Zeeco is the world leader in ultra low-NOx combustion solutions. For decades, our engineers have customdesigned Nitrogen Bearing Waste Thermal Oxidizers for petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, carbon fiber manufacturers, and electronics companies. At this very moment, our combustion systems are eliminating hazardous waste and minimizing environmental emissions in all corners of the globe.
Nitrogen Bound Waste Thermal Oxidizers are incineration systems that treat gaseous and liquid wastes comprised of nitrogen bound compounds such as ammonia and cyanide. High-temperature incineration of nitrogen-bound wastes in an oxidizing (excess-air) environment produces unacceptable levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx).
To limit the formation of NOx, Zeeco employs a multistage low-NOx incineration process. Our propriety design sets the standard for low-NOx thermal oxidation systems.
Our Combustion Research and Test Facility is considered one of the best on the planet and was the first in the world to become ISO 9001-2000 certified. Our staff stays ahead of rapidly changing environmental emission requirements while exceeding our customers’ expectations for quality and long-lasting performance.
With 15 full-scale combustion test furnaces, Zeeco is capable of testing a wide variety of combustion systems under simulated field conditions. We have multiple liquid and gaseous fuels available to enable us to simulate virtually any specified fuel under specific process conditions. A multi-stream incineration system allows us to test the most complex situations in a controlled environment. Zeeco is also equipped to demonstrate a full range of burner and flare equipment, including process burners, boiler burners, and all manner of flaring equipment, including a wide variety of smokeless technologies.
Zeeco combines advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) capabilities with our extensive experience in the design, fabrication, and operation of combustion equipment to ensure optimal performance. By modeling our client’s specific process conditions against actual equipment design, CFD allows us to predict what we cannot otherwise see or anticipate, rather than relying only on past experience and traditional design rules.
The first stage typically involves burning waste and fuel together in a reducing environment (e.g. with less than the stoichiometric requirement of oxygen) at a controlled temperature at or above 2000-2400°F (~1100-1300°C) and a residence time up to 2.0 seconds. This high temperature environment and sub-stoichiometric oxygen levels cause the compounds containing bound nitrogen to dissociate, eventually producing free nitrogen. Due to the supply of substoichiometric oxygen, combustibles including carbon monoxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) exist in the Stage One effluent.
The second stage cools the Stage One effluent to a lower temperature that ranges between the NOx formation threshold temperature and the auto-ignition temperature of the flue gas. The residence time in the second stage typically ranges from 0.5-1.0 seconds. An inert cooling medium, such as water, steam, or recycled flue gas, is introduced in this zone to achieve these temperatures, which typically range from 1300-1600°F (~700-870°C).
The third stage oxidizes the combustibles in the now-quenched Stage Two effluent. The combustibles that are oxidized in stage three include CO2, H2, and any remaining hydrocarbons that cannot be released untreated into the atmosphere. In order to complete the combustion process, supplementary air is introduced to the cooled flue gas so that the remaining combustibles oxidize prior to atmospheric discharge. The operating temperature at this final stage is typically limited to 1800°F (~980°C) and residence time in this final stage is usually 1.0-2.0 seconds.