APPARATUS FOR OIL SHALE POLLUTANT SORPTION/NOx REBURNING MULTI-POLLUTANT CONTROL

Abstract

A method of decreasing pollutants produced in a combustion process. The method comprises combusting coal in a combustion chamber to produce at least one pollutant selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing pollutant, sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, phosphorous pentaoxide, elemental mercury, and mercuric chloride. Oil shale particles are introduced into the combustion chamber and are combusted to produce sorbent particulates and a reductant. The at least one pollutant is contacted with at least one of the sorbent particulates and the reductant to decrease an amount of the at least one pollutant in the combustion chamber. The reductant may chemically reduce the at least one pollutant to a benign species. The sorbent particulates may adsorb or absorb the at least one pollutant. A combustion chamber that produces decreased pollutants in a combustion process is also disclosed.

1 . A combustion chamber for producing decreased pollutants in a combustion process, comprising:
 a burner zone configured to combust coal and produce at least one pollutant selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing pollutant, sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, phosphorous pentaoxide, elemental mercury, and mercuric chloride;   at least one of a superheater zone and a reheat zone, wherein at least one of the burner zone, the superheater zone and the reheat zone is configured to combust oil shale particles to produce sorbent particulates and a reductant is configured to contact the sorbent particulates and the reductant with the at least one pollutant; and   at least one of an economizer zone, an air preheat zone, and a gas cleaning unit configured to contact the sorbent particulates and the reductant with the at least one pollutant.   
   
   
       2 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the burner zone is configured to contact the nitrogen-containing pollutant with the reductant to reduce the nitrogen-containing pollutant to molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. 
   
   
       3 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the burner zone is configured to maintain a temperature of greater than or equal to about 400° C. to reduce the nitrogen-containing pollutant to molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. 
   
   
       4 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the superheater zone, the reheat zone, and the economizer zone is configured to contact at least one of sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide with the sorbent particulates to adsorb or absorb the at least one of sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide onto the sorbent particulates. 
   
   
       5 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the superheater zone, the reheat zone, and the economizer zone is configured to maintain a temperature of from greater than or equal to about 450° C. to less than about 1150° C. 
   
   
       6 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the air preheat zone and the gas cleaning unit is configured to contact at least one of elemental mercury and mercuric chloride with the sorbent particulates to adsorb or absorb the at least one of elemental mercury and mercuric chloride onto the sorbent particulates. 
   
   
       7 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the air preheat zone and the gas cleaning unit is configured to maintain a temperature of less than or equal to about 200° C. 
   
   
       8 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion chamber is configured as a pulverized coal combustor. 
   
   
       9 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the reheat zone is configured as a transition zone between the superheater zone and the economizer zone. 
   
   
       10 . The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the superheater zone, the reheat zone and the economizer zone is configured to maintain a temperature of from about 450° C. to about 1150° C. in the presence of at least one of sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, and phosphorous pentaoxide to calcinate the sorbent particles. 
   
   
       11 . A combustion chamber for producing decreased pollutants in a combustion process, comprising:
 a burner zone configured to combust coal and produce at least one pollutant selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing pollutant, sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, phosphorous pentaoxide, elemental mercury, and mercuric chloride, wherein the burner zone is configured to combust oil shale particles to produce sorbent particulates and kerogen and wherein the burner zone is configured to contact the sorbent particulates and the kerogen with the at least one pollutant;   at least one zone configured to convert oil shale to sorbent particulates and kerogen and to heat the kerogen;   at least another zone configured to expose the kerogen to the at least one nitrogen-containing pollutant; and   at least one of an air preheat zone and a gas cleaning unit configured to expose the sorbent particles to at least one pollutant selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, phosphorous pentaoxide, elemental mercury, and mercuric chloride.   
   
   
       12 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein the burner zone is configured to combust coal at a temperature in a range of from about 1085° C. to about 1625° C. to produce the at least one pollutant. 
   
   
       13 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one zone comprises at least one of a superheater zone and a reheat zone. 
   
   
       14 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the burner zone and the at least one zone is configured to combust oil shale at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 200° C. 
   
   
       15 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one zone is configured to crack kerogen at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 350° C. 
   
   
       16 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein the at least another zone is configured to calcinate the sorbent particles at a temperature of from about 450° C. to about 1150° C. in the presence of at least one of sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, chlorine, hydroiodic acid, iodine, hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, hydrobromic acid, bromine, phosphoric acid, and phosphorous pentaoxide. 
   
   
       17 . The combustion chamber of  claim 11 , wherein the at least another zone comprises at least one of a superheater zone, a reheat zone, and an economizer zone. 
   
   
       18 . The combustion chamber of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one of the economizer zone and the air preheat zone are further configured to contact the sorbent particulates with at least one of mercury and mercuric chloride at a temperature of less than or equal to about 200° C.