Investigating combustion efficiency and NOx emission reduction in fluidized bed ammonia-coal co-firing

Ammonia, a carbon-free fuel, can significantly reduce CO2 emissions when co-fired with coal in power plants. Fluidized bed combustion, known for its excellent gas-solid mixing and low NOx emissions, is a promising method for ammonia-coal co-firing. However, challenges remain in optimizing ammonia injection and controlling nitrogen oxide emissions. This study investigates these aspects using a lab-scale fluidized bed reactor with flexible ammonia injection points. Key variables, such as ammonia co-firing ratios, injection location, temperature, and outlet oxygen concentration, are examined. The results show that with ammonia injection ratios up to 70 %, NO and N2O emissions slightly increase, while ammonia escape is maintained below 5 ppm. Air staging effectively controls NOx emissions, and higher temperatures promote N2O decomposition, but increase NOx levels. Ammonia injection does not raise unburned carbon content. Rate of production and sensitivity analyses highlight the role of OH radicals in ammonia conversion and identify the critical reactions affecting NO generation. This study highlights the feasibility of fluidized bed ammonia-coal co-firing technology.