The Field Demonstration

The basic, underlying technology was first conceived at the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International in the early 1980s. It evolved from theoretical combustion modeling that predicted the feasibility of a technique for simultaneous control of NO_x and SO₂ from firing coal. The process at that time was known as the "Low NO_x/SO_x Burner (LNSB). The development program at Rocketdyne included laboratory (sub-scale) and open-air pilot-scale design and testing. The unqualified success of these programs led to a "Greenfield" demonstration at a large industrial site in Alberta, Canada. Throughout this period, guidance, funding, and peer review was provided by a consortium of utilities including Southern California Edison, Houston Light & Power, Niagara Mohawk, Wisconsin Public Service, and TransAlta Utilities.

TransAlta Resources Investment Corporation, a non-regulated affiliate of TransAlta Utilities of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, conducted a field demonstration called the LNS - Coal Applications Pilot (LNS-CAP) Project at the ESSO Resources heavy oil recovery facility in Cold Lake, Mahihkan, Alberta, Canada.

SO₂ emissions reported were about 0.2 SO₂ lb./106 BTU. Excellent NO_x control was also demonstrated, with an emission rate of about 0.15 lb. NO_x/106 BTU.

Carbon conversion was also very good with carbon (LOI) measured in the fly ash collected in the baghouse less than 0.1%. No carbon was found in the slag. See CCS Emissions Performance chart entitled "LNS-CAP - 3 T/hr Burner/Boiler Emissions", shows the measured stack outlet data from this field demonstration.

The facility was comparatively easy to operate with straightforward start up, turndown and shutdown. Late in the demonstration period, the facility ran with only one operator per shift. It was noted that the coal-fired stack had lower emissions than the adjacent steam generator units firing "raw" natural gas.

During the 1990s nearly all coal-fired boiler fabrication and renovation ceased. Utility power systems shifted to natural gas or low sulfur western coals for lower emissions. During this period the technology inventor continued in-depth analytical studies of the LNSB system. As a result he discovered a number of inefficiencies and even faults in the LNSB technology and developed a new and radically improved system, so different that he elected to re-name the new technology the Clean Coal Combustion System (CCCS). Later it was found that the CCCS could be applied equally well to natural gas systems for NO_x control, and even to oil fuels, and so the "CCCS" title was generalized to the current Clean Combustion System^TM (CCS).

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