ERC - Emission Reduction Concepts

ERC is one of the leading designers for energy cost saving and emission reduction concepts for any kind of fuel. One of the most innovative developing and manufacturing enterprises in the area of combustion optimisation, energy cost reduction and emission treatment, we design and manufacture tailor-made low-NOx burners for gaseous and liquid fuels.

In our own chemical plant we create special additives for liquid and solid, biogenic and fossil fuels, such as combustion improvers, flue gas neutralisers, corrosion and deposit inhibitors, as well as NOx reduction agents. Furthermore we are engineering and manufacturing de-nitrification plants according to the SNCR procedure, the SCR procedure and to a combination of both. In matters of SNCR plants, we are market leaders in Europe.

THE ERC BURNER WITH INTERNAL FLUE GAS RECIRCULATION

ERC burners are developed with a low NOx design as combined oil / gas burners. They can operate with all kinds of liquid or gaseous fuels, such as HFO, other heating oils, natural gas or special fuels like waste oils or refinery liquid and gaseous residues. Liquid fuels are atomised either by steam or by pressure.

The ERC burner achieves low NOx emission due to its unique internal flue gas recirculation, enabled by a special ejector mounted on the front side of the burner. Internal flue gas recirculation homogenises the temperature distribution inside the flame and lowers the average flame temperature.

FUEL ADDITIVES

In many combustion processes, additives are used in order to run the combustion process more economically and to prevent by-product formation. The fuel additive technology of ERC encompasses a number of products, called satamin, and dosing systems to eliminate diverse operation problems. ERC additives ensure the efficient burning of fuels, thus particulate, soot, S03 and CO emissions are considerably reduced.

ERC combustion additives are injected flow-proportionally into the fuel by means of so-called primary dosing systems. When primary combustion-control measures are insufficient for maintaining the emission limits, additional – or secondary – measures for reducing emissions must be taken into consideration. These measures include additive applications into the flue gas section of the boiler.

ADDITIVES FOR NOX – REDUCTION

Various carbamin or satamin additives are used to reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions. ERC additives designed to reduce NOx emissions contain active substances that inhibit the formation of possible by-products. These additives are dosed according to the specific problems of the boiler or furnace in question, singly or as a combination of several products.

FLUE-GAS CLEANING SYSTEMS

In the field of flue-gas cleaning systems, ERC is the specialist in reducing nitrogen-oxide emissions (NOx) in flue gases. ERC applies the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) or the selective catalytic reduction (SCR), or combines both reduction principles into its own ERC-Plus procedure – a technically reliable and cost-optimised solution when high NOx reduction rates are required.

For choosing the appropriate procedure, not only the required degree of nitrogen-oxide reduction, but the maximum permissible secondary emissions, the design of the furnace and the fuel specification are the most important considerations.

The SNCR procedure is applied for NOx reduction rates up to 75%. For reduction rates above 90% the SCR procedure is applied. Where higher NOx reduction levels than the SNCR procedure can achieve are required, the ERC-Plus procedure has proven very effective. The ERC-Plus procedure consists of a non-catalytic reduction stage and a catalytic stage.

DOSING SYSTEMS

The additives are sprayed into the hot flue gas via an electronically controlled dosing system, called a secondary dosing system, which enables flexible adaptation of the active ingredients to the fluctuating operation of the boiler or furnace.

Optimal distribution of the NOx reduction agent into the appropriate temperature area is a prerequisite for high effectiveness of the applied procedure. For this purpose ERC manufactures and supplies cost-effective dosing systems. In special cases, even temperature measuring systems are used to guide the dosing.