Pollutant and corrosion control technology and efficient coal combustion

High efficiency and low emissions from coal-fired power stations have been the drive behind the development of present and future efficient coal combustion technologies. Upgrading coal, capturing CO₂, reducing emission of NO_x, SO₂, and particulate matter, and mitigating slagging, fouling, and corrosion are the key initiatives behind these efficient coal technologies. This study focuses on an efficient coal combustion technology utilizing a newly developed fuel additive (Silanite), which addresses most of the aforementioned key points. Silanite, a finely milled multioxide additive, when mixed with the coal without the need to change the boiler installation has been proven to increase the boiler efficiency and flame temperature with reduction in corrosion and NO_x and particulate matter (dust) emissions. The process has been developed through bench, pilot (100 kW_th), and full scale (233 MW_th) and has been found to have a number of beneficial effects that add up to a viable retrofit to an existing power plant as demonstrated by results from 233 MW_th boiler tests (under BS EN 12952-15:2003 standard). The benefits proven on commercial and laboratory scale include the following: reductions of 20% in the overall particulates, 42% in loss on ignition, and 8–25% in NO_x with about 30% increase in the life span of the tube section of the boiler.