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Fig. 1 IMO proposal curves.
The Nitrogen
Oxides Reducer
AUTHOR: Paol o Tr emul i , Di r ect or R & D Envi r onment al Sol ut i ons,
Wr t si l Shi p Power i n I t al y.
Legislation
Since the year 2000 the IMO and other
legislative bodies, including national
authorities, have been concerned about
nitrogen oxide (NO
X
) emissions from
ships. In 2005, the rst global legislation
from the IMO came into force covering
all new ships built after the year 2000.
This legislation was the rst step, but due
to the increase in sea trafc and the rise
in general concern for the environment,
new measures were demanded.
During 2008 new rules have been
proposed that are expected to be ratied
before the end of the year (Figure 1).
The proposal suggests that further NO
X
reductions from ships be introduced in
two steps. The rst step, known as Tier II
will introduce a reduction of about 25%
from the Tier I level and will cover all
seas. This Tier II limit will enter into force
in 2011. The second step, Tier III, will
further reduce NO
X
emissions by about
80% of the Tier I level. Tier III will enter
into force in 2016 but will be limited to
certain sea regions, known as NECA.
The designation of these NECA
areas involves a complex process that
is being handled by the IMO. The
procedure will start with the request
from local authorities, and will involve
an evaluation of ship trafc pollution
and the potential benets to the area
arising from this exclusive action. It
is expected that this procedure will
take from 3 to 5 years to complete.
Possible NO
X
abatement methods
With the above in mind, Wrtsil has
positioned itself to be able to offer
its customers a sound solution.
For Tier I, engine-related methods are
by far the most viable since they do not
require additional equipment onboard.
However, it is a completely different
situation as regards the Tier II emission
level. New technologies developed during
recent years have demonstrated the ability
to reach a maximum NO
X
abatement
of 60% from Tier I levels. While these
technologies may be further developed
to reach the Tier III target, they will
require fairly substantial development
before they become ready for marine
use. This could result in a mismatch
between the legislation entering into
force and the technology development
schedules. Another important point
is the focus on CO
2
emissions and
engine efciency. The primary methods
generally result in a decrease in engine
efciency, which means higher fuel
consumption and higher CO
2
emissions.
CO
2
emissions are already targeted for
limitation because of their impact on the
greenhouse effect. Controlling fuel
consumption is a primary consideration
to any shipowner. The solution, therefore,
is the SCR.
The Selective Catalytic Reactor (SCR)
is a chemical reactor totally separated
from the engine (Figure 2). The SCR is
able to achieve substantial reductions in
NO
X
, usually in the range of 80-90%,
with even greater reductions possible.
The fact that the SCR is very powerful
and its behaviour is not directly related
to the engine set up, allows the benet
of having the highest possible engine
efciency with the lowest NO
X
emissions.
This technology was developed
during the 1970s, and has been widely
utilized in several industries, including
the marine industry, since then. It is
a mature technology that has already
proven its capability in meeting the
goals for which it was developed.
How a SCR works
Reaction description
The generation of NO
X
occurs inside a
diesel engine during the combustion phase
in the spots where high temperatures
are generated by the combustion of the
fuel. In these spots a secondary reaction
between the atmospheric nitrogen and
The latest proposals for reducing NO
X
emissions from ships stipulate that
by 2016, emission levels will be some
80% lower than at present. Wrtsil is
in the forefront of providing a feasible
solution to this challenge.
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0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
Marine NO
X
regulations
Outcome of the IMO/MEPC 57 meeting [Link].2008
N
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W
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Nominal Engine Speed (rpm)
IMO Tier I already
in force globallyt
IMO Tier II from
2011 globally
IMO Tier III from
2016 in designated
special areas
WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 02.2008
63 in detail
p
the oxygen occurs, thereby generating
NO
X
. The formation reaction should
be reversible, meaning that the NO
X
should decompose back to the basic
elements when the temperature is
reduced. Unfortunately, because of the
fast temperature reduction in the cycle,
this does not occur. The NO
X
generated at
high temperatures are frozen and remain
present at relatively low temperatures.
