Combined technologies ensure regulatory compliance

A primary concern was ensuring that both combustion and post-combustion NOx reduction technologies operated seamlessly together. Additionally, the site required a highly complex control system capable of managing any combination of coal, coke oven gas (COG), and blast furnace (BFG) as fuel sources.

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reactor had to be fit into a narrow section of ductwork, which required precise engineering and spatial optimization. Careful attention also had to be given to flow dynamics, as angled flow and flow recirculation needed to be avoided to ensure optimal performance and efficiency.

Fuel Tech implemented a comprehensive solution that combined advanced CFD and experimental modeling to guide system design and optimization. The approach featured a state-of-the-art system utilizing newly designed Low NOx Burners (LNB) and Overfire Air (OFA), along with an enhanced Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) system.

Part of the project also involved the fabrication of a one-fifth scale physical model, which underwent thorough testing for proper flow and ash accumulation.

A single-layer SCR reactor was strategically placed between the economizer and air heater, incorporating a space-efficient plate-type catalyst. This integrated approach delivered robust NOx reduction performance at a total system cost of approximately half the cost of a conventional full-scale SCR system.