TWI826962B - An arrangement for combusting purge gas and a method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement (100) and a method for combusting purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system (108) fueling an ammonia fueled engine (112), the arrangement (100) comprising: a boiler system (102) comprising; a burner (104), a fuel inlet (111) configured to supply a fuel and thereby sustain a support flame in the burner (104), and a purge gas inlet (121) being configured to intermittently receive purge gas from the ammonia fueled engine (112) and supply the purge gas to the burner (104), the purge gas comprising a mixture of ammonia and inert gas, wherein the burner (104) is configured to combust the ammonia with the support flame.

Description

A device and method for burning flush gas

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system powered by an ammonia fuel engine.

Marine engines powered by oil or gas are well known in the art. Oil and gas fired boilers for marine steam generation are also well known in the art. Typically, the selection of fuel for boiler operation is made relative to the fuel selected for marine engine operation. Therefore, if a marine engine is powered by oil, the boiler is usually also powered by oil. However, marine engines and boilers can be powered by different fuels.

One disadvantage of most of today's marine engines is the marine air pollution, particularly carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ), emitted from the marine engines while providing propulsion power. Given the state of the environment, it is generally considered necessary to reduce CO ₂ emissions as well as other greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative fuels are gaining traction in the marine industry as solutions. This includes the conversion of fuels such as methanol, hydrogen, ammonia or biomass. However, by introducing alternative fuels, other problems may arise, such as other environmental issues. For example, by using some alternative fuels to power marine engines, gases derived from these fuels may not normally be emitted directly to the atmosphere, for example due to toxicity, and often need to be eliminated before being emitted to the atmosphere. This is the case later for example when ammonia is used as fuel. Therefore, although alternative fuels may be more environmentally friendly with respect to greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels, there are still other issues that need to be overcome.

In an attempt to solve some parts of this problem, Chinese Patent No. CN109140496 discloses a boiler ignition device that uses ammonia flushing gas as a heat source. The heat source includes a flushing gas supply line and an ignition gas supply line.

However, as will be explained below, the prior art does not reveal a more environmentally friendly marine installation that fully addresses the set of design criteria that make it possible to use alternative fuels and at the same time provides that no toxic gases or limited amounts of toxic gases will be emitted. The gas is vented to the atmosphere, and in particular the prior art does not reveal how to provide an overall device that can be used in a convenient manner over time when it meets this set of design criteria.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a more environmentally friendly marine device that fully addresses the set of design criteria that make it possible to use alternative fuels while providing for the emission of no or limited amounts of toxic gases into the atmosphere.

This objective has been achieved by an apparatus for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system fed by an ammonia fuel engine, the apparatus comprising: a boiler system including a burner, a fuel inlet, and Constructed to supply fuel and thereby maintain a supporting flame in the burner, and a purge gas inlet configured to intermittently receive purge gas from the ammonia fuel system and supply the purge gas to the burner, the purge gas comprising a combination of ammonia and an inert gas A mixture wherein the burner is constructed to burn ammonia using a supported flame.

Preferably, the ammonia fueled engine is a marine engine. Ammonia-fueled engines are advantageous because they use a more environmentally friendly fuel (ie, ammonia) to power the engine than most fossil fuels in use today (eg, oil and gas). The device is advantageous because its combustion originates from the ammonia fuel system Flush gas instead of venting the flush gas to the atmosphere. The flush gas may be generated when the ammonia fueled engine switches fuel from ammonia to another fuel or when the ammonia fueled engine is shut down in a controlled manner or due to an emergency. At this stage, the purge gas is toxic and therefore is not emitted to the atmosphere. Instead, the purge gas inlet receives purge gas from the ammonia fuel system and supplies the purge gas to the burner. By burning the mixture in the burner, the purge gas is emitted to the atmosphere as a combustion gas consisting mainly of nitrogen and water rather than as a toxic gas. Therefore, the device can be said to act as a safety mechanism by burning the purge gas in the burner rather than emitting toxic gases into the atmosphere. Thus, it is possible to use an alternative fuel (ie, ammonia) and at the same time provide a more environmentally friendly marine device that emits no or as little toxic gases into the atmosphere as possible.

