Methods and apparatus to increase industrial combustion efficiency

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to improve industrial combustion efficiency are disclosed. One disclosed example method includes providing sorbent to one or more of a combustion chamber or to flue gas exiting the combustion chamber after a combustion process. The disclosed example method also includes providing the flue gas to a hot gas filter after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing sorbent to one or more of a combustion chamber or to flue gas exiting the combustion chamber after a combustion process; and   providing the flue gas to a hot gas filter after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the flue gas to a temperature below at least a highest dew point of a vaporized components after the flue gas exits the hot gas filter to form a condensate. 
     
     
         3 . The method as defined in  claim 2 , further comprising providing the condensate to a boiler feed or a boiler feed water processing system. 
     
     
         4 . The method as defined in  claim 2 , wherein heat released from condensing the condensate is provided to the combustion chamber or transferred to other parts of a steam cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the flue gas is provided with a dry sorbent prior to being provided to the hot gas filter. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising activation of an ash removal device or an ash removal mechanism, or back-pulsing on at least a subset of filter elements of the hot gas filter to remove cake formed on the hot gas filter to provide further control of residence time of the sorbent. 
     
     
         7 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sorbent is provided to the combustion chamber and further comprising adjusting an amount of the sorbent to be provided to the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The method as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the amount of the sorbent to be provided to the combustion chamber is based on a flow rate of fuel into the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises a catalytic filter or a ceramic catalytic filter. 
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises the catalytic filter, and wherein the catalytic filter comprises filter elements, each of the filter elements comprising fibers or fabric, and a catalyst material. 
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the catalytic filter further comprises a surface barrier. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising
 providing sorbent to a combustion chamber, wherein the sorbent is provided to fuel, combustion air, or a mixture of fuel and combustion air prior to being provided to and combusted in the combustion chamber; and   providing flue gas from the combustion chamber to a catalytic filter.   
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising cooling the flue gas to a temperature below at least a highest dew point of a vaporized components after the flue gas exits the hot gas filter to form a condensate. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 13 , providing the condensate to a boiler feed or a boiler feed water processing system. 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising providing a reducing agent, or a liquid, liquidized, dissolved or disperged agent to the flue gas prior to the flue gas entering the catalytic filter. 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising providing a dry sorbent to the flue gas prior to the flue gas entering the catalytic filter. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising providing the flue gas prior to a heat recovery steam generator after the flue gas exits the catalytic filter. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the catalytic filter comprises filter elements, each filter element comprising fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the fibers have catalyst material embedded within. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising
 a combustion chamber of a boiler plant wherein sorbent is provided to the combustion chamber or provided to flue gas after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber during a combustion process; and   a hot gas filter of the boiler plant to receive the flue gas and reduce acid-forming compounds or pollutants from the flue gas.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising a condenser to condense water from the flue gas after the flue gas exits the hot gas filter, wherein the condensate is optionally provided to a boiler feed or an additional heat exchanger or an alternative condensate consuming process. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , wherein at least a subset of filter elements of the hot gas filter are provided with an ash removal device or an ash removal mechanism, or back-pulsed to remove cake formed on the hot gas filter to control a residence time of the sorbent. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the fuel comprises solid fuel and the sorbent is mixed with the solid fuel or combustion air prior to the solid fuel being combusted in the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises a catalytic filter, wherein the catalytic filter comprises fibers, catalyst material and a surface barrier. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the condenser comprises synthetic materials or plastics, and wherein at least a heat exchanging section comprises synthetic materials and/or plastics. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the condenser comprises a tube bundle heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanging tubes comprise synthetic materials or plastics. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising a branch line to enable a portion of the flue gas to bypass the hot gas filter. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 27 , whereby the branch line comprises an electrostatic precipitator or an electromagnetic separator. 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 providing at least one type of sorbent to one or more of a combustion chamber or to flue gas exiting the combustion chamber after a combustion process; and   condensing at least one vaporized component from the flue gas after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber to form a condensate.   
     
     
         30 . The method as defined in  claim 29 , further comprising providing the flue gas to a hot gas filter before condensing or cooling the flue gas . 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 providing at least one sorbent to one or more of a combustion chamber of a boiler plant or to flue gas exiting the combustion chamber after a combustion process; and   cooling the flue gas to a temperature below at least the highest dew point of any condensable component remaining after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         32 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising providing the flue gas to a hot gas filter before condensing or cooling the flue gas . 
     
     
         33 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising providing the condensate to a boiler feed or a boiler feed water processing system. 
     
     
         34 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , wherein heat released from cooling the flue gas is provided to the combustion chamber or transferred to other parts of a steam cycle. 
     
     
         35 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the flue gas is provided with a dry sorbent prior to being provided to the hot gas filter. 
     
     
         36 . The method as defined in  claim 32 , further comprising activation of an ash removal device or an ash removal mechanism, or back-pulsing of at least a subset of filter elements of the hot gas filter to remove cake formed on the hot gas filter to provide control of residence time of the sorbent. 
     
     
         37 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the sorbent is provided to the combustion chamber and further comprising adjusting an amount of the sorbent to be provided to the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         38 . The method as defined in  claim 37 , wherein the amount of the sorbent to be provided to the combustion chamber is based on a flow rate of fuel into the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         39 . The method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises a catalytic filter or a ceramic catalytic filter. 
     
     
         40 . The method as defined in  claim 39 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises the catalytic filter, and wherein the catalytic filter comprises filter elements, each of the filter elements comprising fibers or fabric, and a catalyst material. 
     
     
         41 . An apparatus comprising
 a combustion chamber, wherein sorbent is provided to the combustion chamber or provided to flue gas after the flue gas exits the combustion chamber during a combustion process; and   a condenser to condense at least one vaporized component from the flue gas to form a condensate, whereby the condensate is optionally provided to a boiler feed, an additional heat exchanger or an alternative condensate consuming process.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 41 , further comprising a hot gas filter to receive the flue gas and reduce acid-forming compounds from the flue gas upstream from the condenser. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 42 , wherein at least a subset of filter elements of the hot gas filter are provided with a ash removal device or an ash removal mechanism, or back-pulsed to remove cake formed on the hot gas filter to control a residence time of the sorbent. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 42 , wherein the hot gas filter comprises a catalytic filter, and wherein the catalytic filter comprises fibers, catalyst material and a surface barrier. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 41 , wherein fuel is provided to the combustion chamber during the combustion process, and wherein the fuel comprises solid fuel and the sorbent is mixed with the solid fuel or combustion air prior to the solid fuel being combusted in the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 41 , wherein the condenser comprises synthetic materials or plastics, and wherein at least a heat exchanging section comprises synthetic materials and/or plastics. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 41 , wherein the condenser comprises a tube bundle heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchanging tubes comprise synthetic materials or plastics. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 41 , further comprising a branch line to enable a portion of the flue gas to bypass the hot gas filter.