Experimental verification of the efficiency of selective non-catalytic reduction in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor

Controlling nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions is still a challenge as increasingly stringent emission limits are introduced. Strict regulations will lead to the need to introduce secondary measures even for boilers with bubbling fluidized bed (BFB), which are generally characterized by low NOX emissions. Selective non-catalytic reduction has lower investment costs compared to other secondary measures for NOX reduction, but the temperatures for its efficient utilization are difficult to achieve in BFBs. This paper studies the possibility of an effective application of selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) of nitrogen oxides in a pilot-scale facility with a bubbling fluidized bed. The effect of temperatures between 880 and 950 °C in the reagent injection zone on NOX reduction was investigated. For the selected temperature, the effect of the amount of injected reagent, urea solution with concentration 32.5%wt., was studied. The experiments were carried out using 500 kWth pilot scale BFB unit combusting lignite. In addition, an experiment was performed with the combustion of wooden pellets. With reagent injection, all experiments led to the reduction of nitrogen oxides and the highest NOX reduction of 58% was achieved.