Our SOLEX combustion system allows you to achieve less than 5 ppm NOx emissions regardless of fuel composition and independent of furnace temperature. We engineered the SOLEX burners with two significant combustion zones to achieve these emissions levels from start-up to full capacity with minimal CO emissions. Helping you lower emissions while receiving a rapid payback with long-term savings.
Key Benefits:
Our innovative technology not only lowers emissions but also delivers potential long-term savings of $4ook per year in a typical refining heater making it a smart investment for your facility’s bottom line.
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The SOLEX burner has been successfully demonstrated in the JZHC R&D Test Center with up to 850°F air preheat.
The primary zone can operate on RFG or NG.
The highest AIT for the range of compositions is selected as the minimum BWT at which the COOLmix is allowed to open.
Although each application should be reviewed in detail, the SOLEX burner is less sensitive to floor temperature variation due to the lean premix combustion occurring inside the tile.
The burner stability limits are driven more by emissions requirements than anything else. The burner has been tested with a wide range of fuel compositions, heat releases, airside pressure drops and combustion air temperatures. The real limits are when NOx emissions less than 5 ppmvd (corrected to 3% O2) are required. Beyond this point, the operating window begins to narrow.
There are multiple ways to approach the COOLmix transition. First, the burner control system can have a ramping function that brings in and takes out COOLmix gradually until it meets the set point. Second, the AIRmix zone can be designed to fire high enough to achieve AIT, and then the COOLmix is introduced gradually while AIRmix heat release is reduced. Third, if the customer furnace is expected to be near the AIT temperature, the burner can be supplied with a second set of COOLmix tips that can operate below AIT. This allows for a smooth transition between the COOLmix zones as the AIT is crossed. We have incorporated a dead band to avoid oscillating if this function is chosen.
A 50°F dead band between the BWT at which the COOLmix valve opens and closes is recommended for field installations.
Yes, the primary zone of combustion is used for light-off of the AIRmix zone.
The measurement can be mass- or volumetric-based depending on specific application, turndown requirements, end-user preference, etc.
The SOLEX burner can maintain NOx emissions by adjusting the AFR (air/fuel ratio). When the combustion air temperature increases, the system compensates by operating the AIRmix zone of the burner at higher excess air to control NOx emissions.
When operating on the AIRmix zone of combustion, such as during startup or turndown, the O2 is determined by the required air/fuel ratio. This is dependent on several factors, such as the fuel composition and the air preheat temperature. There is no operator control of excess air until the COOLmix zone is engaged. If control of excess air is desired when the firebox is below AIT, then the burner can be supplied with a second set of COOLmix tips that do not require the AIT permissive at the sacrifice of NOx. Predicted emissions during this mode of operation are approximately 15 ppm for typical refinery conditions, regardless of APH temperature.
Yes, there are three sets of tips for this configuration. These are the AIRmix zone and two sets of COOLmix tips. The second set of COOLmix tips, also known as the tile tips, are staged tips angled into the AIRmix zone of combustion, much like a traditional staged fuel burner. For this set of tips, there are no temperature setpoint requirements.
Olefins can increase NOx emissions, so in situations where significant olefins are present, the burner system must adjust the AFR accordingly to maintain NOx emissions. Similarly, inerts impact the NOx emissions and flammability limits, so the AFR must be controlled to maintain NOx emissions. The SOLEX burner system is able to handle both components in the fuel gas.
The burner can use traditional flame scanners, and there are no issues when activating the COOLmix combustion zone.
Approximately half of the heat release from the SOLEX burner occurs in the tile, so there is considerably less fuel being staged into the furnace when compared to a standard ultra-low NOx burner. This shift in heat release should provide greater relief for burner spacing allowances. Exemption from API spacing guidelines hasn’t been evaluated at this point but could be possible depending on the furnace geometry and process conditions.
The smallest orifice is located in the primary zone of combustion and measures 0.0625″. The AIRmix and COOLmix orifices are approximately two times larger than what is used in the COOLstar burners. The likelihood of plugging decreases with the increased port diameter.
The system responds well to fuel gas swings. The burner system has been tested with hydrogen swings. These are particularly challenging since the molecular weight and heating values can vary significantly when hydrogen content varies.
JZHC has traditionally provided some margin to account for field effects. This will still be done on a case-by-case basis, and all possible effort will be made by JZHC to minimize these effects to provide the best possible guarantee.
Theoretically, induced draft only will work; however, typical burner dP is approximately 2-4 in WC, which is significantly higher than what is typically available in an induced draft system.
