FLOX process

The FLOX process is a technical combustion process without flame formation .

history

The possibility of flameless oxidation (abbreviated to FLOX) was discovered by Joachim Alfred Wünning , Joachim Wünning's nephew , in April 1990 during tests with industrial burners. In his company WS Wärmeprozesstechnik the process was further developed and made ready for the market. Due to the specific advantages of the FLOX process, the development was also promoted by third parties. Among other things, a pilot system for flameless combustion of pulverized coal was developed in the “FloxCoal” research project at the University of Stuttgart.

technology

In the FLOX process, incoming gas burns flameless from a temperature of 850 ° C. The gases are injected into the burner so quickly that the flames are blown away and a stable flame front cannot develop. A high level of exhaust gas recirculation ensures that the substances at the flame limit cannot develop a locally increased temperature, which means that the maximum temperature occurring in the combustion chamber is reduced.

An outstanding effect for technology based on it is the fact that the formation of nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) drops to theoretically zero, as these form on the flame front. In the processes that can currently be used in practice, NO _x emissions fell by 20% for Rhenish lignite and by 65% for Polish hard coal . With the conversion of existing burner systems at Thyssen-Krupp, fuel consumption was also reduced by 20 to 50 percent.

With this technology, the company WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH from Joachim Alfred Wünning and his son Joachim Georg Wünning were awarded the German Environment Prize 2011 by Federal President Christian Wulff .

Web links

• Tanja Ellinghaus: Burners without a flame . In: Technology Review . November 11, 2011.
• List of specialist articles at WS Wärmeprozesstechnik

Individual evidence

1. ↑ DBU: With less energy and fewer emissions to the technology leader ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ DBU: German Environmental Prize 2011 (PDF file; 7.5 MB)