Update of B&Ws Low NOx Burner Experience

A.D. LaRue
M.A. Costanzo
J.A. Fulmer
K.J. Wohlwend
Babcock & Wilcox
Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A.
BR-1702

Presented to:
ASME International Joint Power Generation Conference
July 24-25, 2000
Miami, Florida, U.S.A.

Abstract
Babcock & Wilcox has installed low NOx combustion equipment in more than 180 PC-fired steam generators representing
over 78,000 MW of electrical generation. These include new
boiler and retrofit applications covering a diverse range of coals
and furnace geometries. This paper presents a summary of the
results and experience gained from these installations. In addition, a few selected units are considered in more detail relative
to emission performance and case-specific technical issues.
These include situations with low NO x burners only, and also in
combination with air staging ports (OFA) to provide even greater
NO x reduction. NO x emissions at or below 0.20 lb/million Btu
are being maintained long term in some utility boilers firing
reactive coal, and may offer an option to SCRs in some situations. Significant advancements in the area of low NOx PC-fired
burner design will also be presented. The most advanced plugin burners provide a step reduction in NOx emissions, as may
be expected, but along with a simultaneous step reduction in
unburned carbon.
Progress in combustion emission control from gas/oil fired
retrofits will also be presented. This includes a recent application, plus latest developments concerning a new gas-fired design which sharply reduces NO x for gas, or gas-capable PCfired burners.

Introduction and Background

The marketplace for electrical power generation in the United
States is undergoing massive changes. Deregulation is leading
to major growth in gas-fired combined cycle systems to augment capacity and/or compete with conventional boiler/steam

1
Babcock & Wilcox

turbine plants which are predominantly coal-fired. Increasingly

restrictive emission regulations are simultaneously requiring
additions of equipment to further reduce airborne emissions of
NOx, SO2 and particulate from the power industry. The billions
of dollars being expended for back end clean up systems add to
the complexity as well as expense of operation and maintenance.
Meanwhile plant staffing remains on a downward trend driven
by cost control, and mega mergers are intended to further reduce overall staffing and costs.
Success in an economically deregulated (re-regulated is more
like it) market will increasingly depend on selecting the most
cost effective means of complying with emission regulations.
Low NOx burners provide a means for coal-fired burners to significantly reduce NOx emissions at the source, in the combustion process. Low NOx burners, sometimes with air staging ports
(NO x ports), can reduce NO x emissions to levels required by
the Title IV Phase I and II of the Clean Air Act Amendments.
Phase II limits most wall-fired (coal) units to 0.46 lb/million
Btu. Thats history. NO x reductions to the 0.15 lb/million Btu
level, or even lower, are becoming a requirement in some states
and are expected to become widespread in the near future. The
0.15 lb/million limit appears to be at or beyond the capability
of most low NOx combustion systems, even given favorable coal
attributes. B&W has successfully developed an ultra low NOx
burner design which has reduced NOx below these limits during large scale prototype tests. The first retrofit of these DRB4ZTM burners is now in the early stages of commissioning, and
may demonstrate this capability for wall-fired boilers.
For situations where low NOx burners cannot fully satisfy
the NOx emission limits, conventional wisdom has been that
they still offer the most cost effective first step in NOx control.