It is possible to reverse this reaction
also at low temperatures, but catalyst
material and an additional reagent would
be needed. In the SCR, the catalyst
material is vanadium pent oxide. On
its surface, the NO
X
molecules react
with the additional reagent, ammonia,
and form back into nitrogen and water.
The new compounds mix with the gas
stream and leave the catalyst surface.
Ammonia is not present in the
engines exhaust gases so it has to be
added. In the maritime industry, urea
is preferred over ammonia for safety
reasons. Ammonia is highly toxic, and
should a leakage occur aboard ship,
it could be extremely hazardous.
Urea, on the other hand, is a harmless
compound that can be handled directly
without any special precautions. It
comes in the form of small white
crystals. Usually it is not handled in
solid form but is instead used in a
40% urea: 60% water solution. The
solution is much easier to pump and
dose into the NO
X
abatement system.
Once the urea solution is injected
into the exhaust gases, rst the water
evaporates and secondly the urea goes
through it own thermolysis. Thanks
to the high temperature of the exhaust
gases, the urea molecule breaks up
into ammonia and carbon dioxides.
SCR components
The system is made up of several
parts, which perform the different
actions required by the process to
reduce the NO
X
(Figure 3).
The main components are:
the catalyst
the reactor
the soot blowing system
the pumping unit
the dosing unit
the injection system
the control unit.
The catalyst.
The catalyst is in the shape of ceramic
bricks, with a honeycomb structure inside
so as to maximize the available surface
to be exposed to the gases. The catalyst
material is deposited on a ceramic support.
The reactor.
There is a reactor for every engine. It
is usually made of iron, and its main
function is to contain the catalyst.
The soot blowing system.
On the reactor there is also the soot
blowing system. This function prevents
the catalyst from being clogged by the
Fig. 2 SCR general plant.
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Fig. 3 SCR typical P & I diagram.
soot present in the engine exhaust ow. It
operates on a timing basis and blows the
soot deposits away from the catalyst inlet.
The air used to operate the soot
blowing system comes usually from
the ships service air system.
The pumping unit.
One pumping unit can serve several
engines. This unit pumps the urea from
the tank into the other components of the
system and raises its pressure to the right
level for injection into the exhaust gas stream.
The dosing unit.
A dosing unit should be installed for
each reactor. The dosing unit provides
the correct ow rate to the urea solution
for injection. The ow rate is regulated
via a dosing valve. The dosing unit
also ensures that the pressurized air is
at the correct pressure for injection.
The injection unit.
The urea is injected with the help of
compressed air. The injector consists of
a mounting ange, a lance, and a nozzle.
The ange is directly mounted onto the
exhaust gas duct. The lance consists of
two coaxial pipes; the inner one for the
urea solution, and the external one for the
compressed air. The lance must be long
enough for the nozzle to be located in the
middle of the duct. The two media mix
in the nozzle, with the compressed air
ensuring that the urea solution is nely
sprayed into the exhaust gas stream.
A certain length is necessary in order to
achieve complete water vaporization and
the decaying of the urea into ammonia.
The control system.
The control system is mounted in
a steel cabinet. The control system
receives engine-load and NO
X
-signals
from the engine and calculates the
amount of urea to be injected. Dosing,
soot blowing, and tank heating are
incorporated into the control system.
Limitations
The working temperature of the SCR
system varies between 250 C and 500 C.
Above 500 C the ceramic support burns
off and becomes ineffective. There are
also two low temperature limitations.
Firstly, low temperatures can limit the
catalysts efciency by reducing the
conversion factor. Secondly, at low
temperatures a secondary reaction
between the sulphur oxides and the
ammonia occurs. The product is ammonia
bisulphate (ABS), a sticky compound
that can clog the catalyst. Figure 4 shows
the trade off between the minimum
recommended exhaust gas temperature
and the sulphur content in used fuel.
