EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF NOx FORMATION MECHANISMS IN A FUEL-OIL BOILER

The work whose results are reported in this paper was aimed at gathering information that can give a deeper insight into the structure of a diffusion fuel-oil flame. This allows us to get a better understanding of the combustion process and thus a correct basis for combustion modeling, focused on NOx formation. In order to attain the objective, axial and radial temperature, NOx and O2 concentration profiles have been measured in the flame for high and low firing rates of a domestic hot water boiler (around 424 and 270 kW respectively). Temperature was measured by means of two B-type thermocouples (diameters 0.5 and 0.35 mm) and NOx and O2 concentrations using a classical gas analyzer. Maximum NOx emissions (167 ppm at 424 kW and 134 ppm at 270 kW) were recorded in high oxygen concentration and low temperature zones of the flame ( ≈ 1000°C), where no thermal-NO can be formed. Flue gas recirculation and NOx destruction process is clearly demonstrated in the flame due to the higher NOx concentrations recorded in the combustion chamber near the burner exit than in the chimney. Near the burner exit NOx, O2 and temperature radial profiles are very unstable. Higher temperature fluctuations were detected with the small thermocouple in the measurements at 270 kW. The contribution of the three types of NOx formation mechanisms was obtained using a simplified model. According to these results, the majority of NOx in this type of flame could be caused by the prompt-NO mechanism, formed in the zone close to the burner exit at the location where secondary combustion air is introduced