FUEL CHEM^® TIFI™ Targeted In-Furnace Injection™ Technology            (brochure)

Fuel Tech’s patented TIFI™ Targeted In-Furnace Injection™ technology is the most innovative approach yet to fireside treatment. The TIFI process involves the use of two different forms of fluid dynamics modeling coupled with a virtual reality engine. Together, these simulation methods create a running duplicate of a given furnace with injection overlays and dosage maps to predict the precise trajectory of an injected chemical, helping to ensure as close to 100% coverage of the targeted zones as possible. By targeting the problem areas of a furnace instead of targeting the fuel, the performance and cost effectiveness of the Company’s FUEL CHEM^® programs are significantly improved.

A number of technical papers describing the scientific underpinnings of TIFI technology and its use in controlling slagging, fouling and SO₃-related problems can be found in the Publication Library. A demonstration video is also available for viewing.

TIFI technology encompasses three different types of application. The most basic TIFI program addresses fouling problems and typically involves the use of only one array of injectors in the combustion unit. Other, more specialized, applications include TIFI Hybrid and TIFI Hybrid Plus.

Basic TIFI Program
The most common application of TIFI technology utilizes magnesium hydroxide slurry diluted with water and then atomized with air. This mixture is then sprayed into the combustion unit at computer-determined ports that allow for complete coverage of the problem areas. Such an approach causes the additive to react with slag as it is forming and penetrate existing deposits to affect the physical crystal characteristics in areas where this is required. It is also what gives the technology its strong SO₃ abatement performance.

The chemical reagent arrives at the customer site in the form of a suspended slurry of micron sized particles. The reagent is a specialty chemical slurry with high reactive ability due to its large surface area per unit volume ratio (approximately 530,000 sq.ft./cu.ft). This high activity results in reduced treatment dosages while its high stability eliminates many of the handling and feeding problems associated with unstabilized compounds.

The low dosage levels required for good performance are based on modification of the crystal structure of the slag as it is formed and adheres to tube surfaces. Finished crystal strength is significantly reduced by the penetration of nano-scale particles into the slag, allowing sootblowing to remove the deposits with little difficulty. Atomization takes place in accordance with the results of the Computational Fluid Dynamics model. Chemical feed rates are much lower than stoichiometric requirements, while ash fusion temperatures are unaffected.

TIFI Hybrid
The TIFI Hybrid approach combines targeted chemical injection in the lower furnace waterwalls with direct feed of a slag inhibitor into the fuel. The Hybrid program enables control of both lower waterwall slagging problems and convection section fouling simultaneously. TIFI Hybrid technology is also highly effective in SO₃ abatement. Use of this technology lowers opacity, drops SO₃ levels and raises ash pH higher than any conventional program on a consistent basis.

TIFI Hybrid Plus
The TIFI Hybrid Plus approach builds upon the Hybrid technology by incorporating the use of catalysts, which are either fed into the fuel or into the furnace in reducing conditions. The advantage of this technology is an even greater reduction in opacity due to a lowering of loss on ignition, or LOI, which is essentially unburned carbon. For units with low LOI, reductions in excess O₂ may also be possible with the use of a catalyst. This approach will improve boiler efficiency and reduce flame-generated SO₃ and NOx, in addition to controlling slagging, fouling and other SO₃-related problems. Reductions in total stack opacity utilizing this technology approach 75% to 80%.

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