Preferably, ammonia-fueled engines operate using ammonia in its pure form. However, it should be noted that ammonia can contain small amounts of water. It should further be noted that ammonia can be mixed with another fuel, such as an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol or a gas such as hydrogen. If ammonia is too difficult to burn using a supported flame, it may be advantageous to mix the ammonia with another fuel.

The purge gas may include a mixture of ammonia and inert gases. The inert gas may be nitrogen. Preferably, the nitrogen is compressed nitrogen. However, it should be noted that other inert gases may also be used. It should be further noted that if ammonia is mixed with another fuel, the purge gas will also contain the other fuel. The fuel may be supplied first to provide the pilot flame, and may also be supplied as the main fuel while the burner is operating in the operating mode. When fuel is supplied to provide a pilot flame, the fuel may be in small amounts so as to provide a small flame for igniting the main fuel. The pilot flame can be used to ignite the fuel used as the main fuel supply. When fuel is supplied as the main fuel, the fuel is supplied in a greater amount than the fuel supplied for providing the pilot flame. Preferably, when burning ammonia, the main fuel acts as a support flame so that the support flame is used to burn the flush gas. The support flame must be of a specific size to ensure complete combustion of the ammonia.

Preferably, the boiler may be operated at 15% to 50%, preferably 25% to 50%, compared to full operation, meaning that compared to when the boiler is operated at full operation, the boiler can be operated at 15% to 50%, preferably 25% to 50%. The rate of fuel, the support flame can be maintained by providing fuel at a rate of 15% to 50%, preferably 25% to 50%, thereby ensuring that the ammonia supplied to the burner is also activated in the burner for combustion flushing gas and not Burns to generate heat when running at full operational start-up. In this context, it may be noted that heat generation may refer to steam generation, heating of hot water, heating of thermal fluids or any other medium used in heating boilers. The support flame must usually be larger than the pilot flame because the flush gas is usually more difficult to ignite than the main fuel. The fuel inlet and flush gas inlet may be separate inlets. However, as will be discussed further below, if the purge gas contains both a gas and a liquid, then the liquid can be supplied to the burner through the fuel inlet and the gas can be supplied to the burner through the purge gas inlet.

The burner can be a steam atomization type or a pressure atomization type burner. It should be noted that if the burner is of the steam atomization type, fuel may be supplied to provide pilot fuel for igniting the main fuel. If the burner is of the pressure atomization type, fuel is usually supplied only as the main fuel. In fact, the pressure atomization burner contains a spark igniter constructed to ignite the primary fuel. However, if the burner is of the steam atomization type, fuel may be supplied to provide a pilot flame as a spark igniter for igniting the main fuel.

The boiler system may be configured to operate in at least one of a first mode and a second mode, where the first mode is a heat generating mode that generates heat and the second mode is where the boiler remains warm and ready for rapid operation and/or Maintain flame-igniting ammonia safe flushing mode.

The first mode may be the operating mode discussed above. The second mode may be a ready mode in which the boiler is ready for quick operation or ready for quick start-up. In the first mode and the second mode, the burner may be an active burner. The term "active burner" here means a burner that is ready to receive flush gas via the flush gas inlet at any time, since engine shutdown can occur at any time. If the burner is an active burner, the burner is in operating mode or in standby mode, ready to receive flushing gas.

The disclosed boiler system provides for a more flexible boiler system. By having a more flexible boiler system, it is possible to use the boiler system in more ways than just the main purpose of the burner, which is to generate heat. Boiler systems can therefore also be configured to burn flush gas. Switching between different modes provides Conventional burners (eg, oil-fired burners or gas-fired burners) can be used to both generate heat and also burn the purge gas. However, it should be noted that the burner can be configured to operate in more than two modes.

The boiler system may be configured to operate in at least one of a first sub-mode and a second sub-mode of the first mode, wherein in the first sub-mode a main flame is maintained in the burner for heat generation and No flushing gas is supplied to the burner and in the second sub-mode a main flame is maintained in the burner for heat generation and flushing gas is supplied to the burner and the ammonia is burned using the main flame which acts as a supporting flame.

