Catalytic Reaction for High-Temperature and Low-Emission Combustion Technologies

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 22863

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
Interests: clean solid fuel technologies; ash slagging; catalytic pyrolysis/combustion/gasification; fluid catalytic cracking; fly ash utilisation; solid waste treatment

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Guest Editor
School of mechanical engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: Clean coal technologies; Combustion/Gasification; Ash deposition; Ultr-Supercriticial Boiler
Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
Interests: low-emission pyrolysis, combustion and gasification technologies; waste to energy and high-value products; catalytic upgrading of bio-oil; high-temperature chloride chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Co-combustion of solid fuels is a sustainable, low-cost option, and one of the most efficient methods to reduce the sole reliability on fossil fuels in a way that meets energy requirements at a low carbon emission rate. It even has a negative emission potential when coupled with low-emission carbon capture and storage technology, such as oxy-firing combustion. The characterisation of combustion, ash behaviour, corrosion and emission will be different with the variation of blending feedstock and oxy-firing atmosphere. The catalytic reactions, due to synergy from different feedstocks, will not only affect the combustion performance but also play a very important role in the volatilisation and ash sintering/slagging/fouling/deposition. As a matter of fact, the systematic investigation on the catalytic reaction in oxy-fuel co-combustion needs to be addressed.

Submissions to this Special Issue on “Catalytic Reaction for High-Temperature and Low-Emission Combustion Technologies” are welcome in the form of original research papers or short reviews that reflect the state of research in the combustion field on the following topics: characterisation on pyrolysis due to the catalytic reaction in oxy-fuel co-combustion; clarification of synergistic reactions in oxy-fuel co-combustion; ash sintering/slagging/fouling/deposition and tube corrosion in oxy-fuel co-combustion.

Dr. Baiqian Dai
Dr. Xiaojiang Wu
Dr. Lian Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Catalytic reaction
  • Solid fuel high-temperature conversion
  • Low-emission technologies
  • Synergistic functions from co-combustion.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5347 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Use of Permanent Catalytic Systems on the Flue Gases Emission from Biomass Low-Power Boilers
by Błażej Gaze, Bernard Knutel, Mateusz Jajczyk, Ondřej Němček, Tomáš Najser and Jan Kielar
Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070710 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1476
Abstract
The paper presents the research results on the use of permanent catalytic systems applied to the surface of a low-power boiler deflector. The tests were carried out on a standard 15 kW retort boiler. The boiler was powered by three types of biomass [...] Read more.
The paper presents the research results on the use of permanent catalytic systems applied to the surface of a low-power boiler deflector. The tests were carried out on a standard 15 kW retort boiler. The boiler was powered by three types of biomass pellets (wood pellets, wheat straw pellets, and hemp expeller). In the research cycle, the influence of the catalysts on the emission of individual compounds, CO, NOX, particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the influence on the temperature in the combustion chamber were examined. The tests used an exhaust gas analyzer, a dust meter, a two-channel aspirator, and a laboratory gas chromatograph stand with a flame ionization detector. Four catalysts (copper, manganese, titanium, and platinum) were prepared for the analysis. Each catalyst had three variants of the active substance concentration on the ceramic support surface: 17.5 g, 35 g, 52.5 g for CuO, TiO2, MnO2, and, respectively, 0.05 g, 0.1 g, and 0.15 g for platinum. Concerning the deflector surface, this concentration corresponded to 140, 280, and 420 g·m−2 for CuO, TiO2, and MnO2, and 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 g·m−2 for platinum catalysts. All the catalysts used contributed to an increase in the combustion temperature and a reduction in pollutant emissions. The results presented in the paper will allow the implementation of the developed solutions in the industry producing low-power boilers and in already-existing heating installations. The factor that motivates the introduction of changes may be continuously tightening European emission regulations. Full article
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15 pages, 6479 KiB  
Article
The Catalytic Effect from Alkaline Elements on the Tar-Rich Coal Pyrolysis
by Zhonghua Du and Wu Li
Catalysts 2022, 12(4), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12040376 - 27 Mar 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2040
Abstract
Tar-rich coal has been widely concerned because of its high tar yield. Two kinds of tar-rich coals were studied by Thermogravimetric-Mass spectrometer-Fourier transform infrared (TG-MS-FTIR) to obtain the pyrolysis characteristics. TG-MS-FTIR was used to study the mass loss, gaseous compounds evolution, and functional [...] Read more.