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

1

While generally true, this will not always be the case, depending on the existing level and final NO x emission target. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology enables NOx reduction to 0.15 lb/million Btu or lower and is becoming a necessity
at many U.S. power plants. Given the use of SCR, the need for
highly effective low NOx burners is less certain. It depends on
the existing NOx emission levels and the final target value. In
some cases, especially where the present NOx level is fairly low,
it may prove more cost effective to supply a larger SCR to handle
the burden. Otherwise, low NO x burners continue to carry the
first responsibility for significantly reducing the formation of
NO x.
Collective experience in the power industry has shown that
burners labeled low NOx actually exhibit considerable variation in NOx reduction capability among suppliers. NOx performance depends on the quality of the technology embodied in
the design, as well as the durability of the equipment under the
severe conditions in which they must function. Decisions based
on low capital cost can backfire if the equipment fails to perform well, or cant take the heat. Air staging systems, to augment low NOx burners, face similar criticism. Basic systems
may or may not provide satisfactory short-term performance.
Best long-term results depend on a careful analysis of the
furnace geometry and physical constraints, coupled with numerical modeling to determine the most suitable size and arrangement of NOx ports. NO x ports which provide adjustable air flow
mixing characteristics enable performance optimization during
commissioning. Neural networks are being employed to assist
in NOx reduction and to reduce day-to-day fluctuations.
B&Ws leadership in the low NOx burner business is evidenced by the breadth of experience, the depth of NOx reduction achieved by these systems and continued investment in
R&D to advance the performance of equipment. This paper provides an overview of B&Ws experience, some examples of recent applications, and descriptions of latest developments in low
NO x burner design.

temperatures, limiting NO x formation. Reducing air mixing rates

with the coal can cause undesirable consequences as well, such
as reduced flame stability or increased unburned carbon. Multiple air zones in low NOx burners make it possible to swirl or
otherwise induce recirculation sufficiently for good flame stability with just a portion of the air flow. The remaining air flow
is more gradually mixed downstream to complete combustion.
Air staging systems divert a portion of the combustion air from
the burners, typically 10 to 30%, for introduction downstream
in the process.
Again, diverting air from the burners can impair flame stability and this must be considered when adding air staging to an
existing burner system. Diverting large quantities of air from
the burners more effectively reduces NO x. However, operating
the burners below theoretical air flow (substoichiometric) causes
corrosive gases and compounds to form during combustion of
coals with high sulfur content. These can damage unprotected
steel tubing in the burner zone. A well designed air staging system produces rapid thorough mixing of the staged air with products of combustion from the lower furnace, and minimizes unburned combustibles (UBC).

B&W Low NOx Coal Burner Experience

B&W low NOx burners have been installed in over 180 PCfired units (Table 1), amounting to over 78,000 MW e of capacity. The Dual Register Burner (DRB) was developed and then
deployed in 71 new boiler applications dating from 1971, to
satisfy new source performance standards (NSPS). NSPS limits
were initially 0.7 lb/million Btu and were reduced to 0.6 and
0.5 lb/million Btu over the next decade. DRBs were applied to
utility units ranging in size from under 100 to 1300 MWe capacity. The DRB proved uniquely capable of satisfying these
limits without the need for air staging systems. With reactive
coals, like subbituminous Powder River Basin coals, the DRB
frequently reduced NOx to 0.3 - 0.4 lb/million Btu. The DRB,
first of the first generation low NOx burners, showed itself to
be quite effective as a NOx control device. However, the mechanical design was not well suited for retrofit application to
existing boilers, and it tended to suffer binding and warpage
after long term use.
In the mid 1980s, B&W embarked on development of a second generation low NOx burner. This burner was intended for
retrofit use in existing boilers, as well as for new boilers. The
DRB-XCL was developed for use in wall-fired boilers from
all manufacturers, with fuel inputs up to the ~300 million Btu/
hr range. The DRB was mechanically reconfigured to an axial

NOx Formation and Control

NOx formation during the combustion process occurs mainly

through the oxidation of nitrogen in the combustion air (thermal NO x) or from oxidation of nitrogen bound to the organic
matter in the coal (fuel NOx). Thermal NOx is the dominant formation mechanism for natural gas and for fuel oils with little or
no fuel nitrogen. Thermal NOx increases exponentially with temperature and is suppressed by techniques which reduce flame
temperature and reduce concentration of oxygen. These include
low NOx burners, air staging systems, and flue gas recirculation to the combustion equipment.
Fuel NO x formation, while complex, can be inhibited by reduction of oxygen concentration and temperature during the
early stages of combustion. Fuel NO x is the primary formation
mechanism during coal combustion, and is highly dependent
on coal properties. Highly reactive coals, with low fixed carbon
to volatile matter ratio, and coals with low nitrogen content display lower NOx forming tendencies. Fuel NOx can be suppressed
by low NO x burners, air staging systems, and by fuel switching
to more reactive coal.
Low NOx burners regulate the rate of air introduction during
the early stages of combustion, usually by use of multiple air
zones and hardware to control mixing rates. This reduces oxygen availability as the coal devolatizes and reduces peak flame