The first sub-mode of the first mode may be configured to generate heat from autonomous fuel. The second sub-mode of the first mode may be configured to generate heat from the fuel and purge gas, thereby burning the purge gas.

The boiler system may be constructed to ignite the support flame by first igniting the pilot flame and subsequently igniting the support flame from the pilot flame, or igniting the support flame directly from the pilot flame if the pilot flame is maintained, and supplying flush gas to the combustion vessel and uses a supported flame to burn the ammonia.

Preferably, individual inlets may be controlled by one or more valves. One or more valves may be configured to open and close the fuel inlet and the purge gas inlet such that switching between at least two modes and/or between a first sub-mode and a second sub-mode of the first mode may be possible . One or more valves may be configured to independently open and close the fuel inlet and to independently open and close the purge gas inlet.

The fuel inlet may be connected via a fuel supply line to a fuel source, which may be configured to supply a fuel selected from the group consisting of: liquefied natural gas (LNG), distillates, and residual fuels. This may include, for example, diesel fuel, marine gas oil (MGO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), heavy fuel oil (HFO). The fuel can also be biofuel. It should be noted that other types of fuels can also be used as fuel, such as ammonia, hydrogen and methanol. It should be noted that the fuel can include two types of fuel. The two types of fuel may be premixed with each other and supplied from the same fuel source, or may remain separate and supplied from two different fuel sources. The fuel source may be, for example, a tank. If the fuel consists of two types of fuel supplied from two different fuel sources, they may have a supply line from a separate fuel tank to the burner, but they may also be shared. If two types of fuel have their own supply If the pipeline is supplied by two different fuel sources, it can also each have a fuel inlet, or alternatively there is a fuel inlet connected to one of the two different supply lines, so that fuel from the two different fuel sources can be introduced into the burner Common entrance. Another fuel source may be configured to supply a fuel selected from the group consisting of liquefied natural gas (LNG), distillates, and residual fuels. This may include, for example, diesel fuel, marine gas oil (MGO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), heavy fuel oil (HFO). The fuel can also be biofuel. It should be noted that other types of fuels can also be used as fuel, such as ammonia, hydrogen and methanol.

The device may further include an ammonia fuel system comprising an ammonia fuel source for storing ammonia, a fuel supply system, an ammonia fuel engine, and a flushing source that contains an inert gas and is configured to pass the ammonia through The fuel system portion is flushed with inert gas and ammonia is flushed from the ammonia fuel system portion to the flush gas inlet.

This is advantageous because it ensures that no undesired fuel is present in the lines of the ammonia fuel system. Therefore, when an ammonia fuel engine switches fuel or shuts down, as previously discussed, there may be ammonia in the line that should not be vented to the atmosphere and not supplied back to the ammonia fuel source. By flushing the inert gas through those portions of the ammonia fuel system, ammonia that may remain in the lines is forced out of the ammonia fuel system, thereby forming a mixture of ammonia and inert gas, and this mixture can be directed to the boiler system. The mixture may be conducted, for example, via an evaporator and/or a separator to allow for mixtures of ammonia and inert gases as well as mixtures of gaseous and liquid phases. Forcing the ammonia out of the ammonia fuel system by the inert gas provides more or less all ammonia emissions from the ammonia fuel system. This results in a safer and environmentally friendly device.

Ammonia can be flushed from parts of the ammonia fuel system. Preferably, the ammonia can be flushed from parts close to the engine as it can be used ammonia in these parts and mixing of used ammonia back into the ammonia fuel source should be avoided.

Preferably, ammonia forced out of the ammonia fuel system should not be forced into the ammonia fuel system The other parts inside are discharged from the system. The ammonia fuel system may include one or more valves configured to control the flow of ammonia as it is forced out of the ammonia fuel system.

The device may further include a fuel valve mechanism and recirculation to process ammonia that does not need to be flushed. This may, for example, be the ammonia typically present in those parts of the ammonia fuel system closer to the fuel tank. This ammonia usually has not absorbed too much dirt and water and can usually be returned to the fuel tank.

The mixture of ammonia and inert gas may include gaseous ammonia, liquid ammonia and inert gas.

