Latest NOx-Reduction Technology successfully applied by HORN at a Petcoke furnace at Owens Illinois, Zhaoqing, China

The Nitrogen oxide (NOx) production in thermal processes is one of the biggest problems at glass melting tanks. Rising environmental sensitiveness forces the local authorities to restrict the emission values of NOx.  While the basic glass production methods are used since the beginning of glass melting, new challenges are issued by this economical and ecological boundary conditions.

HORN managed to solve such challenge by using the latest NOx-Reduction Technology at the Petcoke fired furnace No 2 at Owens Illinois, Zhaoqing in China. With the new Technology HORN managed the first time to achieve the NOx-limits on a Petcoke furnace. By introducing compressed air at a certain place in the superstructure side wall the flame temperature peaks as well as the local flame lambda can be reduced.

The new Technology is based on an intelligent oxidizer supply system, which ensures complete combustion at very low excess oxygen concentrations. CO and NOx, produced former, are destroyed by controlled flameless re-burning.

A third party, the China National analytic center, confirmed later on the new, by 50% reduced NOx-values by own measurements on Furnace No 2.

The next step of HORN is now to improve the reduction by using moreaccurate brackets for burner lances, air nozzles, measurement of combustion air and Petcoke consumption.