Tar-rich coal has been widely concerned because of its high tar yield. Two kinds of tar-rich coals were studied by Thermogravimetric-Mass spectrometer-Fourier transform infrared (TG-MS-FTIR) to obtain the pyrolysis characteristics. TG-MS-FTIR was used to study the mass loss, gaseous compounds evolution, and functional group information of tar-rich coal during pyrolysis. Mass loss is mainly caused by water release and macromolecular decomposition. The results showed that there were two stages of mass loss in the pyrolysis process. In addition, the gas release signal detected by mass spectrometry is consistent with the functional group information detected by FTIR. The main gaseous products include H2, H2O, CO, CO2, and CH4. In addition, the effect of ash content on the pyrolysis of oil-rich coal and the catalytic effect of internal minerals on coal pyrolysis are also discussed, and the thermal pyrolysis characteristics of coke-rich oil coal are put forward. The results provide a new idea for the study of pyrolysis characteristics of tar-rich coal. Full article
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12 pages, 1822 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Two-Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pine Sawdust with Nano-NiO/Al2O3 Catalyst
by Tao Xu, Xiuren Zheng, Jue Xu and Yongping Wu
Catalysts 2022, 12(3), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12030256 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2393
Abstract
Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is economically and technologically attractive from the perspectives of energy and the environment. The two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust for hydrogen-rich gas production is investigated using nano-NiO/Al2O3 as the catalyst at high temperatures. The [...] Read more.
Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is economically and technologically attractive from the perspectives of energy and the environment. The two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust for hydrogen-rich gas production is investigated using nano-NiO/Al2O3 as the catalyst at high temperatures. The influences of residence time (0–30 s) and catalytic temperature (500–800 °C) on pyrolysis performance are examined in the distribution of pyrolysis products, gas composition, and gas properties. The results show that increasing the residence time decreased the solid and liquid products but increased gas products. Longer residence times could promote tar cracking and gas-phase conversion reactions and improve the syngas yield, H2/CO ratio, and carbon conversion. The nano-NiO/A12O3 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for tar removal, with a tar conversion rate of 93% at 800 °C. The high catalytic temperature could significantly improve H2 and CO yields by enhancing the decomposition of tar and gas-phase reactions between CO2 and CH4. The increasing catalytic temperature increases the dry gas yield and carbon conversion but decreases the H2/CO ratio and low heating value. Full article
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15 pages, 2786 KiB  
Article
Oxygen Vacancy-Mediated Selective H2S Oxidation over Co-Doped LaFexCo1−xO3 Perovskite
by Xinlei Yu, Xun Tao, Yunfei Gao, Lu Ding, Yanqin Wang, Guangsuo Yu and Fuchen Wang
Catalysts 2022, 12(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12020236 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2097
Abstract
Compared to the Claus process, selective H2S catalytic oxidation to sulfur is a promising reaction, as it is not subject to thermodynamic limitations and could theoretically achieve ~100% H2S conversion to sulfur. In this study, we investigated the effects [...] Read more.
Compared to the Claus process, selective H2S catalytic oxidation to sulfur is a promising reaction, as it is not subject to thermodynamic limitations and could theoretically achieve ~100% H2S conversion to sulfur. In this study, we investigated the effects of Co and Fe co-doping in ABO3 perovskite on H2S selective catalytic oxidation. A series of LaFexCo1−xO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) perovskites were synthesized by the sol-gel method. Compared to LaFeO3 and LaCoO3, co-doped LaFexCo1−xO3 significantly improved the H2S conversion and sulfur selectivity at a lower reaction temperature. Nearly 100% sulfur yield was achieved on LaFe0.4Co0.6O3 under 220 °C with exceptional catalyst stability (above 95% sulfur yield after 77 h). The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, FTIR, XPS, and H2-TPR. The characterization results showed that the structure of LaFexCo1−xO3 changed from the rhombic phase of LaCoO3 to the cubic phase of LaFeO3 with Fe substitution. Doping with appropriate iron (x = 0.4) facilitates the reduction of Co ions in the catalyst, thereby promoting the H2S selective oxidation. This study demonstrates a promising approach for low-temperature H2S combustion with ~100% sulfur yield. Full article
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16 pages, 3925 KiB  
Article
Effects of Ammonia Solution and Pyrolysis Gas on NOx Emission from a 75 t/h Pulverized Coal Boiler
by Xiaojiang Wu, Xinwei Guo, Zixiang Li, Zhongxiao Zhang, Hao Bai, Junjie Fan and Zhixiang Zhu
Catalysts 2022, 12(2), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12020141 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
To explore methods of reducing NOx emission from pulverized coal boilers, the effects of injecting ammonia solution and pyrolysis gas into the furnace on NOx emission were experimentally investigated on a 75 t/h pulverized coal boiler. Results show that the deep air staging [...] Read more.
