Fuel preheater

Abstract

The fuel preheater includes a first mixer provided in a fuel supply line connected to a combustion facility that combusts fuel including ammonia, the fuel supply line supplying ammonia to the first mixer, the first mixer being connected to an oxidizer supply line that supplies an oxidizer and mixing the ammonia flowing in the fuel supply line with the oxidizer from the oxidizer supply line to produce a mixed gas, and a reactor provided downstream of the first mixer in the fuel supply line, the reactor including a catalyst that promotes a reaction of the ammonia and that causes an exothermic reaction, the catalyst causing the exothermic reaction with at least a part of the ammonia in the mixed gas that is supplied from the first mixer and heating the mixed gas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fuel preheater comprising:
 a first mixer provided in a fuel supply line connected to a combustion facility that combusts fuel including ammonia, the fuel supply line supplying ammonia to the first mixer, the first mixer being connected to an oxidizer supply line that supplies an oxidizer, the first mixer mixing the ammonia flowing in the fuel supply line with the oxidizer from the oxidizer supply line to produce a mixed gas; and   a reactor provided downstream of the first mixer in the fuel supply line, the reactor including a catalyst that promotes a reaction of ammonia and that causes an exothermic reaction, the catalyst causing the exothermic reaction with at least a part of the ammonia in the mixed gas that is supplied from the first mixer and heating the mixed gas.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a second mixer provided downstream of the reactor in the fuel supply line, the second mixer being connected to the oxidizer supply line by a first bypass line and mixing the mixed gas supplied from the reactor with the oxidizer supplied from the first bypass line.   
     
     
         3 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a first valve provided in the oxidizer supply line and adjusting a flow rate of the oxidizer supplied to the first mixer;   a temperature sensor provided downstream of the reactor in the fuel supply line and measuring a temperature of the mixed gas; and   a controller communicatively connected to the first valve and the temperature sensor,   wherein,   the controller stores a predetermined threshold associated with a temperature at which a material forming the fuel supply line begins to be nitrided, and   the controller controls the first valve to adjust the flow rate of the oxidizer supplied to the first mixer so that the temperature of the mixed gas measured by the temperature sensor is below the threshold.   
     
     
         4 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor includes heating means for heating the catalyst, and the heating means includes a heater. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor includes heating means for heating the catalyst, and the heating means includes a first heat exchanger that heats the catalyst by exhaust gas from the combustion facility. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor includes heating means for heating the catalyst, and the heating means includes a second heat exchanger that heats the catalyst by steam extracted from the combustion facility. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a third mixer provided downstream of the reactor in the fuel supply line, the third mixer being connected to a position upstream of the first mixer in the fuel supply line by a second bypass line and mixing the mixed gas supplied from the reactor with the ammonia supplied from the second bypass line.   
     
     
         8 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a second valve provided upstream of the first mixer in the fuel supply line and adjusting a flow rate of the ammonia supplied to the first mixer;   a temperature sensor provided downstream of the reactor in the fuel supply line and measuring a temperature of the mixed gas; and   a controller communicatively connected to the second valve and the temperature sensor,   wherein:   the controller stores a predetermined threshold associated with a temperature at which a material forming the fuel supply line begins to be nitrided, and   the controller controls the second valve to adjust the flow rate of the ammonia supplied to the first mixer so that the temperature of the mixed gas measured by the temperature sensor is less than the threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel preheater supplies the mixed gas to a plurality of burners in the combustion facility. 
     
     
         10 . The fuel preheater according to  claim 1 , wherein the exothermic reaction on the catalyst of the reactor is catalytic combustion. 
     
     
         11 . A method of installing a fuel preheater in a combustion facility, the method comprising:
 preparing a first mixer configured to mix ammonia and an oxidizer;   preparing a reactor including a catalyst that causes an exothermic reaction with ammonia;   installing the first mixer in a fuel supply line connected to a combustion facility that combusts fuel including ammonia, the fuel supply line supplying ammonia to the first mixer;   connecting an oxidizer supply line supplying an oxidizer to the first mixer, the first mixer mixing the ammonia flowing in the fuel supply line with the oxidizer from the oxidizer supply line to produce a mixed gas; and   installing the reactor downstream of the first mixer in the fuel supply line, the catalyst causing the exothermic reaction with at least a part of the ammonia in the mixed gas that is supplied from the first mixer and heating the mixed gas.