Oxy-fuel combustion with integrated pollution control

A combustion and integrated pollutant removal method comprising the steps of:

• operating a combustion system having at least one burner that is configured to substantially prevent the introduction of air;
• providing an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen at a predetermine purity greater than 21 percent;
• providing a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel limiting an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion;
• controlling the combustion of the carbon based fuel to produce a flame temperature in excess of 3000 degrees F. and a flue gas stream containing CO2 and other gases and substantially void of non-fuel borne nitrogen containing combustion produced gaseous compounds;
• directing the flue gas stream to a pollutant removal system which includes a direct contact heat exchanger in serial arrangement with a compressor;
• enabling the flue gas to be in intimated contact with a cooling liquid in the heat exchanger to produce a pollutant-laden liquid stream and a stripped flue gas stream feeding the stripper flue gas stream into the compressor to compress the stripped flue gas stream.

An oxygen-fossil fuel combustion system comprising:

• a combustion system having a furnace having a controlled environment with substantially no in-leakage from an external environment, and configured to substantially prevent the introduction of air,
• an oxidizing agent supply for supplying oxygen having a predetermined purity,
• a carbon based fuel supply for supplying a carbon based fuel and including means for feeding the oxygen and the carbon based fuel into the furnace in a stoichiometric proportion to one another limited to an excess of either the oxygen or the carbon based fuel to less than 5 percent over the stoichiometric proportion,
• recirculation of combustion products to aid in supplying a carbon based fuel and to improve heat transfer properties, and
• a control system for controlling the combustion of the carbon based fuel to produce a flue gas stream from the furnace having low nitrogen-containing combustion produced gaseous compounds from the oxidizing agent;
• and
• a pollutant removal system including at least one heat exchanger for bringing the combustion product stream into thermal contact with a cooling water to produce a pollutant-laden liquid stream and a flue gas stream stripped of a portion of the pollutants and liquid in the combustion products, and at least one heat exchanger and compressor for receiving stripped flue gas stream and processing the flue gas stream to a temperature below the dew point of at least one of the condensable gases in the flue gas stream.