The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.

The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.

The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.

The present invention is directed to additives for coal-fired furnaces, particularly furnaces using a layer of slag to capture coal particles for combustion. The additive(s) include iron, mineralizer(s), handling aid(s), flow aid(s), and/or abrasive material(s). The iron and mineralizers can lower the melting temperature of ash in low-iron, high alkali coals, leading to improved furnace performance.

Biomass is quickly becoming an important feedstock for energy generation in power plants. Due to their composition and nature, certain biomass fuels contribute to slagging, fouling, and corrosion. This invention provides a novel method of reducing or suppressing slag deposition and/or cleaning deposited slag in energy production processes in which potassium-containing solid fuels are combusted. Besides acting as a slag suppressant, further advantages of this invention are that the additive has no detrimental side-effects on capital equipment, increases slag friability, decreases slag fouling rate, reduces heat transfer corrosion as well as increasing the lifetime of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst.

Biomass is quickly becoming an important feedstock for energy generation in power plants. Due to their composition and nature, certain biomass fuels contribute to slagging, fouling, and corrosion. This invention provides a novel method of reducing or suppressing slag deposition and/or cleaning deposited slag in energy production processes in which potassium-containing solid fuels are combusted. Besides acting as a slag suppressant, further advantages of this invention are that the additive has no detrimental side-effects on capital equipment, increases slag friability, decreases slag fouling rate, reduces heat transfer corrosion as well as increasing the lifetime of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst.

The present disclosure relates to a system for removing a pollutant from a power generation cycle that utilizes a high pressure circulating fluid. The system includes a first direct contact cooling tower configured to cool the high pressure circulating fluid and condense a fluid stream that removes SO.sub.2 from the circulating fluid. A first recirculating pump fluidly communicates with the first direct contact cooling tower. The first tower includes an outlet configured to circulate a cooled CO.sub.2 product stream, and a second direct contact cooling tower is configured to receive at least a portion of the cooled CO.sub.2 product stream from the outlet. The second direct contact cooling tower is configured to cool the CO.sub.2 product stream and condense a fluid stream that removes NO.sub.x from the CO.sub.2 product stream. A second recirculating pump fluidly communicates with the second tower. An associated method is provided.

A method of combusting a sulfur-containing carbonaceous material with ash treatment includes: feeding a feed containing the sulfur-containing carbonaceous material and limestone into a furnace; combusting the feed in the furnace so as to generate preliminary fly and bottom ashes; hydrating the preliminary fly and bottom ashes to form a hydrated material; recycling the hydrated materials into the furnace so as to generate secondary fly and bottom ashes; and reacting the secondary fly and bottom ashes with a sulfuric acid solution.

A method of combusting a sulfur-containing carbonaceous material with ash treatment includes: feeding a feed containing the sulfur-containing carbonaceous material and limestone into a furnace; combusting the feed in the furnace so as to generate preliminary fly and bottom ashes; hydrating the preliminary fly and bottom ashes to form a hydrated material; recycling the hydrated materials into the furnace so as to generate secondary fly and bottom ashes; and reacting the secondary fly and bottom ashes with a sulfuric acid solution.

In some aspects, a computer-implemented method of reducing a rate of fouling in a recovery boiler system is provided. A computing device receives boiler operating information for a period of time. The boiler operating information includes boiler operating parameters and a rate of fouling for the period of time. The boiler operating parameters include one or more boiler input parameters. The computing device performs a regression analysis to determine at least one correlation between the boiler operating parameters and the rate of fouling. The computing device causes at least one boiler input parameter to be adjusted based on the at least one correlation to minimize the rate of fouling. In some aspects, a system configured to perform such a method is provided. In some aspects, a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that cause a computing device to perform such a method is provided.