Callidus nears low-NOx burner completion

Callidus Technologies Inc. (Tulsa, OK) is putting the finishing touches on a new process heater burner that promises consistent single-digit NOx emission levels.

The company says the new burner will reduce NOx emissions to less than 10 ppm and help industry comply with increasingly stringent emissions regulations.

Callidus designed the burner in a joint venture with the Gas Research Institute (now the Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL), U.S. Dept .of Energy, and Arthur D. Little (ADL, Boston, MA), a prominent research and development company.

"Work on this project began in mid-1994," says Dr. Richard Martin, the lead engineer for Callidus, "and now the burner is ready for industry applications. With this technology, we're able to achieve single digit NOx levels."

The burner, which will go on line in early 2001 at a major refinery in Houston, incorporates an ultralow emissions approach that offers significant performance improvements over conventional low-NOx burners. Designed for natural draft operation, the burner has a continuous pilot and does not recirculate external flue gas.

Callidus low NOx burners operate at lower peak flame temperatures than premix or conventional burners. This is done by staging combustion in multiple zones. Lower peak flames reduce NOx formation. Gas-firing low NOx burners typically use a primary and secondary combustion zone. Combination gas/oil-firing burners incorporate a tertiary flame zone.

"This burner will be the new industry standard," says ADL's Chuck Benson. "It's exciting to see this concept of extremely low emissions become reality in a very reliable, affordable technology."

ADL and Sandia Livermore's Burner Engineering Research Laboratory successfully demonstrated an earlier 2 MM Btu/hr prototype burner in 1995-96. Measurements by the program team showed extremely low levels of air toxics. The design was developed using comprehensive chemical kinetics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling tools.

Initial testing of a full-scale prototype produced similar impressive results, with NOx emissions below 10 PPM on natural gas fuel. In November 1999, the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) received three U.S. patents protecting the burner technology. GTI has granted Callidus an exclusive licensing on the design, manufacture, and marketing of the new burner.

Callidus calls the new burner Ultra Blue. It estimates Ultra Blue will save hundreds of millions of dollars in implementation costs as Houston, TX, scampers to meet a newly proposed regional 90% NOx reduction requirement regulation.

"We'll be testing and optimizing this commercial burner throughout the summer at our test facility, with verification testing scheduled for fall," says Callidus president Bill Bartlett. "We also anticipate being able to conduct demonstrations for interested customers."

Callidus Technologies has significant experience in combustion and environmental technology. It designs burners, flares and incinerators, and provides engineering and consultation services. Callidus engineers hold more than 70 patents for burner design.

For more information: Callidus Technologies Inc., 7130 S Lewis, Ste 635, Tulsa, OK 74136. Phone: 918-496-7599. Fax: 918-496-7587.

Edited by Alan S. Brown
Managing Editor, Chemical Online