The characterisation of the concentration profiles of NH3 and HCN are of great importance for increasing the knowledge of the formation and destruction pathways of NO and N2O in a fluidized bed boiler. Further improvements of the sampling methods for the determination of both NH3 and HCN in the combustion chamber in full-scale CFB boilers are also needed. A gas-sampling probe connected to a Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) instrument and a gas-quenching (GQ) probe in which the sample is quenched directly in the probe tip by a circulating trapper solution were used. The FTIR technique is based on analysis of hot combustion gases, whereas the trapper solutions from the GQ probe were analysed by means of wet chemistry.
The tests were performed during coal combustion in a 12 MW CFB boiler, which was operated at three air-staging cases with the addition of limestone for sulphur capture. The concentration profiles of NH3 and HCN in the combustion chamber showed a different pattern concerning the influence of air-staging. The highest levels of NH3 were observed during reducing conditions (severe air-staging), and the lowest were found under oxidising conditions (no air-staging). The levels of HCN were much lower than those measured for NH3. The highest levels of HCN were observed for reversed air-staging and severe air-staging showed almost no HCN. The potential reactions involving NH3 and HCN in the combustion chamber as well as the potential measurement errors in each sampling technique are discussed for the three air-staging cases