Table 1
B&W Low NO x Combustion Systems
Wall Fired and Pulverized Coal
78,226 MW
186 Boilers
5,558 Burners
Burner Type
DRB
DRB-XCL
LNCB
DRB-4Z
Totals

Units
71
102
8
5

Burners
3,284
1,854
196
224

Capacity, MW e
41,065
29,216
4,939
3,006

186

5,558

78,226

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

Babcock & Wilcox

a
Stationary Vane

ity stainless steel. A Flame Stabilizing Ring on the coal nozzle

proved to be a mechanical weakness of early versions of the
DRB-XCL. Further development work was performed to enable elimination of this hardware while maintaining emission
performance.
Referring again to Table 1, the DRB-XCL was the burner
of choice for over 100 PC-fired boilers over the past decade,
amounting to nearly 30,000 MW e of capacity. These included
some applications for new boilers, but primarily were retrofits
to wall-fired boilers. These represent considerable diversity in
capacity (20 to 1100 MWe); in burner input (50 to 300 million
Btu/hr firing rate); in coal (lignite to low volatile bituminous);
and in burner arrangement (single wall, opposed wall, roof fired,
and plug-in for cell burners). The burners were used with air
staging ports in some cases, and increasingly so as time goes on
to meet lower emissions standards.
Figure 2 summarizes NOx emission performance for the DRB
and DRB-XCL PC-fired burner population. The graph displays EPA Continuous Emission Monitor (CEM) published NOx
emission data, or full load test data where it is available, for
110 units. This is not hand-picked data, but rather displays all
units for which data was readily available. Note that the population includes boiler applications with B&W DRB combustion
equipment installed back as far as 1975 as original equipment.
The NOx limit at that time was 0.7 lb/million Btu. All of the
units are at or lower than their original NOx guarantee level.
The graph also includes XCL emission points, which include
retrofit and some new boiler applications. The right hand portion of Figure 2 characterizes the data by fuel and combustion
system. Clearly the coal rank, as it relates to reactivity, has a
major impact on emissions. The less reactive medium and high
volatile bituminous result in the higher emission levels, while
subbituminous and staged subbituminous produce the lowest
NOx. There is not much difference in actual unstaged emission
data between the DRB and DRB-XCL. The DRB-XCL is
known to produce lower NOx than the DRB under the same conditions. However, much of the XCL data is from retrofits into

a
a
Sliding
Disc

Air Measuring
Pitot Grid

Outer Zone
Adjustable
Vane
Inner Zone
Adjustable
Vane
Bladed
Impeller

Distribution
Cone

Pulverized Coal
and
Primary Air Inlet

Figure 1

Low NOx DRB-XCL burner.

flow arrangement, to facilitate air flow control. The aXial Control Low (XCL) NO x burner (Figure 1) uses a simple, reliable
sliding air damper to control air flow to each burner. A linear
actuator is used to automate this damper. Each burner is equipped
with a pitot grid to measure air flow just past the entrance of the
burner. The air then travels through one of two parallel paths
the inner zone or outer zone. The inner zone is equipped with
adjustable vanes which swirl the air to stabilize the flame. The
outer zone is equipped with fixed vanes as well as adjustable
vanes. Together they improve peripheral air distribution in the
outer zone and swirl the majority of the air more moderately for
mixing later in the flame. The inner and outer adjustable vanes
enable emission optimization on-line during commissioning, and
are then fixed in place.
The new hardware design provided a highly reliable means
of adjusting the components. The burner nozzle hardware options include Conical Diffusers (lower NO x) and bladed impellers (shorter flames, lower UBC). The mechanical structure of
the DRB-XCL has also proven to be highly rugged and reliable. The main outer barrel is constructed of heavy steel plate
with a system of stiffeners which accommodate thermal expansion without distortion. All front end components are high qual0.8
0.7

