Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has successfully completed a combustion test of an ammonia single-fuel burner as part of its development of ammonia utilization technology for thermal power generation boilers. The testing was conducted using combustion test equipment at the Nagasaki District Research & Innovation Center in Nagasaki. Utilizing a combustion test furnace with fuel consumption of 0.5 tons per hour (t/h), MHI conducted a single-fuel burner test using an ammonia burner, and a high-ratio ammonia co-firing test with coal. In both cases, the tests confirmed stable combustion, reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions compared to coal firing, and complete combustion of the ammonia.
In addition to its role as an energy carrier allowing efficient transport and storage of hydrogen energy at low cost, ammonia can be used directly as a fuel for thermal power generation, and because it does not emit CO2 during combustion, is expected to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This combustion test confirmed that the basic structure of the burner simultaneously provides for stable combustion of ammonia and suppression of NOx emissions, passing an important development milestone for practical application of the technology in thermal power generation boilers.
As a next step, MHI plans to conduct a combustion test using an actual size burner in a larger 4t/h combustion test furnace. Based on these results, MHI will then take steps for application of the burner it has developed for thermal power plants in Japan and overseas.
Photo of MHI
Press release https://is.gd/ySHtuz