To explore methods of reducing NOx emission from pulverized coal boilers, the effects of injecting ammonia solution and pyrolysis gas into the furnace on NOx emission were experimentally investigated on a 75 t/h pulverized coal boiler. Results show that the deep air staging with 30% separated over fire air (SOFA) creates a high temperature and strong reducing atmosphere in the reducing zone, providing the prerequisites for NOx reduction by ammonia solution and pyrolysis gas. Compared with deep air staging itself, NOx emission can be reduced by 16.7% when ammonia solution is injected from the reducing zone with a normalized stoichiometric ratio of 2.0. However, NOx reduction efficiency is largely affected by its injection position. Similarly, NOx emission is decreased by 28.2% through injecting pyrolysis gas with its calorific value of 10% into the furnace, while a further increase of pyrolysis gas input will not increase NOx reduction efficiency. When ammonia solution and pyrolysis gas are simultaneously injected into the furnace under deep air staging conditions, the overall NOx reduction efficiency reaches 92.0% and NOx emission is decreased to 39.1 mg/m3. Considering the increasingly strict NOx emission standard, these findings can provide theoretical and practical guides to the future NOx reduction in pulverized coal boilers. Full article
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12 pages, 2942 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Two-Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pine Sawdust with Calcined Dolomite
by Tao Xu, Jue Xu and Yongping Wu
Catalysts 2022, 12(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12020131 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2467
Abstract
The potential of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for hydrogen and bio-oil production has drawn great attention due to the concern of clean energy utilization and decarbonization. In this paper, the catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust with calcined dolomite was carried out in a [...] Read more.
The potential of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for hydrogen and bio-oil production has drawn great attention due to the concern of clean energy utilization and decarbonization. In this paper, the catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust with calcined dolomite was carried out in a novel moving bed reactor with a two-stage screw feeder. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (700–900 °C) and catalytic temperature (500–800 °C) on pyrolysis performance were investigated in product distribution, gas composition, and gas properties. The results showed that with the temperature increased, pyrolysis gas yield increased, but the yield of solid and liquid products decreased. With the increase in temperature, the CO and H2 content increased significantly, while the CO2 and CH4 decreased correspondingly. The calcined dolomite can remove the tar by 44% and increased syngas yield by 52.9%. With the increasing catalytic temperature, the catalytic effect of calcined dolomite was also enhanced. Full article
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15 pages, 3838 KiB  
Article
Research on Coal Tar Pitch Catalytic Oxidation and Its Effect on the Emission of PAHs during Co-Carbonation with Coal
by Liqing Chen, Fanhui Guo, Jianjun Wu, Ping Li and Yixin Zhang
Catalysts 2021, 11(12), 1428; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11121428 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2663
Abstract
Coal tar pitch (CTP) is abundant and widely used, but its properties will be affected due to oxidation aging during storage. In this study, CTP was oxidized by simulating the air oxidation process, and the change of chemical structure has been analyzed by [...] Read more.
Coal tar pitch (CTP) is abundant and widely used, but its properties will be affected due to oxidation aging during storage. In this study, CTP was oxidized by simulating the air oxidation process, and the change of chemical structure has been analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and both gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS). The effects of the oxidized and unoxidized CTP co-carbonization with coal on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission were detected by GCMS. The small and medium-molecule aromatic substances were reduced during CTP oxidation, while the intermolecular condensation reaction increased the macromolecules content. The catalytic can effectively facilitate the dehydrogenation and condensation reaction of CTP and the entry of oxygen molecules, which leads to the increase of oxygen-containing groups and the decrease of PAHs. Compared to the raw CTP, the catalytic oxidized CTP significantly reduced the emissions of toxic PAHs during the co-carbonization with coal. A possible catalytic mechanism of CTP catalytic oxidation is proposed. Full article
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14 pages, 2890 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Characteristics of Catalysis Synergy during Co-Combustion for Coal Gasification Fine Slag with Bituminous Coal and Bamboo Residue
by Yixin Zhang, Wenke Jia, Rumeng Wang, Yang Guo, Fanhui Guo, Jianjun Wu and Baiqian Dai
Catalysts 2021, 11(10), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11101152 - 25 Sep 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2103
Abstract
As a kind of solid waste from coal chemical production, the disposal of coal gasification fine slag poses a certain threat to the environment and the human body. It is essential for gasification slag (GS) to realize rational utilization. GS contains fewer combustible [...] Read more.