0.6

NO x (lb/million Btu)

B&W Low NO x Combustion SystemsNO x Emissions

Wall Fired and Pulverized Coal
(EPA-CEM data or full load test data when available)
Burners Installed 1975 to 1999

0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2

0.1
0
0
Figure 2

200

400

600

800

1000

NO x Emissions
(lb/million Btu)

Units

Characteristics

>0.50

10

Bituminous or medium volatile

bituminous

0.40 - 0.499

39

Bituminous

0.30 - 0.399

36

Subbituminous/lignite or
staged bituminous

0.20 - 0.299

24

Subbituminous/lignite or
staged bituminous

0.10 - 0.199

Staged bituminous

1200

Capacity (MW e)
B&W low NOx combustion systemsNO x emissions.

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Babcock & Wilcox

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

3

a
a

No pressure part modifications were necessary to accommodate

the burners. New lighters were also supplied with the burners.
An air staging system was included to further reduce NOx
emissions for Karn 2. B&W numerically modeled several alternate NOx port arrangements to evaluate upper furnace mixing
effectiveness. The best solution made use of six NOx ports positioned ~10 ft (3 m) above the top burner row on the opposite
firing wall. Dual Zone NO x ports (Figure 4) provided control of
air mixing rates from the NOx ports. The Dual Zone NOx port
provides high jet penetration when required by using the core
zone, and by limiting swirl in the outer air zone. Near field mixing can be increased by adding more swirl to the air passing
through the outer air zone. An automated sliding sleeve damper
regulates total air flow to the port. A pitot grid measures air
flow to the ports, providing information to assist in commissioning adjustments. The scope included complementary equipment for the NOx ports, including the windbox, pressure part
openings, and connecting ductwork.
Dynamically Staged Variable Speed (DSVS TM ) rotating
classifiers were provided to control fineness with the EL-76
pulverizers. This enables adjusting fineness to higher levels to
reduce UBC with bituminous coal, or to lesser fineness and
higher throughput with PRB coal. The DSVS classifiers
proved capable of fineness in excess of 90% passing 200 mesh,
but were normally operated with moderate fineness having 68%
minus 200 mesh and 99.7% minus 50 mesh and 94.7% minus
100 mesh. The customer purchased additional equipment to
improve coal flow control, including gravimetric feeders, new
PA fans, and valves for balancing coal flow among the coal pipes.
Pre-retrofit emissions were tested and NO x was found to be
0.84 lb/million Btu at full load, with unburned carbon at 8.9%
in the flyash. NOx emissions were reduced to 0.36 lb/million
Btu with the new B&W equipment, which amounts to 57% reduction, while UBC went to 8.3% (Figure 5). UBC could be
further reduced by increasing fineness.

Figure 3

Consumers EnergyKarn 2.

hotter, more compact furnaces versus the DRB. This offsets

much of the lower NO x characteristic of the XCL. The staged
cases are with DRB-XCL burners, and show NOx emission levels around 0.25 lb/million Btu with subbituminous coal, with
two cases in the 0.15 to 0.20 range.

Recent Retrofit
Experiences with DRB-XCL

A few examples of recent retrofits are described here to provide an indication of performance on specific applications.

Karn 2

The first case is for Consumers Energy Karn Station, Unit 2.

This is a moderately sized single-wall-fired unit with a capacity of 265 MWe. The B&W boiler is equipped with six EL-76
pulverizers serving 24 circular (original) burners located on the
front wall (Figure 3). The vertical burner spacing is cell-like
for the upper and lower pairs, with only 6 ft (1.83 m) separating
burners. The burners are grouped horizontally in pairs also, to
fit between two (partial depth) division walls which partition
the furnace into thirds. The furnace is 60 ft wide x 23 ft deep x
94 ft [18.3 x 7 x 28.65 m] high (hopper to roof ). The unit fired
bituminous coal with FC/VM ~1.5, sometimes blended with
PRB. The new low NOx system was designed to fire up to 100%
of either coal. The low NOx combustion system consists of 24
DRB-XCL burners which fit into the original burner openings.

