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American Air Liquide, Inc.

L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des

L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

Air Liquide America, L.p.

Olivier Charon

Mahendra L Joshi

Ovidiu Marin

Harley A Borders

Jacques Dugue

Remi Pierre Tsiava

Arnaud Fossen

Erwin Penfornis

Jean-Michel Samaniego

Bao V Ha

Bernard Labegorre

Eric Streicher

Thierry Legiret

Thierry Borissoff

G&eacute;rard Le Gouefflec

Jacques Segret

Roman E Grosman

Pietro DiZanno

Jean-Pierre Maricourt

Steam generation apparatus and methods are presented that are dedicated to oxygen-enriched air combustion of a fuel, wherein the oxygen concentration of the oxygen-enriched air may range from just above 21 percent to 100 percent. One apparatus comprises an oxygen-enriched air preheater through which oxygen-enriched air flows and exchanges heat indirectly with flue gas, creating a preheated oxygen-enriched air stream. The apparatus further comprises a boiler having a radiant section and a convection section, and other heat transfer units adapted to handle reduced flue gas flow rate and higher temperature flue gases than comparable air/fuel combustion boilers, thus allowing a smaller heat transfer surface area, a more compact design and a higher efficiency.

Steam generation apparatus and methods

A system and method are disclosed for lancing gas into an environment, such as a furnace, wherein an inner conduit is in communication with a gas supply and adapted to transport a gas at a first mass flow rate, and an outer conduit is in communication with a gas supply and adapted to transport a gas at a second mass flow rate. The first mass flow rate is greater than the second mass flow rate, preferably at least two times greater. The distal end of the inner conduit is preferably recessed back at a distance from the distal end of the outer conduit.

Method and system for lancing gas into an environment with variable entrainment of non-lanced gas

A burner apparatus comprises a conduit adapted to convey preheated oxidant and having outlet and inlet ends, and a conduit adapted to convey preheated fuel and having outlet and inlet ends. The conduit adapted to convey preheated fuel is substantially parallel to the conduit adapted to convey preheated oxidant. The conduit adapted to convey preheated oxidant is positioned substantially vertically above the conduit adapted to convey preheated fuel. The conduit adapted to convey preheated oxidant and the conduit adapted to convey preheated fuel each are positioned within its own respective elongate cavity in a refractory burner block. Each of the conduits are positioned in their respective cavity such that a substantially annular region is present between an outer surface of each conduit and its respective cavity. Each conduit inlet end extends through a respective plenum for receiving an ambient temperature fluid, the plenums adapted to pass the ambient temperature fluid into the respective annular regions.

Preheated fuel and oxidant combustion burner

An integrated air separation and power generation process produces an O -enriched gas stream and an N -enriched gas stream in an air separation unit. The O -enriched gas stream is introduced with fuel and steam to a combustor, producing flue gas. At least a portion of the flue gas and steam stream exiting the combustor is used to generate power. The N -enriched gas stream is heated and power is generated from the heated N -enriched gas stream.

Integrated air separation and power generation process

Methods and apparatus for combusting a fuel with an oxidant are described, the apparatus comprising a ceramic burner block, the burner block having a back face and a front face. The burner block has at least one oxidant cavity in an upper portion of the burner block, and at least one fuel cavity in a lower portion of the burner block, each cavity extending from the back face to the front face. The at least one oxidant cavity has positioned therein a fuel supply conduit, the fuel supply conduit having a fuel supply conduit exit positioned a sufficient distance from the front face to allow combustion of at least a portion of fuel exiting the fuel supply conduit exit with at least some of the oxidant traversing the oxidant cavity, and the least one fuel cavity having connected thereto, near the back face, an oxidant conduit, thereby allowing mixing of a minor portion of the oxidant with the fuel.

Methods and apparatus for combustion in high volatiles environments

An oxy-combustion firing configuration, process, and apparatus can reduce the consumption of oxygen and fuel in an oxy-fuel combustion processes. Processes in accordance with the present invention include operation of an automated logic control device which controls an oscillating valve and controller. The valve and controller are used to oscillate the fuel and/or oxygen supplied to individual burners in a furnace. The oscillating parameters, such as frequency, amplitude, duty cycle, and phase difference between individual burners and their stoichiometry ratio are set to initiate preferable oxy-combustion in that furnace. Selective burner placement in the furnace enables the formation of deflagration zones which can provide very intense heating and complete combustion.

Oxy-fuel combustion firing configurations and methods

A kiln is provided with oxidant injection locations upstream of air blowers which blow air into the kiln. The addition of oxygen into the kiln increases the cooling capacity of a clinker cooler, and enhances combustion in the kiln.

Kiln universal oxygen enrichment

An integrated air separation process produces an O,-enriched gas stream and an N,-enriched gas stream in an air separation unit. The N,-enriched gas stream is heated in a first heat exchanger associated with a first boiler and then power is generated from the heated gas stream. The O,-enriched gas stream is introduced with fuel to a combustor associated with the first boiler, producing flue gas. At least a portion of the flue gas exiting the first boiler is used to generate power. In a preferred embodiment, another portion of the flue gas exiting the first boiler is recycled to the first boiler, as a temperature controlling fluid.