In the case of ABS formation, it is still
possible to remedy the situation if detected
before the SCR is completely clogged.
Increasing the exhaust gas temperature (by
increasing the engine load, for example)
will cause the ABS to be simply burned
off, thus freeing the clogged channels.
The NOR design concept
Since the 1990s, Wrtsil has supplied
more than 100 engines equipped
WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 02.2008
65 in detail
Fig. 5 Compact Unit.
with SCR. In recent years Wrtsil
has noted a growing demand from
its customers for this equipment.
As a result, Wrtsil decided to develop
a rst class SCR portfolio to cover its
4-stroke engine portfolio. The name
selected for this is the Nitrogen Oxides
Reducer (NOR). In order to achieve this,
Wrtsil has signed agreements with its
main sub suppliers. This allows Wrtsil to
be in full control of the know-how applied
to its products, and to guarantee that top
class technology will always be utilized.
Entering into a new market with new
technology to offer its customers was
not sufcient for Wrtsil. Instead, it has
been decided to enter the market with a
high quality product that is, nevertheless,
highly competitive also on the price level.
The companys purchasing organization
has contributed to this goal by associating
the SCR business with other businesses
so as to generate volume in order to abate
costs. At the same time, in order to reduce
costs the equipment has been highly
Fig. 4 Sulphur vs. min. exhaust gas temperature.
standardized in order to limit the number
of different components used. In addition
to lowering costs, this also shortens
delivery time. In certain conditions, the
equipment can even be purchased on
speculation.
Applications
Wrtsil SCR can be utilized in all marine
industry applications where a 4-stroke
engine is installed. It can operate with
different fuel types, from gas to heavy fuels.
Particular care has been taken in
reducing the need for additional p
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equipment, combining everything on
a single skid or building directly onto the
reactor. Wrtsil has developed a unique
solution where the urea pumping and
dosing are combined with the SCR control
system in a single unit. This solution has
been named the Compact
Unit (Figure 5), so as to differentiate it from
the traditional solution having the control
system, pumping, and dosing units
separate.
The standard equipment will be
delivered already connected and
commissioned, thereby reducing the
shipyard work for assembly and avoiding
equipment commissioning onboard.
The fact that it has been developed
specically for marine applications does
not mean that its possible applications
are limited to this sector. It can also
be utilized in power plants and can
be supplied both for existing and new
applications when its characteristics match
the requirements for particular projects.
NOR Portfolio
The SCRs have been divided into 6 groups
with each group relating to a number of
Wrtsil 4-stroke engines. For each SCR
there is a selection of standard auxiliary
equipment.
The SCR is selected according to engine
type and number of cylinders. This is
sufcient to dene the SCR size and the
auxiliaries required (see Figure 6). Our
standard offer includes the reactor, with
the catalyst and soot-blowing system,
the compact unit, and the injection unit.
The urea pumping unit and the urea
dosing units can be offered as options.
The reactor has four feet, but there are
eight possible positions where they can be
located in order to match the space
available onboard.
The air supply is taken from the ships
service air system and the urea tank is
usually obtained from a ballast water tank,
so there is no need for special vessels.
Available options
A number of different options are available
on demand. In certain applications
the customer may prefer to split the
auxiliary equipment as has been the
earlier tradition. The possibility to have
a separate control system, pumping
unit and dosing unit, is available.
The NO
X
emission monitoring
device is another available option. It
has been kept as an option because
currently it is seldom required.
If preferred, Wrtsil can offer an air
compression station to serve the SCR.
Shock absorbers, exhaust bellows, and
exible hoses are also options available to
the customer if his particular application
involves vibration that may affect the SCR.
Serviceability
The above design strategy also has
a positive impact on servicing the
equipment. The high standardization
of components translates into high
availability of service parts since stocks will
be readily available.
Fig. 6 SCR portfolio.
