Lowering emissions that result from fuel combustion in boilers

Abstract

A method for lowering emissions that result from fuel combustion in a boiler may include obtaining, from a first sensor device, a plurality of fuel values of fuel parameters associated with a fuel injected into the boiler; obtain, from a second sensor device, a plurality of air values of air parameters associated with air injected into the boiler; identifying a fuel target flow rate and an air target flow rate based on the plurality of fuel values and the plurality of air values, wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate result in a lower temperature in the boiler and in lowering the emissions from combustion in the boiler; controlling a fuel injection system to inject the fuel into the boiler at the fuel target flow rate; and controlling an air injection system to inject the air into the boiler at the air target flow rate.

1 . A method for lowering emissions that result from fuel combustion in a boiler, the method comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of fuel values of fuel parameters associated with a fuel in gaseous form injected into the boiler;   obtaining a plurality of air values of air parameters associated with air injected into the boiler;   identifying a target temperature in the boiler at which to operate, wherein the target temperature is lower than a current temperature;   identifying a fuel target flow rate and an air target flow rate based on the target temperature, the plurality of fuel values, and the plurality of air values, wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate result in the target temperature in the boiler and in lowering the emissions from combustion in the boiler;   controlling a fuel injection system to inject the fuel into the boiler at the fuel target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring an actual temperature within a burner or a furnace of the boiler; and   controlling an air injection system to inject the air into the boiler at the air target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring the actual temperature within the burner or the furnace of the boiler.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lower emissions comprises NOx. 
     
     
         3 . A combustion control system for lowering emissions that result from fuel combustion in a boiler, the system comprising a controller that is configured to:
 obtain, from a first sensor device, a plurality of fuel values of fuel parameters associated with a fuel in gaseous form injected into the boiler;   obtain, from a second sensor device, a plurality of air values of air parameters associated with air injected into the boiler;   identify a target temperature in the boiler at which to operate, wherein the target temperature is lower than a current temperature;   identify a fuel target flow rate and an air target flow rate based on the target temperature, the plurality of fuel values, and the plurality of air values, wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate result in the target temperature in the boiler and in lowering the emissions from combustion in the boiler;   control a fuel injection system to inject the fuel into the boiler at the fuel target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring an actual temperature within a burner or a furnace of the boiler; and   control an air injection system to inject the air into the boiler at the air target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring the actual temperature within the burner or the furnace of the boiler.   
     
     
         4 . The combustion control system of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel comprises a pilot fuel used to start the combustion in the boiler. 
     
     
         5 . The combustion control system of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel comprises a primary fuel, wherein the primary fuel comprises natural gas. 
     
     
         6 . The combustion control system of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel further comprises a pilot maintenance fuel that is mixed with the primary fuel. 
     
     
         7 . The combustion control system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a third sensor device communicably coupled to the controller, wherein the third sensor device is configured to measure a second plurality of fuel values of fuel parameters associated with a second fuel injected into the boiler, wherein the second fuel comprises the pilot maintenance fuel.   
     
     
         8 . The combustion control system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a valve configured to be controlled by the controller, wherein the valve regulates a second fuel target flow rate, identified by the controller, for the second fuel.   
     
     
         9 . The combustion control system of  claim 6 , wherein the primary fuel, the pilot maintenance fuel, and the air are mixed and combusted in the burner of the boiler. 
     
     
         10 . The combustion control system of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel further comprises a secondary fuel that is injected into the furnace of the boiler, wherein the secondary fuel comprises a sour gas. 
     
     
         11 . The combustion control system of  claim 10 , wherein the fuel further comprises a tertiary fuel that is injected into the furnace of the boiler, wherein the tertiary fuel comprises a waste gas. 
     
     
         12 . The combustion control system of  claim 11 , wherein the secondary fuel is injected into a first portion of the furnace, wherein the tertiary fuel is injected into a second portion of the furnace, and wherein the first portion of the furnace is closer to the burner than the second portion of the furnace. 
     
     
         13 . The combustion control system of  claim 12 , wherein the air comprises ambient air and flue gas resulting from the fuel combustion in the boiler. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, enables the computer processor to:
 facilitate obtaining a plurality of fuel values of fuel parameters associated with a fuel in gaseous form injected into a boiler;   facilitate obtaining a plurality of air values of air parameters associated with air injected into the boiler;   facilitate identifying a target temperature in the boiler at which to operate, wherein the target temperature is lower than a current temperature;   facilitate identifying a fuel target flow rate and an air target flow rate based on the target temperature, the plurality of fuel values, and the plurality of air values, wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate result in the target temperature in the boiler and lower emissions from combustion in the boiler;   facilitate controlling a fuel injection system to inject the fuel into the boiler at the fuel target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring an actual temperature within a burner or a furnace of the boiler; and   facilitate controlling an air injection system to inject the air into the boiler at the air target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring the actual temperature within the burner or the furnace of the boiler.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, further enables the computer processor to:
 facilitate obtaining a plurality of ambient environment values of ambient environment parameters associated with an ambient environment surrounding the boiler, wherein the plurality of ambient environment values are used in identifying the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate are identified using an algorithm. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein all of the fuel is combusted in the boiler. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, further enables the computer processor to:
 facilitate obtaining a second plurality of fuel values of the fuel parameters associated with the fuel injected into the boiler;   facilitate identifying a difference between the second plurality of fuel values and the plurality of fuel values;   facilitate identifying a revised fuel target flow rate and a revised air target flow rate based on the target temperature, the second plurality of fuel values, and the plurality of air values, wherein the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate result in the target temperature in the boiler and lower emissions from combustion in the boiler;   facilitate controlling the fuel injection system to inject the fuel into the boiler at the revised fuel target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring the actual temperature within the burner or the furnace of the boiler; and   facilitate controlling the air injection system to inject the air into the boiler at the revised air target flow rate, based on the target temperature in the boiler, without measuring the actual temperature within the burner or the furnace of the boiler.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, further enables the computer processor to:
 facilitate obtaining actual emissions data for flue gas resulting from the combustion in the boiler;   facilitate identifying a difference between the actual emissions data and forecast emissions based on the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate;   facilitate modifying an algorithm used to identify the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein identifying the fuel target flow rate and the air target flow rate is further based on a configuration of the boiler.