Industrial Combustion Systems
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Combustion systems in industrial facilities in Canada use about one-third of all energy consumed. These systems are the source of about 20 percent of total emissions of criteria air contaminants associated with smog and acid rain, and over 25 percent of total emissions of greenhouse gases.
Industrial combustion systems include:
- Boilers and heaters that that capture the thermal energy from a burning fuel in a heat transfer medium such as steam;
- Kilns, heaters and furnaces that transfer the thermal energy from a burning fuel directly to process materials, and
- Gas turbines and reciprocating engines that transform the thermal energy from a burning fuel into mechanical energy.
These systems may include equipment such as steam turbines and heat recovery units that enable the system to produce both mechanical and thermal energy.
Fuels used in industrial combustion equipment include natural gas, heavy oil, light oil, fossil fuel by-products, waste fuels and wood waste.
National emission guidelines have been developed for various types of combustion equipment used across a number of industrial sectors, including:
- Boilers and process heaters such as those found in the pulp and paper, oil and gas, refining, petrochemical and iron and steel sectors;
- Boilers used for commercial space heating;
- Kilns and furnaces used in the cement and lime sector;
- Gas turbines used in electricity generation, natural gas transmission and combined heat and power applications.
Industrial combustion systems present some of the most cost-effective opportunities for obtaining significant reductions in emissions of both criteria air contaminants and greenhouse gases through pollution prevention and efficiency improvements.
The co-production of electricity and industrial energy (co-generation) is a key option for improving the overall efficiency of combustion systems. This topic is covered under the Gas Turbine and Combined Heat & Power Systems pages.
