Granted Patent B2

US 8,117,975 · App. 12/577,340 · Granted Feb 21, 2012

Abstract

Claims (74)

1. A reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system comprising:

a furnace including an exhaust communicating with the atmosphere, wherein the opacity of the flue-gas communicated through the exhaust to the atmosphere is substantially less than or substantially equal to about 40;

at least one control-agent dispenser for providing a control agent, said control agent comprising a particulate superabsorbent polymer in an amount from:

(i) about 0.001 weight % to about 5 weight % of the fuel fed to the furnace or

(ii) about 0.02 pound/ton of fuel to about 100 pounds/ton of fuel fed to the furnace; and

an emissions monitor capable of measuring at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace and through the exhaust to the atmosphere.

2. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with at least the control-agent dispenser and the emissions monitor;

wherein the controller regulates an amount of control agent provided by the control-agent dispenser in response to a measured value of the opacity of the flue-gas; and

wherein the controller regulates an amount of control agent provided by the control-agent dispenser to control the opacity of the flue-gas at a predetermined limit.

3. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further in communication with the furnace thereby regulating an amount of control agent provided by the emissions-control-agent dispenser so as to be capable of controlling the opacity of the flue-gas at a predetermined limit and an operational load of the furnace.

4. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , wherein the furnace is selected from the group consisting of: a stoker-firing furnace; a pulverized-fuel-fired furnace; and combinations thereof.

5. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 4 , wherein the pulverized-fuel-fired furnace is selected from the group consisting of: a cyclone-type furnace; a fluidized-bed-type furnace, and combinations thereof.

6. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 4 , wherein the furnace is selected from the group consisting of: a coal-fired furnace; a peat-fired furnace; a petroleum-coke-fired furnace; and combinations thereof.

7. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises a coal-fired furnace.

8. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , further comprising a steam generator.

9. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 8 , further comprising a power generator.

10. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 9 , the power generator is selected from the group consisting of: a turbine; a Sterling engine; a reciprocator steam engine; and combinations thereof.

11. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , wherein the emissions monitor comprise an opacity monitor.

12. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , wherein the emissions monitor is further capable of measuring any one of carbon oxides, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particular matter, flow, and combinations thereof.

13. The reduced-emissions fossil-fuel-fired system according to claim 1 , wherein the emissions monitor is further capable of measuring any one of CO, CO 2 , O 2 , NO, NO 2 , NO X , SO 2 , particular matter, flow, and combinations thereof.

14. A controlled-opacity fossil-fuel-fired system comprising:

a. an opacity-control-agent dispenser for providing an opacity-control agent, said opacity-control agent consisting essentially of a particulate superabsorbent polymer in an amount from:

(i) about 0.001 weight % to about 5 weight % of the fuel feed to the furnace or

(ii) about 0.02 pound/ton of fuel to about 100 pounds/ton of fuel feed to the furnace;

b. a furnace selected from the group consisting of: a coal-fired furnace, a peat-fired furnace, a petroleum-coke-fired furnace, or any combination thereof, said furnace comprising an exhaust communicating with the atmosphere;

c. an opacity monitor capable of measuring at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace through the exhaust to the atmosphere; and

d. a controller in communication with at least the opacity-control-agent dispenser and the opacity monitor.

15. A method for controlling emission from a fossil-fuel-fired system, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing an amount of a particulate superabsorbent polymeric emissions-control agent to a furnace of the fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere at a prescribed-set-point value, said furnace comprising an amount of combustible material, and a boiler;

b. measuring the at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere;

c. comparing the measured value and the prescribed-set-point value of the at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere;

d. adjusting as appropriate the amount of control agent provided to the furnace so that the measured value and the prescribed-set-point value of the at least one property are substantially the same;

e. repeating steps (b) through (d); and

wherein said control agent is surface crosslinked after polymerization, and said control agent is supplied to the furnace in an amount not to exceed 5% of the amount of combustible material.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the control agent to a boiler of the fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-set-point value.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-set-point value prior to said combustible material being fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-set-point value prior to said combustible material being crushed.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least one property of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-set-point value prior to said combustible material entering a pulverizing system.

20. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising introducing said control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system at a stage selected from the group consisting of: prior to said combustible material being dried, after said combustible material is dried, prior to said combustible material being fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system, after said combustible material is fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system, and any combination thereof.

21. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising prior to step a the step of:

applying a dispersant, coagulant, or combination thereof, to the combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system.

22. A method for controlling opacity of emissions from a fossil-fuel-fired system comprising the steps of:

a. providing an amount of a particulate superabsorbent polymeric opacity-control agent to a furnace of the fossil-fuel-fired system to control at a prescribed-opacity set-point value at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere, said furnace comprising an amount of combustible material, and a boiler;

b. measuring at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere;

c. comparing the measured-opacity value and the prescribed-opacity set-point value of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere;

d. adjusting as appropriate the amount of opacity-control agent provided to the furnace so that the measured-opacity value and the prescribed-opacity set-point value are substantially the same;

e. repeating steps (b) through (d); and

wherein said opacity-control agent is surface crosslinked after polymerization, and said opacity-control agent is supplied to the furnace in an amount not to exceed 5% of the amount of combustible material.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the opacity-control agent to a boiler of the fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-opacity set-point value.

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the opacity-control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-opacity set-point value prior to said combustible material being fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system.

25. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the opacity-control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-opacity set-point value prior to said combustible material being crushed.

26. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

applying the opacity-control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere at a prescribed-opacity set-point value prior to said combustible material entering a pulverizing system.

27. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said further step replaces step a:

introducing the opacity-control agent into the flue-gas exhaust to control at a prescribed-opacity set-point value at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace of the fossil-fuel-fired system to the atmosphere.

28. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising introducing said opacity-control agent to a combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system at a stage selected from the group consisting of: prior to said combustible material being dried, after said combustible material is dried, prior to said combustible material being fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system, after said combustible material is fed into the fossil-fuel-fired system, and any combination thereof.

29. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:

applying a dispersant, coagulant, or combinations thereof, to the combustible material fed into a fossil-fuel-fired system.

30. A method for operating a fossil-fuel-fired system while controlling emission therefrom, the method comprising the steps of:

a. operating the fossil-fuel-fired system at a prescribed load-demand set-point value;

b. providing a prescribed amount of control agent to a furnace of the fossil-fuel-fired system to control at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere at a prescribed-opacity set-point value while operating at the prescribed load-demand set-point value;

c. adjusting the prescribed load-demand set-point value of the fossil-fuel-fired system to a different prescribed load-demand set-point value;

d. measuring at least the opacity of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace operating at the different prescribed load-demand set-point value;

e. comparing the measured-opacity value of the flue-gas communicated from the furnace to the atmosphere and the prescribed-opacity set-point value;

f. adjusting as appropriate the amount of control agent provided to the furnace so that the measured-opacity value and the prescribed-opacity set-point value are substantially the same; and

g. repeating steps (c) through (f);

wherein said control agent consists essentially of a particulate superabsorbent polymer.

Assignments (6)