Belews Creek 2

A recent retrofit in the category of large, opposed-fired units

was at Duke Energys Belews Creek, Unit 2. This unit has a
gross capacity of 1168 MWe. The B&W supercritical steam generator is equipped with 10 vertical spindle mills which supply
40 2 nozzle cell burners (80 throats). The furnace is 89 ft
wide x 51 ft deep x 190 ft high ( 27 x 15.5 x 40 m). (See Figure
6) The original burner arrangement had vertical spacing of 4.5/
10.4/4.5 ft (~1.4/3.2/1.4 m), resulting in a very high burner zone

NOx Emissions (lb/million Btu)

Biasing
Air Damper
(Inner Zone)

Total Flow
Air Damper

Adjustable
Vane

aa

Linear
Actuator

Original

0.8

Inner Air Zone

Pitot Grid

Outer Air Zone

Pitot Grid

Sliding
Linkage

0.6
0.4

Low NO x

0.2

NOx Port
Support System

Figure 4

Figure 5

Dual air zone NOx port with total air flow control.

7
8
Unburned Carbon (%)

10

Consumers EnergyKarn 2 emissions reductions.

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

Babcock & Wilcox

Linear
Actuator

Stationary Vane

Outer Zone
Adjustable Vane

Air Measuring
Pitot Grid

Inner Zone
Adjustable
Vane

Bladed
Impeller

Sliding
Disc

Figure 7

Coal
Nozzle

DRB-XCL low NO x plug-in burner.

Plug-in DRB-XCL Burners

Figure 6

Duke EnergyBelews Creek 2.

heat release rate. The new low NOx combustion system included
respacing the burners vertically to increase burner zone height
to better reduce NOx. The burner zone height was increased by
10.8 ft (3.3 m), while horizontal spacing was unchanged. This
reduced coal piping modifications considerably. The cell burners were replaced with 80 DRB-XCL burners with new pressure parts, along with 80 FPS oil lighters and flame scanners. A
new burner management system was provided as well. Pulverizers were not modified in this case, and fineness averaged ~72%
minus 200 mesh. The unit fires bituminous coal with FC/VM of
1.6, with typically 8% ash.
Pre-retrofit full load emissions indicated NO x in the 1.2
1.3 lb/million Btu range, with unburned carbon of 1 to 2%. The
unit was operated with 12% excess air with the original cell
burners to improve plant heat rate. The new system reduced NOx
to 0.68 lb/million BTU, or less with some upper burners out of
service. Unburned carbon was near 2% using 17% excess air
(Figure 5). NO x reductions of up to 58% were achieved with
this UBC.

Outer Spin Vane

Inner Spin Vane

Fixed Vane

Sliding Air Damper

Linear
Actuator

Transition
Zone

Furnace
Tubewall

Transition Zone
Air Flow
Adjustment

Inner Spin Vane

Adjustment

Coal Inlet
Windbox

Figure 8

Outer Spin Vane

Adjustment

Ultra low NO x DRB-4Z coal-fired burner.

5
Babcock & Wilcox

The latest advancement for the DRB-XCL is the plug-in

design (Figure 7). As the name states, this development enables
plug-in use of the DRB-XCL in the existing boiler tube opening for the burner throats. No pressure part modifications are
required to accept the burners. This simplifies retrofit use in
cell burner and other situations where small burner throat openings are encountered. The design is nearly indistinguishable from
the standard XCL, sharing most of the hardware configuration.
Specially developed changes to the burner nozzle and to the air
apportionment proved extremely effective. A recent retrofit to a
unit equipped with cell burners resulted in full load NOx emissions in the range of 0.45 to 0.50 lb/million Btu firing bituminous coal (FC/VM 1.4 1.5). This was achieved without use of
air staging ports. Coal fineness was not too good (mid 50s
through 200 mesh but 99+ minus 50 mesh), but post retrofit
UBC was 1 to 2%. This is considered excellent combined NOx/
UBC emission performance for an unstaged, plug-in retrofit.

