How to Calculate the NOx in HFO Based engine if convert the engine on Gas what will be the
effect and how much Nox reduced?
To calculate NOx emissions from a heavy fuel oil (HFO) engine and predict the changes after
converting the engine to run on gas (like natural gas), you would typically follow these steps:
1. Calculate NOx Emissions for HFO Engine:
NOx emissions depend on several factors such as engine type, load, combustion temperature, and
fuel properties. You can calculate the NOx emissions using either empirical formulas, emission
factors, or direct measurements if the engine is equipped with monitoring systems.
The basic steps to estimate NOx emissions from an HFO engine are:
Determine Engine Load and Fuel Consumption: You need to know the power output
(in kW) and fuel consumption (in kg/h or liters/h).
Find NOx Emission Factor for HFO: This is typically given in grams of NOx per kWh
or grams of NOx per kg of fuel burned. For HFO engines, typical NOx emission factors
range between 12-15 g NOx/kWh.
Calculate the NOx Emissions:
NOx (g/h)=Power Output (kW)×NOx Emission Factor (g/kWh
or
NOx (g/h)=Fuel Consumption (kg/h)×NOx Emission Factor (g/kg)
2. Effect of Converting Engine to Gas:
After converting an engine to run on gas (like natural gas), there is typically a significant
reduction in NOx emissions. The reasons are:
Lower Combustion Temperature: Natural gas burns at a lower temperature compared
to HFO, which reduces thermal NOx formation (the primary NOx formation mechanism).
Cleaner Combustion: Natural gas has a simpler chemical structure (mostly methane,
CH₄) compared to HFO, which contains a mixture of heavier hydrocarbons and
impurities like sulfur and nitrogen compounds that can increase NOx production.
3. Reduction in NOx After Conversion to Gas:
The exact amount of NOx reduction depends on various factors (engine design, combustion
control, etc.), but on average, the NOx emissions could be reduced by 60-90% when converting
from HFO to natural gas.
Natural Gas NOx Emission Factor: For natural gas engines, the NOx emission factor is
much lower, typically between 1-3 g NOx/kWh, compared to 12-15 g NOx/kWh for HFO
engines.
NOx Reduction Formula:
NOx Reduction (%)=(NOx (HFO)−NOx (Gas)NOx (HFO))×100
Example:
Let’s assume a 1 MW (1000 kW) engine running on HFO with an emission factor of 13 g
NOx/kWh:
NOx Emissions with HFO:
NOx (g/h)=1000 kW×13 g NOx/kWh=13,000 g/h (13 kg/h)\text{NOx (g/h)} = 1000
NOx Emissions with Natural Gas (assuming 2 g NOx/kWh):
NOx (g/h)=1000 kW×2 g NOx/kWh=2000 g/h (2 kg/h)\text{NOx (g/h)} = 1000
NOx Reduction:
NOx Reduction (%)=(13,000−200013,000)×100=84.6%
This example shows a reduction of around 85% in NOx emissions when switching from HFO to
natural gas.
Conclusion:
Converting an HFO engine to run on gas will significantly reduce NOx emissions, typically by
60-90%, depending on the specifics of the engine and fuel. The NOx emissions after conversion
can be calculated using the engine's power output and the NOx emission factor for natural gas.
e NOx emission factor is a coefficient used to estimate the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx)
produced per unit of energy output or per unit of fuel consumed by an engine. It is typically
expressed in terms of grams of NOx per kilowatt-hour (g NOx/kWh) for power-producing
engines or grams of NOx per kilogram of fuel burned (g NOx/kg).
In the context of the example above, the emission factor is:
1. For HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil):
o The NOx emission factor for an HFO engine typically ranges from 12 to 15 g
NOx/kWh. This means that for every kilowatt-hour of energy the engine
produces, it emits 12 to 15 grams of NOx.
In the example, I used an average emission factor of 13 g NOx/kWh for the HFO engine.
2. For Natural Gas:
o After conversion to natural gas, the NOx emission factor is much lower, usually
ranging between 1 to 3 g NOx/kWh. This reflects the cleaner combustion
properties of natural gas.
In the example, I assumed an emission factor of 2 g NOx/kWh for the natural gas engine.
The emission factor varies depending on the engine's specific technology, operating conditions,
and the exact type of fuel used. For natural gas, advanced technologies like lean-burn engines or
selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems can further lower the NOx emission factor.