As a kind of solid waste from coal chemical production, the disposal of coal gasification fine slag poses a certain threat to the environment and the human body. It is essential for gasification slag (GS) to realize rational utilization. GS contains fewer combustible materials, and the high heating value is only 9.31 MJ/Kg, which is difficult to burn in combustion devices solely. The co-combustion behavior of the tri-fuel blends, including bituminous coal (BC), gasification slag (GS), and bamboo residue (BR), was observed by a thermogravimetric analyzer. The TGA results showed that the combustibility increased owing to the addition of BC and BR, and the ignition and burnout temperatures were lower than those of GS alone. The combustion characteristics of the blended samples became worse with the increase in the proportion of GS. The co-combustion process was divided into two main steps with obvious interactions (synergistic and antagonistic). The synergistic effect was mainly attributed to the catalysis of the ash-forming metals reserved with the three raw fuels and the diffusion of oxygen in the rich pore channels of GS. The combustion reaction of blending samples was dominated by O1 and D3 models. The activation energy of the blending combustion decreased compared to the individual combustion of GS. The analysis of the results in this paper can provide some theoretical guidance for the resource utilization of fine slag. Full article
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14 pages, 2334 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Thermal Behavior, Synergistic Catalysis, and Pollutant Emissions during the Co-Combustion of Sewage Sludge and Coal Gasification Fine Slag Residual Carbon
by Yang Guo, Jianjun Wu, Wenke Jia, Fanhui Guo, Guofeng Qiu, Rumeng Wang, Yixin Zhang and Baiqian Dai
Catalysts 2021, 11(10), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11101142 - 23 Sep 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2091
Abstract
The conversion of solid waste into energy through combustion is sustainable and economical. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate and quantify the co-combustion characteristics, synergistic catalysis, and gaseous pollutant emission patterns of sewage sludge (SS) and coal gasification fine slag residual [...] Read more.
The conversion of solid waste into energy through combustion is sustainable and economical. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate and quantify the co-combustion characteristics, synergistic catalysis, and gaseous pollutant emission patterns of sewage sludge (SS) and coal gasification fine slag residual carbon (RC) as well as their blends through thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS). The results showed that the co-combustion of SS and RC can not only improve the ignition and burnout property but also maintain the combustion stability and comprehensive combustion performance at a better level. The kinetic analysis results showed that a first-order chemical reaction and three-dimensional diffusion are the reaction mechanisms during the co-combustion of SS and RC. The synergistic catalysis between SS and RC can well explain the changes in activation energy and reaction mechanism. Furthermore, the blending ratio of SS is recommended to be maintained at 40% because of the lowest activation energy (Ea = 81.6 kJ/mol) and the strongest synergistic effect (Xi = 0.36). The emission of gaseous pollutants is corresponding to the primary combustion stages of SS, RC, and their blends. In co-combustion, the NH3, HCN, NOx, and SO2 emissions gradually rise with the increase of SS proportion in the blends due to the high content of organic compounds in SS. Full article
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13 pages, 3074 KiB  
Article
The Catalysis Effect of Na and Point Defect on NO Heterogeneous Adsorption on Carbon during High-Sodium Zhundong Coal Reburning: Structures, Interactions and Thermodynamic Characteristics
by Xuesen Kou, Jing Jin, Yongzhen Wang, Yanhui Li and Fengxiao Hou
Catalysts 2021, 11(9), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11091046 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1553
Abstract
The reburning process in a furnace, a key way to reduce NOx emissions, is a heterogeneous reaction during coal combustion, in which the heterogeneous adsorption is dominant. Zhundong coal with a high content of alkali metal can enhance the reburning process. In [...] Read more.
The reburning process in a furnace, a key way to reduce NOx emissions, is a heterogeneous reaction during coal combustion, in which the heterogeneous adsorption is dominant. Zhundong coal with a high content of alkali metal can enhance the reburning process. In this paper, the influence of sodium and a defect on NO heterogeneous adsorption was studied by the density functional theory, and the thermodynamic characteristic was also analyzed. The results indicate that the binding energy for NO adsorption on the pristine graphene surface (graphene-NO), Na-decorated pristine graphene surface (graphene-Na-NO), defect graphene surface (gsv-NO) and Na-decorated defect graphene (gsv-Na-NO) is −5.86, −137.12, −48.94 and −74.85 kJ/mol, respectively, and that the heterogeneous adsorption is an exothermic reaction. Furthermore, except for covalent bonds of C and N, C and O for gsv-NO, other interactions are a closed-shell one, based on the analysis of AIM, ELF and IGM. The area of electron localization for NO is graphene-Na-NO > gsv-Na-NO > gsv-NO > graphene-NO. The dispersion interaction is the main interaction force between NO and the pristine graphene surface. The δg index for the atom pairs about N–C and O–C on the pristine graphene surface is also the smallest. The density of spikes at graphene-Na-NO is bigger than that at gsv-Na-NO. Moreover, the thermodynamics characteristic showed that the reaction equilibrium constant of graphene-NO is less than those on the other surfaces under the same temperature. Thus, NO on the pristine graphene surface is the most difficult to adsorb, but the presence of sodium and a defect structure can promote its adsorption. Full article
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