Compensated Indications

 

Compensating indications to specific process or standard reference conditions is a common requirement. Below is an example of how to comply with anti pollution legislation, G&L compensated the flue gas NOx content indication to STP corrected to 12% CO2 dry, using NO and H2O analysers.

NOx is not a naturally occurring compound and is unstable, it reacts with O2 at low temperatures to form NO2. This means that as the NOx leaves the stack and mixes with the atmosphere the NO will slowly react to form NO2. Since the enforcement agencies would be monitoring emissions from the plants surrounding areas it was necessary to assume all the NO in the flue would react with the O2 in the atmosphere. Therefore the molecular weight of NO2 (46.007) was used to calculate the NOx emission concentration.

From the formula below the mass of NOx can be calculated

Molecular_Weight
22.415
x volume = mass

(22.415 m3 / mole is the gas constant at STP (0°C, 1 atmosphere)

The analyser measured NO ppm by volume, since NO makes up 90% of the NOx volume, (NO PPM / 0.9) = NOx PPM by volume.

46.007
22.415
x
NO(PPM)
0.9
=
NOx(expressed as NO2) mg/m3

By calculating the products of combustion, the NOx mg/m3 calculation can be referenced to 12% CO2 dry.

Theoretical combustion of fuel can be shown by:

Cm Hn
+ (
4m + n
4
)O2 ® mCO2 + (
n
2
)H2O

The furnace was fired on naphtha, the main component of Naphtha is C6 H14, but to calculate more accurately a laboratory analysis showed the carbon / hydrogen ratio to be 5.2

 

2(C 0.433_H)
+
2(0.433+1/4)O2
®
2(0.433)CO2
+
H2O

 

2(C 0.433_H)
+
1.366O2
®
0.866CO2
+
H2O

To obtain smokeless combustion the fuel is burnt using excess air. Air not oxygen is used in the combustion process, therefore nitrogen will be present in the products of combustion. Each mole of O2 in air is accompanied by 3.76 moles of N2. To obtain 12% CO2 dry in the products of combustion the excess air was 18.68%

Products of Combustion
Mole
% Wet
% Dry

CO2

H2O

O2 (0.1868x1.366)

N2 (1.1868x1.366.3.76)

0.866

1.000

0.255

6.096

10.54

12.17

3.10

74.19

12.00

----

3.53

84.47


Total

8.217
100.00
100.00

 

From the above table to correct the calculation to 12% CO2 dry, the existing O2 % wet analyser could be used, by referencing the calculation to the O2 wet value that would be present in the flue when the CO2 value was 12% dry. From the table this can be seen to be 3.10% wet.

NOx (actual) x reference conditions = NOx (reference conditions)

NOx(actual)
x
20.9-(O2_reference)
20.9-O2_(actual)
=
NOx(referenced to O2)

Assigning instrumentation and process values from the products of combustion table

NOx(analyser)
x
20.9-3.10
20.9-O2_(analyser)
=
NOx_volume
(referenced to 12%CO2)

The above formulas are combined to form the final equation:

NOx mg/m3 (expressed as NO2) corrected to STP, 12% CO2 dry
=

NO(analyser)
0.9
x
46.007
22.415
x
20.9-3.10
20.9-O2_(analyser)

This equation is implemented in a Regulatory PV Calculation data point as:

PV = (P1/0.9)x(C1/C2)x((C3-3.1)/(C3-P2))

Where:

P1
=
NO_analyser
P2
=
O2_analyser
C1
=
46.007
C2
=
22.415
C3
=
20.9
C4
=
0

Similar methods can be used to calculate references to O2 dry Standard Metric Conditions etc.

The regulatory PV data point could be used as an indication, and indication with alarms or as an input to a controller or more sophisticated sequence programme.

 

This is an example of how G&L calls upon it experience
to provide a securely engineered system.

 

For examples of the model related to the above calculations click on one of the pages below

 

These calculations are entirely original, developed by G&L Engineering.
© 2000 G&L Engineering Ltd.

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