• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.857-864
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• 2011

Oxy-fuel combustion with many advantages such as high combustion efficiency, low flue gas flow rate and low NOx emission has emerged as a promising CCS technology for coal combustion facilities. In this study, the effects of the direct sulfation reaction on $SO_2$ removal efficiency were evaluated in a drop tube furnace under typical oxy-fuel combustion conditions represented by high concentrations of $CO_2$ and $SO_2$ formed by gas recirculation to control furnace combustion temperature. The effects of the operating parameters including the reaction temperature, $CO_2$ concentration, $SO_2$ concentration, Ca/S ratio and humidity on $SO_2$ removal efficiency were investigated experimentally. $SO_2$ removal efficiency increased with reaction temperature up to 1,200 due to promoted calcination of limestone reagent particles. And $SO_2$ removal efficiency increased with $SO_2$ concentrations and the humidity of the bulk gas. The increase of $SO_2$ removal efficiency with $CO_2$ concentrations showed that $SO_2$ removal by limestone was mainly done by the direct sulfation reaction under oxy-fuel combustion conditions. From the impact assessment of operation parameters, it was shown that these parameters have an effects on the desulfurization reaction by the order of the Ca/S ratio > residence time > $O_2$ concentration > reaction temperature > $SO_2$ concentration > $CO_2$ concentration > water vapor. The semi-empirical model equation for to evaluate the effect of the operating parameters on the performance of in-furnace desulfurization for oxy-fuel combustion was established.