The apparatus may further include an evaporator configured to evaporate liquid ammonia into gaseous ammonia, thereby providing a gaseous mixture of ammonia and inert gas to be supplied to the burner. Mixtures containing both liquid and gaseous ammonia are generally not optimal for burners. Therefore, burners usually require either liquid or gas, but usually do not work well with a mixture of the two. Therefore, if a mixture may contain both liquids and gases, it may need to be converted into either a liquid or a gas. By introducing an evaporator into the device it is possible to evaporate liquid ammonia into gaseous ammonia so that the purge supplied to the burner can consist of purge gas only. Therefore, an evaporator can be advantageous because it provides that only gaseous flush is received by the burner. Preferably, the evaporator is configured such that the purge gas is supplied to the evaporator before being supplied to the purge gas inlet.

The apparatus may further or alternatively comprise a separator configured to separate liquid ammonia from gaseous ammonia and inert gases, thereby providing a gaseous mixture of ammonia and inert gases to be supplied to the burner. By introducing a separator into the device, it is possible to separate liquid ammonia from gaseous ammonia and inert gases, so that the purge supplied to the burner can consist of purge gas only. The separator may be a gas/liquid separator, typically a drum or tank with a mist eliminator in the outlet. The flushed liquid phase can be connected to the main fuel supply system so that the liquid phase is mixed with the liquid main fuel. It should be noted that the device may contain both an evaporator and a separator, or only one of the evaporator and separator.

The evaporator may, for example, be arranged downstream of the separator, so that the purge gas, which has had most of the liquid phase removed in the separator, is supplied to the evaporator before being supplied to the purge gas inlet.

The burner may be a multi-fuel burner configured to burn at least two different fuels materials, burning one at a time or simultaneously. This is advantageous because more than one fuel can be configured to power or be burned by the burner. A multi-fuel burner may be constructed to burn at least two different fuels, preferably two different liquid fuels, preferably one at a time. A multi-fuel burner may be configured to burn one or more liquid fuels and to burn one or more gaseous fuels, wherein the one or more liquid fuels are burned simultaneously while burning the one or more gaseous fuels, preferably one gaseous fuel at a time. , preferably burning one liquid fuel at a time.

The device may further include a liquid ammonia inlet connected to the fuel supply line via a liquid ammonia connection such that the liquid ammonia is mixed with the fuel. This may be advantageous if the device includes a separator and/or evaporator. If this is the case, the liquid ammonia separated from the purge gas can be configured to mix with the fuel and still reach the burner, but in a different mixture than the purge gas mixture.

The device may further include a combustion fan configured to provide combustion air to the burner. Based on preset requirements, the combustion fan can be configured to supply a specific amount of combustion air. Preferably, there should be 10% to 15% more combustion air than fuel in the boiler system. This ratio of combustion air is usually required for complete combustion of the fuel and complete combustion of the purge gas. If combustion is not complete, it can result in a dirty boiler and black exhaust gas with a higher carbon oxide (CO) content than desired.

The device may further include a valve mechanism configured to control the flow of purge gas supplied from the ammonia fuel system to the combustor.

The combustion fan may further or alternatively be configured to direct purge gas to the burner. The combustion fan may include a purge gas inlet, wherein the combustion fan may be configured to mix the purge gas with combustion air and provide the mixture of purge gas and combustion air to the combustor.

If the combustion fan is constructed to direct purge gas to the burner, a valve train may not be included in the device. Rather, the combustion fan may be configured to control and direct the flow of purge gas supplied from the ammonia fuel system to the burner. In the combustion fan, the flushing gas can be mixed with the combustion air. The mixture can be directed to a burner where a support flame can be used to combust the mixture. However, it should be noted that devices may contain Both the combustion fan and the air valve mechanism are used to guide the flushing gas. Combustion fans can be designed to flush gas. The flush gas inlet included in the combustion fan ensures optimal mixing with the combustion air. Additionally, the combustion fan may be configured to prevent backflow of purge gas.

Furthermore, if the device includes an evaporator and/or a separator, the combustion fan is preferably arranged downstream of the evaporator and/or separator.

