Methods and apparatus for the improved treatment of carbonaceous fuel and/or feedstocks
AssigneeVRC Techonology, LLC
InventorsMarcus A. Wiley, Matthew A. Cotton, Darlene K. Sherrod, Marcus K. Wiley, Thomas K. Gale, Timothy P. Lenneman
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Abstract
The inventive technology includes methods and apparatus for the generation and application of segregated catalytic additives for the pre-combustion treatment of carbonaceous fuel and/or feedstocks. The application of such segregated additives results in the reduction of environmentally harmful emissions during combustion as well as gasification processes. Specifically, pre-combustion treatment of carbonaceous materials with the inventive additives results in the reduction of NOx and/or mercury emissions by least 20% and 40% respectively.
Claims30
A method of generating a catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel comprising the steps of:
- segregating a quantity of fly ash to an ultra-fine particle size;
- segregating a quantity of limestone compound to an ultra-fine particle size;
- applying said segregated fly ash and said segregated limestone compound to a carbonaceous fuel;
- milling said carbonaceous fuel in the presence of said segregated fly ash and said segregated limestone compound such that they are distributed across the surface area of said processed carbonaceous fuel particulate forming a catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel;
- and
- combusting said catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel wherein said step of combustion results in:
- catalytically reducing formation of NOx emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel;
- and
- catalytically reducing formation of mercury emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel.
A method of generating a low emission carbonaceous fuel additive comprising the steps of:
- segregating a quantity of fly ash to an ultra-fine particle size;
- segregating a quantity of calcium source compound to an ultra-fine particle size;
- milling said segregated fly ash and said segregated non-halogen containing calcium source compound such that said segregated components are distributed across the surface area of a carbonaceous fuel particulate forming a catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel such that combustion of said fuel results in:
- catalytically reducing NOx emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel;
- and
- catalytically reducing mercury emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel.
A method of in situ treatment of carbonaceous fuel at a point of production comprising the steps of:
- establishing a quantity of fly ash from the combustion of a carbonaceous fuel;
- segregating said quantity of fly ash to an ultra-fine particle size;
- establishing a quantity of limestone compound;
- segregating said quantity of limestone compound to an ultra-fine particle size;
- treating in situ a carbonaceous fuel at a point of production comprising the step of:
- combining said segregated fly ash and/or said segregated limestone compound with said carbonaceous fuel;
- and
- adhering said segregated fly ash and said segregated limestone compound to said carbonaceous fuel through application of a binding agent to generate a treated carbonaceous fuel;
- transporting said treated carbonaceous fuel to a combustion facility;
- milling said treated carbonaceous fuel such that said bound segregated fly ash and said segregated limestone compound are distributed across the surface area of said carbonaceous fuel particulate forming a catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel;
- combusting said catalytically enhanced low emission carbonaceous fuel wherein said step of combustion results in:
- catalytically reducing formation of NOx emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel;
- and
- catalytically reducing formation of mercury emissions compared to combustion of a non-treated carbonaceous fuel.
A method of catalyzing the gasification of carbonaceous feedstock comprising the steps of:
- segregating a quantity of fly ash to an ultra-fine particle size;
- segregating a quantity of limestone compound to an ultra-fine particle size;
- milling a carbonaceous feedstock with said segregated fly ash and said segregated limestone compound such that said segregated components are distributed across the surface area of said carbonaceous feedstock particulate forming a catalytically enhanced carbonaceous feedstock;
- inserting said catalytically enhanced carbonaceous feedstock in a gasification reactor;
- and
- gasifying said catalytically enhanced carbonaceous feedstock to produce select product gas components wherein said step of gasification results in catalytically reducing formation of select product gas contaminant than gasification without said catalytically enhanced carbonaceous feedstock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.