on a Petroleum Process Heater." NOx was reduced by two-stage combustion using air lances in a conventional heater. Test results firing gas and combined gas/oil are presented. At the end of today's session an AFRC business meeting will be held. This meeting is open to all attendees from AFRC member companies. The session tomorrow morning will begin with a paper by Dr. Arvind Thekdi of Midland-Ross Corp. in Toledo, Ohio. The impacts and interrelations of "Energy Conservation and Its Effect On Pollution Control" will be discussed including a number of options for NOx control. Dr. Richard Martin of the John Zink Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma, will discuss "Low NOx Burner Development for High Temperature Reforming and Cracking Furnaces." A new burner has been designed for reforming, cracking and other heaters. Test data with and without air preheat is presented. Mr. Jerry Robinson, KVB, Inc., Irvine, California, will discuss the "Application of Thermal DeNOx to a Petroleum Process Heater." Operating experience and NOx reduction test data from a process heater installation are presented. These results come from the first application in the United States of Thermal DeNOx in an industrial plant. Tomorrow afternoon two tours sponsored by KVB, Inc. will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about three new products KVB is providing to assist industry in meeting environmental and safety requirements and to visit the KVB combustion research facility for demonstrations of the results of two projects, sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute. Our first speaker, Mr. Robert Hall, has been very active in the field of combustion research. Bob was with the U.S. Public Health Service working in this area in its early stages and has been with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, since its inception in 1970, in the Combustion Research Branch of the Industrial Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Mr. Hall has been active in many associations including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Air Pollution Control Association, serving as committee chairman and organizing symposia on combustion research and environmental assessment. Mr. Hall will provide us with an "Overview of Industrial Process Combustion Research" discussing current research and regulatory activity at EPA.