The above objects have also been achieved by a method for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system fed by an ammonia fuel engine, the method comprising: maintaining support in a burner included in the boiler system flame, wherein the supporting flame is maintained by fuel supplied from the fuel inlet; and intermittently supplying flushing gas, wherein the flushing gas is supplied from the ammonia fuel system to the burner through the flushing gas inlet, the flushing gas contains a mixture of ammonia and inert gas, and during combustion A supported flame is used in the vessel to burn the ammonia.

Accordingly, a method includes receiving flush gas from an ammonia fuel system in a combustor prior to combusting the ammonia.

According to this method, the boiler system may be configured to operate in at least one of a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is a heat generating mode that generates heat, and the second mode is a boiler that remains warm and ready to quickly Operate and/or maintain ammonia safe flush mode for pilot flames.

The other different preferred embodiments mentioned above with respect to the device are also applicable to the method.

The device is preferably placed on the boat. The method is preferably carried out on board a ship. It is noted, however, that neither the device nor the method is limited to use on ships. The apparatus and method may be adapted to other applications where engines and boilers are located adjacent to each other. In addition to ships, this may also be the case in other marine applications such as situation. It may for example be a platform, such as a platform of the kind used to drill for oil or gas. The apparatus and methods may also be adapted for land-based applications. The apparatus and methods may be used, for example, in well logging or mining applications.

In general, unless otherwise expressly defined herein, all terms used in the claimed scope should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field. Unless expressly stated otherwise, all references to “a/the [element, device, component, component, step, etc.”] should be openly construed to refer to at least one instance of that element, device, component, component, step, etc. . The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the precise order disclosed unless expressly stated.

100:Device

102: Boiler system

104:Burner

106: Boiler

108:Ammonia fuel system

110: Fuel supply system

111:Fuel inlet

112:Ammonia fuel engine

113:Fuel supply line

114:Evaporator

115:Fuel source

116:Separator

118: Valve mechanism

121: Flush gas inlet

120: Combustion fan

123: Flush gas pipeline

133:Fuel pipeline

135:Other fuel sources

141: Liquid ammonia inlet

143:Liquid ammonia pipeline

155: Ammonia fuel source

165: flush source

200:Method

201:First mode

201a: First sub-mode

201b: Second sub-mode

211: Second mode

The above and additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood by the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the same reference numerals will be used for similar embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components, in the accompanying drawing: [Fig. 1] Discloses a device for burning purge gases originating from an ammonia fueled engine.

[FIG. 2] Discloses a flow chart illustrating a method for burning purge gas from an ammonia fuel engine.

The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific examples set forth herein; rather, these specific examples are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to provide guidance to the art The scope of this disclosure is fully conveyed by those knowledgeable in the field.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an apparatus 100 for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system 108 fueled by an ammonia fuel engine 112 is disclosed. The plant 100 includes a boiler system 102 and an ammonia fuel system 108 . Ammonia fuel system 108 includes ammonia fuel engine 112 .

The ammonia fuel engine 112 may switch fuel from ammonia to another fuel or when the ammonia fuel engine 112 The flushing gas is generated when the engine 112 is shut down in a controlled manner or due to an emergency. At this stage, the purge gas is toxic and should therefore not be vented to the atmosphere. The purge gas, typically a mixture of ammonia and an inert gas, is used to purge ammonia from the ammonia fuel system 108 . Ammonia can be liquid ammonia, gaseous ammonia or mixtures thereof. The inert gas may be nitrogen. It should be noted that the inert gas can also be any other inert gas.

Boiler system 102 includes burner 104, fuel inlet 111 and purge gas inlet 121. The burner 104 is configured to burn purge gas originating from the ammonia fuel system 108 . In other words, the combustor 104 is configured to burn ammonia within the purge gas. The burner 104 may be a multi-fuel burner configured to burn two different fuels, one at a time or simultaneously. The burner 104 may be of the pressure atomizing type. The burner 104 may alternatively be of the steam atomization type.

Fuel inlet 111 is configured to supply fuel and thereby maintain a supporting flame in combustor 104 . The fuel inlet 111 is typically constructed to continuously supply fuel, at least in the sense that it is capable of maintaining a supported flame. The fuel may be supplied first to provide the pilot flame, and may also be supplied as the main fuel while the burner is operating in the operating mode. The primary fuel can act as a support flame so that the flush gas can be burned using the support flame.