Ultra Low NOx DRB-4Z Burner

B&Ws DRB-4Z TM (Figure 8), truly a third generation low

NOx burner, has indicated significant emission reductions when
compared with advanced second generation low NOx burners,
like the DRB-XCL. Results of extensive development work
(computer modeling/prototype design/large scale testing) has
been reported on previously. Testing was performed at the 100
million Btu/hr scale in B&Ws Clean Environment Development Facility (CEDF). The DRB-4ZTM, without use of NOx ports,
reduced NOx emissions to less than 0.25 lb/million Btu for a
variety of bituminous coals, and less than 0.20 lb/million Btu
with subbituminous coals. By comparison, the XCL produced
NOx of ~0.40 on bituminous coal, and NO x of 0.27 lb/million
Btu firing subbituminous NOx emissions in field applications
would differ, depending on the firing pattern, burner zone heat
release rate, and coal. Unburned carbon with the DRB-4ZTM was
less than 2% firing subbituminous but increased to ~10% firing
some bituminous and medium volatile bituminous coals.
B&W recently completed another campaign of development
for the DRB-4ZTM. This program was directed at producing a
plug-in version of this burner to facilitate retrofit application.
The plug-in DRB-4ZTM burner is designed for use in cell burner
configurations or other circumstances with small, tightly spaced
burner throats. The program proved very successful, not only
in NO x control, but by substantially reducing loss on ignition
(LOI) with this burner. In the optimum configuration firing bituminous coal at ~72% minus 200 mesh, NOx averaged 0.29 lb/

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

5

10
NOx
LOI

NO x (lb/MBtu)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

LOI (%)

0.5

0
XCL

HV-XCL
4Z
Burner Type

HV-4Z

Figure 9
B&W low NO x burner emissions; CEDFunstaged,
bituminous coal.

Figure 10 Reliant EnergyW.A. Parish 6.

million Btu with 3.8% LOI. However, a simple adjustment permitted operation in either of two modes. The lowest NO x mode
averaged 0.26 lb/million Btu with 4.9% LOI. The lowest LOI
mode averaged 0.37 lb/million Btu NO x with only 1.3% UBC.
Figure 9 compares NOx emissions and LOI for the standard
DRB-XCL and DRB-4ZTM burners, along with the plug-in
(HV-high velocity) versions of these burners. Clearly the third
generation 4Z burners indicate significant improvements in NOx,
with potential for simultaneous reductions in NOx and LOI emissions with the plug-in design.
The first commercial application for the DRB-4ZTM is in the
installation stage at the time of this writing. Start-up is scheduled for May 2000 with tuning work to follow that summer.
Reliant Energy selected this technology, in combination with
Dual Zone NO x ports, to further reduce NOx emissions at their
W. A. Parish Unit 6 (Figure 10). This 690 MWe unit fires a variety of subbituminous coals or natural gas. The combustion system includes 56 DRB-4ZTM burners, arranged in seven rows of
8, which are installed in place of the original DRB burners. Numerical modeling was performed by B&W to determine the best
arrangement of NOx ports for mixing effectiveness, within constraints from existing components. This resulted in a total of 12
Dual Zone NOx ports (6 front, 6 rear). Preliminary results may
be available by time of presentation.