If an HFO Engine produces 3454 kWH power what will be the amount of NOx according to above?
To calculate the NOx emissions for an HFO engine producing 3454 kWh of power, we can use
the NOx emission factor from the previous example, which is 13 g NOx/kWh.
Formula:
NOx Emissions (g)=Power Output (kWh)×NOx Emission Factor (g NOx/kWh)\text{NOx Emissions (g)} = \
text{Power Output (kWh)} \times \text{NOx Emission Factor (g
NOx/kWh)}NOx Emissions (g)=Power Output (kWh)×NOx Emission Factor (g NOx/kWh)
Calculation:
NOx Emissions (g)=3454kWh×13g NOx/kWh=44,902g=44.9kg
Result:
The HFO engine producing 3454 kWh of power would emit 44.9 kg of NOx.
To convert NOx emissions from grams per hour (g/h) to milligrams per normal cubic meter
(mg/Nm³), we need to follow these steps:
1. Step 1: Convert g/h to mg/h
o 1 g=1000 mg
o So, 44,902 g/h=44,902×1000 mg/h=44,902,000 mg/h
2. Step 2: Estimate exhaust gas flow rate (Nm³/h) To calculate the emission concentration
in mg/Nm³, we need to know the engine's exhaust gas flow rate. This is typically based
on the amount of fuel burned and engine-specific factors. Unfortunately, the exhaust gas
flow rate can vary depending on several parameters (fuel type, engine size, efficiency,
etc.).
A typical value for an exhaust gas flow rate from an HFO engine is around 8 to 10
Nm³/kWh.
3. Step 3: Calculate NOx in mg/Nm³ Using the exhaust gas flow rate (let's assume 9
Nm³/kWh as an average value), the total exhaust gas flow rate would be:
o Exhaust gas flow rate = 3454 kWh×9 Nm³/kWh=31,086 Nm³/h
Now, calculate the NOx concentration:
NOx (mg/Nm³)=NOx (mg/h)Exhaust Gas Flow Rate (Nm³/h)/Exhaust Gas Flow Rate (N
m³/h)
NOx (mg/Nm³) =44,902,000 mg/h/31,086 Nm³/h≈
NOx (mg/Nm³) = 1445 mg/Nm³
If a Gas Engine produces 3454 kWH power what will be the amount of NOx according to above?
To calculate the NOx emissions for a gas engine producing 3454 kWh of power, we can use the
NOx emission factor for a gas engine. As mentioned earlier, the NOx emission factor for natural
gas engines typically ranges between 1 to 3 g NOx/kWh. For this calculation, I'll use an average
value of 2 g NOx/kWh.
Formula:
NOx Emissions (g)=Power Output (kWh)×NOx Emission Factor (g NOx/kWh)
Calculation:
NOx Emissions (g)=3454 kWh×2 g NOx/kWh=6908 g
Result:
The gas engine producing 3454 kWh of power would emit 6908 g of NOx or 6.908 kg of NOx.
This is significantly lower compared to the HFO engine, which emitted 44.9 kg of NOx for the
same power output, showing a substantial reduction in NOx emissions when switching from
HFO to natural gas.
To convert the 6908 g of NOx emissions from a gas engine to mg/Nm³, we will follow a similar
approach to the one used earlier for the HFO engine.
Steps:
Step 1: Convert g to mg
1 g=1000 mg1
6908 g=6908×1000 mg=6,908,000 mg6908
Step 2: Estimate the exhaust gas flow rate (Nm³/h) The exhaust gas flow rate for a gas
engine is typically higher than that of an HFO engine. A common value for a gas engine
is about 10 to 12 Nm³/kWh.
Let's assume an exhaust gas flow rate of 11 Nm³/kWh.
So, the total exhaust gas flow rate would be:
Exhaust Gas Flow Rate=3454 kWh×11 Nm³/kWh=37,994 Nm³/h
Step 3: Calculate NOx concentration in mg/Nm³ Using the total NOx emissions and
the exhaust gas flow rate, we can calculate the NOx concentration:
NOx (mg/Nm³)=NOx (mg/h)/Exhaust Gas Flow Rate (Nm³/h)
NOx (mg/Nm³)=6,908,000 mg/h/37,994 Nm³/h≈
182 mg/Nm3
Result:
The NOx concentration for the gas engine is approximately 182 mg/Nm³.
This concentration is significantly lower compared to the HFO engine, reflecting the cleaner
combustion characteristics of natural gas.