The purge gas inlet 121 is preferably separate from the fuel inlet 111 . Purge gas inlet 121 is configured to intermittently receive purge gas from ammonia fuel system 108 and supply purge gas to combustor 104 . Purge gas may be supplied from ammonia fuel system 108 to purge gas inlet 121 via purge gas line 123 . The flushing gas conduit 123 may be of the double-walled type; particularly for those portions of the flushing gas conduit 123 where the flushing is in the gaseous phase.

Fuel inlet 111 may be connected to fuel source 115, such as a fuel tank, via fuel supply line 113. Fuel source 115 is configured to supply fuel to combustor 104 via fuel inlet 111 . Fuels can be liquefied natural gas (LNG), distillates and residual fuels. This may include, for example, diesel fuel, marine gas oil (MGO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), heavy fuel oil (HFO). The fuel can also be biofuel. However, it should be noted that the main fuel can also be other fuels. The fuel may include one or more types of fuel. If the fuel contains more than one type of fuel, the fuel inlet 111 may be connected to more than one fuel source. Therefore, if the fuel includes two types of fuel, one fuel type may be supplied from fuel source 115 and the other fuel type may be supplied from one other fuel source 135 . Typically, only one fuel is supplied to the burner 104 at a time. Typically, fuel supply line 113 is operated as illustrated in Figure 1 because the same fuel inlet 111 is utilized to provide one different fuel at a time, even at different times. One conceivable combination is to provide liquid fuel to fuel inlet 111 via fuel supply line 113 while providing gas via a separate gas inlet, such as via combustion fan 120 . The gas provided via a separate gas inlet (such as combustion fan 120) may be a purge gas and/or it may be a gaseous fuel that does not originate from a purge operation.

However, if so, it may be necessary to mix the two types of fuel in fuel supply line 113 using fuel supply line 113 as illustrated in FIG. 1 , where the other fuel may be supplied to fuel supply line 113 by an other fuel supply line 133 , whereby the mixture is supplied to the burner 104 via the fuel inlet 111 . However, although not illustrated, the two types of fuel may be supplied to the combustor 104 from two different fuel inlets via two different supply lines. Accordingly, the apparatus 100 may include additional supply lines configured separately from the fuel supply line 113 , wherein the additional supply lines may be configured to supply another fuel to the combustor 104 from another fuel source 135 . The other fuel may be any of the fuels listed above for the fuels. Preferably, if the fuel includes two types of fuel, one type may be liquid fuel and the other type may be gaseous fuel.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a flow diagram 200 illustrating a method 200 for burning a purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system 108 fueled by an ammonia fuel engine 112 is shown by way of example. Boiler system 102 is configured to operate in first mode 201 . Boiler system 102 is configured to operate in second mode 211. Boiler system 102 may be configured to operate in other modes than first mode 201 and second mode 211 . The first mode 201 may be a heat generation mode that generates heat. In this context, it may be noted that heat generation may refer to steam generation, heating of hot water, heating of thermal fluids or any other medium used in heating boilers. The second mode 211 keeps the boiler 106 warm and ready for rapid operation and/or maintaining the pilot flame. Ammonia safe flushing mode. Boiler 106 is included in boiler system 102 . In the second mode 211 the boiler can be ready for quick operation or ready for quick start.

Boiler system 102 may be configured to operate in first sub-mode 201 a and second sub-mode 201 b of first mode 201 . In the first sub-mode 201a, the main flame is maintained in the burner 104 for heat generation and no flushing gas is supplied to the burner 104. The first sub-mode 201a is configured to generate heat from fuel supplied to the combustor 104 via the fuel inlet 111 . The second sub-mode 201b of the first mode 201 is configured to generate heat from the fuel and the purge gas, which is supplied through the purge gas inlet 121 . Therefore, in the second sub-mode 201b, the main flame is maintained in the burner 104 for heat generation and flushing gas is supplied to the burner 104. The ammonia is burned using the Lord's flame which acts as a supporting flame.

