A process for combusting a high-moisture fuel to generate steam in which the high-moisture solid fuel is first dried by contacting with an oxygen-depleted gas stream while being heated by indirect heat exchange with a recirculating thermal fluid. The dried fuel is then combusted with a combustion air stream to produce a combustion products stream whose heat first is used to generate steam, and then to preheat the combustion air stream by indirect heat exchange in which a portion of the combustion air stream and/or a portion of the combustion products stream bypasses the heat exchanger. The combustion products stream also provides heat to dry the solid fuel via the recirculating thermal fluid.

A lean burn combustion source includes a first side stream comprising an inlet and an outlet, both positioned downstream of a furnace and upstream of a particulate control device, and a second side stream comprising: an inlet positioned downstream of the particulate control device and upstream of the catalyst, a heat exchanger section passing through the first side stream, whereby heat from hot exhaust gas flowing through the first side stream is transferred to hot exhaust gas flowing through the second side stream, an injector positioned in the second side stream injecting aqueous based reagent into the hot exhaust gas flowing through the second side stream such that the aqueous based reagent decomposes to ammonia gas, and an outlet in fluid communication with a reagent distribution device positioned in the primary exhaust gas stream downstream of the particulate control device and upstream of the catalyst.

A process for capturing undesirable combustion products produced in a high temperature combustion system in which a carbonaceous fuel is utilized. Very finely sized particles of alkaline earth carbonates or hydroxides, with or without added ground ash, are provided in slurry form, are dried and milled to provide unagglomerated, sub-micron-sized particles that are injected along with pulverized coal and an oxidizing agent into the high temperature combustion zone of a furnace. The particles capture and neutralize the gases that result in condensable acids, including SO.sub.x, NO.sub.x, HCL, and HF, as well as capturing toxic metals that are present in the combustion products, they mitigate ash fouling and slagging, and they facilitate economic heat exchange that permits fuel savings and recovery of water for use in other processes.

The present invention relates generally to the field of emission control equipment for boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices (e.g., those located at power plants, processing plants, etc.) and, in particular to a new and useful method and apparatus for capturing, oxidizing, lowering the concentration and/or level of, and/or eliminating mercury present in any flue gas and/or combustion gas stream. In one embodiment, the method and/or apparatus of the present invention is applied to boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices that have connected thereto at least one type of flue gas, or combustion gas, scrubber device (i.e., a wet scrubber or a dry scrubber).

The present disclosure relates to a boiler system that includes an oxyfuel boiler in which a stream of oxygen and a fuel are combusted to generate a stream of flue gas. A flue gas condenser condenses the cleaned flue gas. A flue gas compression unit produces a stream of pressurized carbon dioxide rich flue gas. A pressure control system measures and controls the pressure after the flue gas conditioning system to a predetermined set value. A flow control system measures and controls the flow after the flue gas compression unit to a predetermined set value. The present disclosure further relates to a method of operating such a boiler system for an oxy-fuel process as well as to a power plant comprising such a system.

The present disclosure relates to a boiler system that includes an oxyfuel boiler in which a stream of oxygen and a fuel are combusted to generate a stream of flue gas. A flue gas condenser condenses the cleaned flue gas. A flue gas compression unit produces a stream of pressurized carbon dioxide rich flue gas. A pressure control system measures and controls the pressure after the flue gas conditioning system to a predetermined set value. A flow control system measures and controls the flow after the flue gas compression unit to a predetermined set value. The present disclosure further relates to a method of operating such a boiler system for an oxy-fuel process as well as to a power plant comprising such a system.

An apparatus for evaporating waste water and reducing flue gas acid gas emissions includes an evaporator device configured to receive a portion of flue gas emitted from a combustion unit and waste water for direct contact of the flue gas with the waste water to cool and humidify the flue gas, and to evaporate the waste water. An alkaline reagent as well as activated carbon may be mixed with the waste water prior to waste water contact with the flue gas. Solid particulates that are dried and entrained within the cooled and humidified flue gas can be separated from the flue gas via a particulate collector.

A carbon nanotube production system is used for improving plant growth characteristics for a plant growing medium, for example soil in an agricultural field. The system includes an internal combustion engine, for example a tractor engine, which is arranged to combust a fuel mixture therein which includes a blend of fuels and additives including a carbon nanotube seeding material. The engine is operated in pyrolysis to produce exhaust emissions containing black carbon ultrafine and nano soot, for example by towing an agricultural implement across the agricultural field. At least a portion of the exhaust emissions is captured and conditioned to process the carbon soot into carbon nanotubes. The conditioned exhaust emissions and carbon nanotubes therein are then applied to the plant growing medium, for example by using the agricultural implement to incorporate the conditioned exhaust into the soil.

A carbon nanotube production system is used for improving plant growth characteristics for a plant growing medium, for example soil in an agricultural field. The system includes an internal combustion engine, for example a tractor engine, which is arranged to combust a fuel mixture therein which includes a blend of fuels and additives including a carbon nanotube seeding material. The engine is operated in pyrolysis to produce exhaust emissions containing black carbon ultrafine and nano soot, for example by towing an agricultural implement across the agricultural field. At least a portion of the exhaust emissions is captured and conditioned to process the carbon soot into carbon nanotubes. The conditioned exhaust emissions and carbon nanotubes therein are then applied to the plant growing medium, for example by using the agricultural implement to incorporate the conditioned exhaust into the soil.

The present invention relates to a furnace black having a STSA surface area of at 130 m.sup.2/g to 350 m.sup.2/g wherein the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.1 if the STSA surface area is in the range of 130 m.sup.2/g to 150 m.sup.2/g, the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.2 if the STSA surface area is greater than 150 m.sup.2/g to 180 m.sup.2/g, the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.3 if the STSA surface area is greater than 180 m.sup.2/g, and
the STSA surface area and the BET surface area are measured according to ASTM D 6556 and to a furnace process wherein the stoichiometric ratio of combustible material to O.sub.2 when forming a combustion gas stream is adjusted to obtain a k factor of less than 1.2 and the inert gas concentration in the reactor is increased while limiting the CO.sub.2 amount fed to the reactor. Also provided is an apparatus for conducting the process according to the present invention.