Sung-Hoon Shim

Mercury Emission Characteristics from Co-Combustion of Coal and Sludge

Co-combustion of sludge with coal is proposed as an alternative option for sludge disposal instead of ocean dumping. Because the combustion of sludge can cause emissions of various air pollutants, it is important to understand the characteristics of sludge combustion flue gases. Especially, very few studies are found to investigate mercury emissions from the co-combustion of sludge with coal. In this study, coal and sludge samples were prepared with different mixing ratios. These samples were combusted in a bench-scale combustor, and their flue gases were analyzed. Due to higher mercury content in the sludge sample, higher mercury emissions were found with an increase in a ratio of sludge to coal. Compared to the combustion flue gas of the coal sample, higher levels of mercury oxidation were found in the combustion flue gas of the samples including sludge.

A Numerical Study of the Combustion Characteristics in a MILD Combustor with the Change of the Fuel and Air Nozzle Position and Air Mass Flow Rate

A numerical analysis of reactive flow in a MILD(Moderate and Intense Low oxygen Dilution) combustor is accomplished to elucidate the characteristics of combustion phenomena in the furnace with the change of fuel and air nozzle position and air mass flow rate. For the case with the fuel nozzle located near center position of combustor, the reaction zone started at the fuel nozzle and had inclined shape toward combustor wall when the air mass flow rate was relatively smaller. On the other hand, the end of reaction zone moved toward center of combustor from combustor wall when the air flow rate was relatively larger. For the case with the air nozzle located near center position of combustor, the reaction zone started at the fuel nozzle and had inclined shape toward combustor wall when the air mass flow rate was relatively small, which was similar as the previous case with smaller air mass flow rate. On the other hand, the end of reaction zone moved toward combustor wall when the air flow rate was relatively larger. The maximum temperature increased as the air mass flow rate increasing for both cases, and the concentration of thermal NOx increased also from the previous reason of temperature characteristics. The concentration of NOx for the case with the air nozzle located near center position of combustor was considerably smaller than that for the case with the fuel nozzle located near center position of combustor. From the present study, the case with the air nozzle located near center position of combustor and theoretical air flow rate was the most effective condition for the NOx reduction and perfect combustion.

A Study on the Flow Entrainment Characteristics of a Coaxial Nozzle Used in a MILD Combustor with the Change of Nozzle Position and Flow Condition

A MILD (Moderate and Intense Low oxygen Dilution) combustor decreases NOx formation effectively during the combustion process and NOx formation is affected significantly by the exhaust gas entrainment rate toward fuel and air. The present study focused on the new MILD combustor, which has coaxial cylindrical tube. The outside tube of the new MILD combustor corresponds to the exhaust gas passage and the inner side tube is the furnace passage. The connection pipe is set between the outer side and the inner side tubes and coaxial air nozzle is inserted at the center of the connection pipe. A numerical analysis is accomplished to elucidate the characteristics of exhaust gas entrainment toward the inner furnace with the changes of air nozzle exit velocity, nozzle diameter, nozzle exit position and exhaust gas side pressure. The entrainment rate is proportional to the square root of air nozzle exit velocity and negatively proportional to the pressure difference between the exhaust gas side and furnace side pressures. The effect of air nozzle exit position is not considerable on the exhaust gas entrainment.