The boiler system 102 is configured to ignite a support flame by first igniting a pilot flame or pilot spark and then igniting a support flame from the pilot flame. If the pilot flame is maintained, the boiler system 102 is configured to ignite the support flame directly from the pilot flame and supply the purge gas to the burner 104 and burn the ammonia using the support flame.

Therefore, both the first mode and the second mode are configured to burn ammonia, but with different starting points.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , ammonia fuel system 108 includes ammonia fuel source 155 , fuel supply system 110 and ammonia fuel engine 112 . Ammonia fuel system 108 may include a flush source 165 . Ammonia fuel source 155 may be an ammonia tank and configured to store ammonia before being supplied to ammonia fuel engine 112 . Fuel supply system 110 is configured to supply ammonia within ammonia fuel system 108 . Ammonia fuel engine 112 is configured to be powered by ammonia supplied from ammonia fuel source 155 .

Flush source 165 is typically a gas tank containing an inert gas. Inert gas from flush source 165 is configured to flush ammonia from ammonia fuel system 108 to flush gas inlet 121 by flushing the inert gas through ammonia fuel system 108 . The device 100 may include a valve mechanism 118 configured to control the flow of purge gas supplied from the ammonia fuel system 108 to the combustor 104 . As discussed above, the purge gas is ammonia and inert Mixture of sexual gases. Ammonia can be liquid ammonia, gaseous ammonia or mixtures thereof. If ammonia is a mixture of gaseous ammonia and liquid ammonia, the flushing gas is a mixture of gas and liquid. The purge gas supplied to the burner 104 should be in gaseous form, and therefore, liquid must be removed from the purge gas before being supplied to the burner 104 .

The apparatus 100 may include an evaporator 114 configured to evaporate liquid ammonia, if present in the mixture, into gaseous ammonia. By evaporating liquid ammonia into gaseous ammonia, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and an inert gas can be supplied to the burner 104 . The evaporator 114 may be disposed in the purge gas pipeline 123 between the boiler system 102 and the ammonia fuel system 108 .

The apparatus 100 may further or alternatively include a separator 116 configured to separate liquid ammonia from gaseous ammonia and inert gases, if present in the mixture. By separating liquid ammonia from gaseous ammonia and inert gas, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and inert gas can be supplied to the burner 104 . The separator 116 may be disposed in the purge gas pipeline 123 between the boiler system 102 and the ammonia fuel system 108 .

It should be noted that the device 100 may include both the evaporator 114 and the separator 116, or only one of the evaporator 114 and the separator 116.

The device 100 may include a liquid ammonia inlet 141 . Liquid ammonia inlet 141 may be connected to fuel line 133 via liquid ammonia line 143 . Liquid ammonia inlet 141 may be configured to supply liquid ammonia from evaporator 114 and/or separator 116 to fuel line 133 so that liquid ammonia may be mixed with fuel disposed in fuel line 133 . Thus, liquid ammonia may be supplied to the combustor 104 as a mixture with fuel.

Apparatus 100 may include combustion fan 120 . Combustion fan 120 may be configured to provide air to combustor 104 for burning ammonia. Combustion fan 120 may be configured to supply a specific amount of air based on preset requirements. Combustion fan 120 may further or alternatively be configured to direct purge gas to combustor 104 . The combustion fan may further or alternatively be configured to direct purge gas to the burner. Combustion fan 120 may include a purge gas inlet 121 , where combustion fan 120 may be configured to mix purge gas with combustion air. Combustion fan 120 may be further configured to direct a mixture of purge gas and combustion air to combustor 104 . It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that this disclosure is in no way limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Specific examples. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

100:Device

102: Boiler system

104:Burner

106: Boiler

108:Ammonia fuel system

110: Fuel supply system

111:Fuel inlet

112:Ammonia fuel engine

113:Fuel supply line

114:Evaporator

115:Fuel source

116:Separator

118: Valve mechanism

121: Flush gas inlet

120: Combustion fan

123: Flush gas pipeline

133:Fuel pipeline

135:Other fuel sources

141: Liquid ammonia inlet

143:Liquid ammonia pipeline

155: Ammonia fuel source

165: flush source

Claims (14)