tic action involves low NOx combustion systems and SCR for
units which primarily or exclusively fire natural gas.
B&W recently conducted an in-depth development campaign
to reduce NOx emissions from our gas-capable burners. An extensive series of tests in the CEDF resulted in a new gas element design for these burners which exhibited major NOx reduction capability. Back-to-back tests in the XCL-STM burner
(Figure 11) demonstrated just under 50% NO x reduction with
the new fuel element design vs. the standard HEMI gas element
design. Actual emissions were less than 0.1 lb/million Btu with
the advanced design, and CO emissions were less than 50 ppm
in either case. These results were without use of flue gas recirculation (FGR) or air staging ports. Subsequent tests with FGR
reduced emissions NOx to 30 ppm.
The new design is adaptable to other low NOx burners, including the DRB-4Z TM. The first contract making use of the new
gas technology combined with PC-fired 4Z burners will go into
service in the summer of 2001.
Internationally, low NO x combustion systems often include
capability to fire fuel oil as the primary fuel. Recently B&W
performed retrofits to four oil-fired units in Taiwan to reduce
NO x emissions. These were Units 1-4 at Taiwan Power

Low NOx Oil/Gas Combustion Systems

NOx reduction for oil- and gas-fired utility boilers is actively

continuing on new and existing units. Much of the U.S. domesAir
Measurement
Grid
Core
Air Damper

Externally
Adjustable Spin
Vanes
Adjustable
Hemispherical
Gas Spuds

Sliding
Air Damper
Linear
Actuator

I-Jet
Oil Gun

Optional
Isolation Valves

Burner
Support System

Figure 12 Taiwan Power CompanyHsieh-Ho Units 1-4.

Figure 11 XCL-S oil/gas low NOx burner.

Copyright (C) 2000 by ASME

Babcock & Wilcox

Companys Hsieh-Ho Power Station, which are rated at 512 MWe

each. The furnaces are 52 ft wide x 45 ft deep and 150 ft high
(15.85 x 13.7 x 45.7 m). The original parallel flow burners were
arranged four wide by three high, in an opposed fired pattern
(Figure 12). Taiwan Power contracted with B&W to supply a
new low NOx combustion system which included 24 XCL-STM
oil burners and lighters; 8 Dual Zone NOx ports; NO x port
windboxes, dampers, and air flow measurement equipment; and
pressure part openings. The new equipment reduced full load
NO x to an average of 141 ppm with less than 50 ppm CO (ppm
@ 6% O2), satisfying guarantees.

Summary
B&W is a leading supplier of low NOx combustion systems
to the utility boiler industry. The DRB-XCL has proven to be
highly effective, typically reducing NO x to the 0.2 to 0.5 lb/

million Btu range, depending on system design and coal properties. Continued investment in combustion technology has resulted in third generation designs, capable of significant further emission improvement. The latest advancements in low NOx
combustion equipment design include plug-in versions of the
DRB-XCL and DRB-4ZTM burners. These burners indicate step
reductions in unburned carbon emissions compared to the industry standard DRB-XCL, in combination with further NOx
reduction. Reducing NOx at its source by advanced combustion
systems can reduce the size, or potentially the quantity of SCR
systems necessary to meet regulated limits.
Low NOx oil and gas combustion systems can provide full
compliance with emission requirements in many situations, domestically or internationally. B&Ws latest generation of low
NOx gas burners indicate nearly 50% NO x reduction compared
to our previous design. The gas element is designed for use in
advanced coal-fired burners in addition to oil/gas burners.

Copyright 2000 by The Babcock & Wilcox Company,

a McDermott company.
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be published, translated or reproduced in any form or by any means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system,
without the written permission of the copyright holder. Permission requests should be addressed to: Market Communications, The Babcock &
Wilcox Company, P.O. Box 351, Barberton, Ohio, U.S.A. 44203-0351.
Disclaimer
Although the information presented in this work is believed to be reliable, this work is published with the understanding that The Babcock & Wilcox
Company and the authors are supplying general information and are not attempting to render or provide engineering or professional services.
Neither The Babcock & Wilcox Company nor any of its employees make any warranty, guarantee, or representation, whether expressed or implied,
with respect to the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, product, process or apparatus discussed in this work; and neither The
Babcock & Wilcox Company nor any of its employees shall be liable for any losses or damages with respect to or resulting from the use of, or the
inability to use, any information, product, process or apparatus discussed in this work.

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