Integrated air separation process

The invention relates to a method for heating a furnace comprising at least one burner capable of operating on an oxidant the oxygen content of which can vary; in a first period (P,) the burner is supplied with practically pure oxygen so as to provide a large amount of energy for heating, in a second period (P,) the burner is supplied with an oxidant, the oxygen content of which can vary between about 100% and 21%, in a third period (P,), the burner is supplied with an oxidant, the oxygen content of which is minimal, and which corresponds to a pilot period which requires only a small amount of heating energy. This method makes it possible to optimize the use of the furnace according to the desired thermal performance and oxidant operating costs.

Method for heating a furnace

An oxygen enrichment system is provided which uses the existing air/fuel burners of a regenerative furnace to distribute additional oxygen to the burners for increased efficiency, and reduced nitrous oxide emissions. The centrally positioned cooling air lances in the burners of a regenerative furnace are modified to deliver oxygen when the burners are firing for oxygen enrichment. During the burmer firing cycle, oxygen is delivered from an oxygen supply through the oxygen lance to provide a central oxygen jet. The fuel is delivered concentrically around the oxygen jet. During the non-firing cycle of the burner, cooling air or other cooling fluid is delivered from the cooling air supply through the oxygen jet for cooling the offside of the furnace.

Method of retrofitting a furnace to provide oxygen enrichment

A self-cooled oxidant-fuel burner consisting novel fuel and oxidant nozzles and three compartment refractory burner block design is proposed. The new oxidant-fuel burner can fire in high-temperature (2200&deg; F. to 3000&deg; F.) and high-particulate (or high process volatiles/condensates) furnaces without over-heating or causing chemical corrosion damage to it's metallic burner nozzle and refractory burner block interior. Using various embodiments of nozzle and block shape, the burner can offer a traditional cylindrical flame or flat flame depending on the heating load requirements. The new features of this burner include unique fuel nozzle design for the streamline mixing of fuel and oxidant streams, a controlled swirl input to the oxidant flow for desired flame characteristics, a controlled expansion of flame envelope in the radial and axial dimensions, and efficient sweeping of burner block interior surface using oxidant to provide convective cooling and prevent any build up of process particulates. In addition, a relatively thick wall metallic nozzle construction with heat conduction fins enable efficient heat dissipation from the nozzle tip and providing a maintenance free burner operation.

Self-cooled oxygen-fuel for use in high-temperature and high-particulate furnaces

A heat exchanger useful for preheating oxidizing gases in a combustion process includes a shell having an inlet and an outlet for the ingress and egress of a first heat exchange fluid, such as a flue gas or preheated air. A first tube manifold couples an inlet end-cap to the first end of the shell. The inlet end-cap has an inlet for receiving a second heat exchange fluid, such as an oxidizing gas. In one embodiment, a second manifold couples an outlet end-cap to the second end of the shell. The second manifold includes an outlet tube therein extending from the second manifold through an outlet opening in the outlet end-cap. A tube bundle is disposed within the shell for transporting the oxidizing gas through the heat exchanger and is coupled to the first and second tube manifolds. The outlet tube collects oxidizing gas flowing through the tube bundle for discharge to a combustion system. The outlet end-cap is pressurized with an inert atmosphere and houses a chemical detector to detect the presence of oxidizing gas within the outlet end-cap.

Heat exchanger for preheating an oxidizing gas

An oxygen enrichment system is provided which uses the existing air/fuel burners of a regenerative furnace to distribute additional oxygen to the burners for increased efficiency, and reduced nitrous oxide emissions. The centrally positioned cooling air lances in the burners of a regenerative furnace are modified to deliver oxygen when the burners are firing for oxygen enrichment. During the burner firing cycle, oxygen is delivered from an oxygen supply through the oxygen lance to provide a central oxygen jet. The fuel is delivered concentrically around the oxygen jet. During the non-firing cycle of the burner, cooling air or other cooling fluid is delivered from the cooling air supply through the oxygen jet for cooling the offside of the furnace.

Method for increasing efficiency and productivity of a furnace

This invention is related to so-called combined cycle co-generation installations, and it addresses present concerns of the industry. Among these, combustion stability, corrosion (due to large water content in the flue gases), large heat transfer areas, and the like. In some embodiments, an additional heat exchanger is added to heat combustion air with a portion of the exhaust gases resulting from an engine, preferably a gas turbine. As a result, the efficiency of the cycle will improve, the oxidant will be enriched by above 50% oxygen, the combustion process will be enhanced, and the dimensions of the boiler may be reduced. It is considered that the combustion air will require between 10% and 80% of the total flue gas volume, more preferably between 20% and 40%. This is the portion of the flue gases sent through the heat exchanger. A control system designed to optimize the flow of the different streams is also presented. Other inventive embodiments forego heat exchanges in lieu of precise control of two flows of exhaust gas, with preferred addition of additional oxidant to the boiler bumers.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Olivier Charon