An apparatus (100) for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system (108) fueled by an ammonia fuel engine (112), the apparatus (100) comprising: a boiler system (102) , which includes a burner (104); a fuel inlet (111) configured to supply a fuel and thereby maintain a supporting flame in the burner (104); and a purge gas inlet (121), Constructed to intermittently receive a purge gas from the ammonia fuel system (108) and supply the purge gas to the burner (104), the purge gas comprising a mixture of ammonia and an inert gas; wherein the burner (104) is Constructed to burn the ammonia using the supported flame. The device (100) of claim 1, wherein the boiler system (102) is configured to operate in one of at least a first mode (201) and a second mode (211), wherein the first mode ( 201) is a heat generation mode that generates heat; and the second mode (211) is an ammonia safe flush mode that keeps the boiler (106) warm and ready for rapid operation and/or maintains a pilot flame. The device (100) of claim 2, wherein the boiler system (102) is configured to operate in one of at least a first sub-mode (201a) and a second sub-mode (201b) of the first mode (201) or operating in the first sub-mode (201a), a main flame is maintained in the burner (104) for heat generation and no purge gas is supplied to the burner (104); and In the second sub-mode (201b), the main flame is maintained in the burner (104) for heat generation and flushing gas is supplied to the burner (104) and burned using the main flame acting as the support flame The ammonia. The device (100) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the boiler system (102) is configured to ignite the boiler by first igniting a pilot flame and subsequently igniting a support flame from the pilot flame. a support flame, or ignite the support flame directly from the pilot flame if a pilot flame is maintained; and supply purge gas to the burner (104) and use the support flame to burn the ammonia. The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fuel inlet (111) is connected to a fuel source (115, 135) via a fuel supply line (113, 133), the fuel source (115, 133) 135) Constructed to supply the fuel selected from the group consisting of: liquefied natural gas (LNG), distillates and residual fuels. The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the ammonia fuel system (108), the ammonia fuel system (108) comprising: an ammonia fuel source (155) for storing ammonia; a fuel supply system (110); the ammonia fuel engine (112); and a purge source (165) containing the inert gas and configured to purge the inert gas through the ammonia fuel system (108) Ammonia is flushed from the ammonia fuel system (108) to the flush gas inlet (121). The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mixture of ammonia and inert gas includes gaseous ammonia, liquid ammonia and inert gas. The device (100) of claim 7, wherein the device (100) further includes an evaporator (114) configured to evaporate liquid ammonia into gaseous ammonia, thereby providing an evaporator to be supplied to the burner (104). A gaseous mixture of ammonia and an inert gas. The device (100) of claim 7, wherein the device (100) further includes a separator (116) configured to separate the liquid ammonia from the gaseous ammonia and inert gas, thereby providing a gas to be supplied to the combustion A gaseous mixture of ammonia and inert gas in the device (104). The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the burner (104) is a multi-fuel burner constructed to At least two different fuels are burned, or one or more liquid fuels are burned and one or more gaseous fuels are burned, wherein the one or more liquid fuels are burned simultaneously when the one or more gaseous fuels are burned. The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a combustion fan (120) including the purge gas inlet (121), wherein the combustion fan (120) is constructed The purge gas and combustion air are mixed and the mixture of purge gas and combustion air is provided to the burner (104). The device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen. A method (200) for burning purge gas originating from an ammonia fuel system (108) fueled by an ammonia fuel engine (112), the method (200) comprising: (102) A support flame is maintained in one of the burners (104), wherein the support flame is maintained by a fuel supplied from a fuel inlet (111); and the flushing gas is intermittently supplied, wherein the flushing gas is supplied by a A purge gas inlet (121) is supplied from the ammonia fuel system (108) to the burner (104), the purge gas comprising a mixture of ammonia and an inert gas; and the support flame is used in the burner (104) to burn the ammonia. The method (200) of claim 13, wherein the boiler system (102) is configured to operate in one of at least a first mode (201) and a second mode (211), wherein the first mode ( 201) is a heat generation mode that generates heat; and the second mode (211) is an ammonia safe flush mode that keeps the boiler (106) warm and ready for rapid operation and/or maintains a pilot flame.

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