NO.sub.x Emissions advisor and automation system

An apparatus for determining the level by which NO.sub.x emissions can be reduced in a system, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an assembly of sensors for obtaining the current status of controllable combustion parameters and the level of emissions;
• (b) a plurality of means for changing the controllable combustion parameters in the system;
• (c) a computer;
• (d) a computer program within the computer for analyzing the status of controllable combustion parameters and the level of NO.sub.x emissions and calculating changes to the controllable combustion parameters which reduce the level of NO.sub.x emissions;
• and
• (e) means for delivering the status of the controllable combustion parameters and the level of NO.sub.x emissions from the sensors to the computer.

A process for regulating in a system comprising a plurality of burner levels the air damper positions comprising the steps of:

• (a) accessing the stoichiometric ratio at each burner level by measuring the fuel and air introduced at each level and comparing the ratio of the measured air to an amount of air theoretically required to completely combust the measured fuel;
• (b) accessing the feeder speed bias;
• (c) accessing the excess air control setpoint;
• (d) accessing the desired stoichiometric ratio;
• (e) accessing the desired furnace/windbox differential pressure;
• and
• (f) ascertaining from the data obtained in steps (a) through (e) the air damper positions which yields the desired stoichiometric ratio while maintaining the desired furnace/windbox differential pressure.