Systems and methods for determining the existence of a visible plume from the chimney of a facility burning carbon-based fuels
AssigneeFlorida Power & Light Company
InventorPaul Clarence Schultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Excess oxygen in the combustion process of a facility that bums carbon-based fuels may cause a visible plume in the atmosphere at the stack of the facility. Traditional optical based opacity monitors may be unable to detect this plume or the plume may form at a location downstream from the opacity monitor toward the stack. The present invention discloses methods to utilize common combustion control variables to detect and signal the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses. Also disclosed are systems that detect the visible plume and provide a signal so that the combustion process may be manually or automatically adjusted to reduce or eliminate the visible plume.
Claims38
A system that determines the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses at a power generation facility with a stack, wherein the system comprises:
- an air flow monitor that measures total air flowing into a combustion chamber during combustion;
- a fuel flow monitor that measures total fuel flowing into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- and
- a mechanism that determines a ratio of total air flow as measured by the air flow monitor and the total fuel flow as measured by the fuel flow monitor and compares the ratio to a predetermined value to produce an input into the determination of the presence of a visible plume.
A system that determines the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses at a power generation facility with a stack, wherein the system comprises:
- an exhaust path through which exhaust gasses are routed from a combustion chamber to the stack during combustion;
- an air flow monitor that measures air flowing into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- a fuel flow monitor that measures fuel flowing into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- an opacity monitor located in one of the stack and the exhaust path that determines the opacity of exhaust gasses passing through one of the stack and exhaust path;
- a carbon monoxide monitor located in one of the stack and the exhaust path that determines the carbon monoxide content of the exhaust gasses;
- an oxygen monitor located in one of the stack and the exhaust path that determines the oxygen content of the exhaust gasses;
- and
- a mechanism that determines a ratio of total air flow as measured by the air flow monitor and total fuel flow as measured by the fuel flow monitor and compares the ratio to a predetermined value;
- compares the opacity of the exhaust gasses as determined by the opacity monitor to a second predetermined value;
- compares the carbon monoxide content of the exhaust gasses as determined by the carbon monoxide monitor to a third predetermined value;
- and compares the oxygen content of the exhaust gasses as determined by the oxygen monitor to a fourth predetermined value to produce first, second, third and fourth inputs, respectively, into the determination of the presence of a visible plume.
A control module for determining the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses at a power generation facility with a stack, that performs the steps of:
- receiving as an input a total air flow value for air flow into a combustion chamber during combustion;
- receiving as an input a total fuel flow value for a fuel flow into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- calculating a total air flow to total fuel flow ratio;
- and
- comparing the ratio to a predetermined value to produce an input into the determination of the presence of a visible plume.
A method of determining the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses at a power generation facility with a stack, comprising the steps of:
- determining a total air flow value for air flow into a combustion chamber during combustion;
- determining a total fuel flow value for a fuel flow into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- calculating a total air flow to total fuel flow ratio;
- and
- comparing the ratio to a predetermined value to produce an input into the determination of the presence of a visible plume.
A method of determining the presence of a visible plume of exhaust gasses at a power generation facility with a stack, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- determining a total air flow value for air flow into a combustion chamber during combustion;
- determining a total fuel flow value for fuel flow into the combustion chamber during combustion;
- calculating a total air flow to total fuel flow ratio;
- measuring an opacity value for a flow of exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber during combustion;
- determining a carbon monoxide content value of a flow of exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber during combustion;
- determining an oxygen content value of the flow of exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber during combustion;
- comparing the ratio to a predetermined value;
- comparing the opacity value to a second predetermined value;
- comparing the carbon monoxide content value to a third predetermined value;
- and
- comparing the oxygen content value to a fourth predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.