Emission of typical pollutants (NO_X, SO₂) in the oxygen combustion process with air in-leakages

Oxygen combustion, being an alternative to air combustion, is distinguished in a variety of modern coal management technologies by quick and easy removal of CO₂ from the combustion process, which is the key merit of this oxy-fuel technology. The laboratory work conducted so far has not directly addressed the issue of air in-leakages in the oxy-fuel system. The previous studies showed that air in-leakages in the combustion system (both under the air and oxygen regime) occur and affect the combustion process. However, there are no direct research studies on the volume of air in-leakages and their impact on the individual stages of combustion, including the emission of gaseous pollutants. This article focuses on the assessment of the impact of air in-leakages on NO_x and SO₂ emissions for a single-stage coal-dust combustion system. Moreover, these studies were supplemented with measurements on the rate of devolatilisation of volatile matters and, in particular, on the rate of nitrogen compounds released from fuel. The obtained results of combustion in the oxy-fuel atmosphere with the following air in-leakage levels: 10, 15 and 20% were compared to combustion conditions in the air. Air in-leakages in the oxygen combustion system create an additional flow of oxygen and nitrogen appearing in the combustion area, which affects the course of pollutants and their emission. The conducted studies have shown that when adequate tightness of the combustion system is provided, it contributes to the reduced emission of nitrogen compounds.