Site items in: NOx Emissions

Ammonigy: Speedboats powered by green ammonia
Article

In order to demonstrated ammonia-fueled solutions in a variety of applications, Stuttgart-based organisation Ammonigy has developed two patented technologies: a modular cracking unit that provides hydrogen to act as an “igniter” for the ammonia fuel, and an exhaust treatment system to minimise NOx emissions from the engine. But, while the principles behind Ammonigy’s technology solutions are very familiar to our readers, using them to convert a speedboat to run on ammonia fuel is certainly new! This week we explore results from testing on the GREEN AMY: the world’s first ammonia-powered speedboat.

New benchmark for coal co-firing reported in China
Article

The South China Morning Post reports that China Energy Investment Corporation has successfully demonstrated co-firing 35% ammonia with coal at a power generation unit in Shandong Province. Further technical details emerged from additional Chinese media outlets, including that the pilot test occurred in a 40 MW coal boiler at the Huaneng Yantai coal power plant, and that NOx emissions were reportedly lower than burning pure coal fuel.

Ammonia combustion analysis: powertrains, turbines & power generation
Article

This week we explore four updates in ammonia combustion R&D:

1. A team from the University of Cambridge has shown merchant vessels are the strongest candidates for conversion to run on ammonia powertrains, with cargo capacity losses of 4-9% able to be feasibly offset by operators.

2. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have successfully tested a thermochemical recuperation (TCR) reactor to improve the efficiency of a dual-fuel, diesel-ammonia compression ignition engine by minimising ammonia slip.

3. A global team led by Cardiff University researchers has revealed some of the inner workings of ammonia combustion in gas turbine flames.

4. A global team has produced a cradle-to-gate environmental assessment for ammonia production and ammonia-based electricity generation, suggesting that renewable and nuclear ammonia have a significant role to play in decarbonising the power sector.

IHI’s Development of Ammonia Combustions Technologies / Fuel Ammonia and Hydrogen Solutions
Presentation

IHI, as a pioneer in the development of the ammonia value chain, has been developing fuel ammonia technology for the last decade. Utilizing existing infrastructure that is either already in place or that can be readily modified, fuel ammonia is highly anticipated as a critical resource to reach a carbon-neutral society. In the presentation, IHI will highlight its involvement in the development of combustion technologies of fuel ammonia for power generation.  A specific focus will be placed on the ongoing development and implementation of 20% ammonia co-combustion in existing coal fired power plants.  The presentation will feature the JERA demonstration…

Impact of ammonia as a fuel / co-fuel on NOx emissions
Presentation

Ammonia is a hydrogen-based, carbon-free energy carrier. It has good energy density (22.5 MJ/kg) and can be liquefied (about 10 bar at 298 K). With the increasing demand to lower the CO2 emissions worldwide, pure ammonia combustion or co-combustion with a conventional fuel is an alternative solution in turbines, gas engines, power plants, furnaces, and cement kilns. The major challenges with the use of ammonia as a fuel are lowered heat flux and increased NOx emissions. These parameters were analyzed in Linde’s lab-scale tests with pure ammonia as well as mixtures of ammonia and natural gas. Tests were conducted with…

Ammonia combustion engines: latest research
Article

The journey from the laboratory bench to the shop floor continues apace in 2021, as researchers deepen their understanding of ammonia combustion within engines. The team at Université d’Orléans has published several pieces of research already this year, with interesting results on operating limits, spray characteristics and flame propagation.

ENGIMMONIA project gets EU funding
Article

Led by RINA with 21 project partners, the ENGIMMONIA project aims to transfer demonstrated, terrestrial clean energy solutions to the maritime sector. As of May, ENGIMONNIA is now fully-funded (€9.5 million) by the EU's Horizon 2020 program. The end result will see the MAN ES ammonia engine installed and demonstrated in three vessels: an oil tanker, a container ship, and a ferry.

Cracking Ammonia: panel wrap-up from the Ammonia Energy Conference
Article

When should we be cracking ammonia? How much should we be cracking? How could better cracking technologies open up new end uses? What are the critical challenges still to be overcome for cracking ammonia? On November 17, 2020, the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) hosted a panel discussion moderated by Bill David from Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), as well as panel members Josh Makepeace from the University of Birmingham, Joe Beach from Starfire Energy, Gennadi Finkelshtain from GenCell Energy, Camel Makhloufi from ENGIE, and Michael Dolan from Fortescue as part of the recent Ammonia Energy Conference. All panelists agreed that cracking technology as it stands has a number of key areas to be optimised, particularly catalyst improvements and energy efficiency. But, successful demonstrations of modular, targeted cracking solutions are accelerating the conversation forward.

Starfire Energy's ammonia cracking and cracked gas purification technology
Presentation

Ammonia cracking is important for both combustion and fuel cell applications. Starfire Energy has verified that a blend of 70% ammonia + 30% cracked ammonia can burn well in a conventional natural gas burner with very low ammonia slip and acceptable NOx using a stoichiometric fuel-air mixture. A 10 MW turbine or internal combustion engine using such a blend will need about 1.44 tonnes of cracked ammonia per hour. Starfire Energy’s monolith-supported cracking catalyst may be ideally suited for this application. Fully cracked ammonia retains several thousand parts per million of ammonia due to thermodynamic limitations. Residual ammonia can damage…