Ultra-low pollutant emission combustion process and apparatus

摘要

An apparatus and method for ultra-low pollutant emission combustion of fossil fuel wherein an elongated cyclonic primary combustion chamber has a cross-sectional area about 4 to about 30 percent that of an elongated cyclonic secondary combustion chamber and a volume about 1 to about 20 percent the combined primary and secondary combustion chamber volume. A first fuel portion of about 1 percent to about 20 percent of the total fuel and primary combustion air in an amount selected from about 40 to about 90 percent and about 140 percent to about 230 percent of the stoichiometric requirement for complete combustion of the first fuel portion is introduced into the primary combustion chamber. A second fuel portion of about 80 to about 99 percent of the total fuel is introduced into the secondary combustion chamber with secondary combustion air in an amount of about 150 percent to about 260 percent of the stoichiometric requirement for complete combustion of the fuel. In preferred embodiments cyclonic flow is maintained through the combustor.