Hydrogen Firing Solutions
INDUSTRY-LEADING DECARBONIZATION EQUIPMENT
Transition to Hydrogen Firing Confidently with Zeeco
Since 1979, Zeeco has relied on a spirit of innovation and a commitment to excellence to help our customers meet safety and environmental regulations. Zeeco continues that legacy today by developing proven combustion equipment, control, and monitoring systems to safely fire up to 100% hydrogen in select applications. By leveraging the latest technologies, research, and testing advancements, Zeeco has successfully designed, tested, and installed hydrogen-compatible equipment to support our customers' decarbonization efforts.
.png?width=2000&height=1125&name=MicrosoftTeams-image%20(66).png "Hydrogen Illustration")
What are the benefits and challenges of H2 firing?
Transitioning from heavy carbon-based fuels to hydrogen is an exciting opportunity that can help industries worldwide significantly reduce emissions. However, while hydrogen offers benefits, the transition to a more sustainable fuel comes with challenges.
Benefícios
- Zero carbon emissions when firing 100% H2
- Higher flame temperature
- Often, less fuel is needed to achieve the desired heating temperature
Desafios
- Burner design compatibility
- Impact on boiler performance
- Upgrading instrumentation and controls
- Increased NOx emissions are possible
Designing Hydrogen Compatible Equipment
Much of Zeeco's equipment is capable of firing hydrogen with the right modifications and process conditions. When transitioning to hydrogen firing, Zeeco recommends conducting an equipment survey to ensure all necessary design and safety measures are in place. Once specific plant process conditions are known, Zeeco then makes necessary adjustments to the equipment design to safely fire hydrogen.
Hydrogen Process Burners
ZEECO® FREE JET™ Gen 2
- 25 years of proven industry experience in high-hydrogen operation
- Fires high hydrogen and various fuel blends
- Uses internal flue gas recirculation for NOx reduction
- Stable and robust flame over a wider operating range
- Simple retrofit solution
ZEECO® FREE JET™ Gen 3
- Fires 100% hydrogen and various fuel blends
- Pode queimar o gás residual do flexicoker
- Opções de tiragem forçada e natural
- Fits in nearly every furnace
- Near single-digit NOx emissions when firing H2
- Single-digit NOx emissions when firing natural gas
- Sem controles complexos
- Sem controles de segurança adicionais
ZEECO Horizontal Slot Radiant Wall (HSRW) Burner
- Fires high hydrogen and various fuel blends
- Reduced CO2 and NOx emissions
- Simple maintenance
- Longer service life
Avanços na tecnologia de queimadores
Recent advancements in hydrogen burner technology are enabling safe, stable combustion with ultra-low-NOx emissions while firing up to 100% hydrogen. Developed through collaboration between Zeeco and ExxonMobil, this next-generation burner design overcomes hydrogen’s unique flame characteristics and supports industrial decarbonization across refining, petrochemical, and energy applications.
Hydrogen Ready
Hydrogen‑ready combustion solutions must address hydrogen’s unique flame characteristics while maintaining safe, stable operation. Zeeco’s burners, retrofit technologies, pilots, and flame scanners are designed to enable higher hydrogen firing rates with low NOx emissions, supporting a compliant transition to hydrogen firing in refining and petrochemical applications.
Hydrogen Power Burners
Building on its proven success helping power plants transition from coal to gas and from oil to gas, Zeeco is well-positioned to support the next step in fuel evolution—hydrogen firing. With deep experience in burner design, retrofits, controls, and combustion safety, Zeeco enables power producers to adopt hydrogen fuels through a seamless, staged transition that maintains reliability, performance, and compliance. This proven approach helps power plants decarbonize with confidence while leveraging existing infrastructure wherever possible.
- Hydrogen-ready Ignition Systems: Zeeco ignition systems and pilots can be configured for hydrogen service, reducing or eliminating the need for additional fuel gases and ancillary equipment.
- Fuel Skids and Fuel Handling Systems: Zeeco can specify, design, and supply hydrogen fuel skids and fuel handling systems engineered for safe, controlled hydrogen delivery to the burner.
- Full Control System Integration for Hydrogen: Zeeco provides full control systems to manage hydrogen fuel addition, blending, and firing in coordination with burners, pilots, and safety systems.
ZEECO GB low-NOx Burner
- Fires 100% H2 and a variety of fuel blends
- Highly reliable and field-proven technology
- Simple retrofit solution
- Minimal start-up time
ZEECO FREE JET Gen 2
- 25 years of proven industry experience in high-hydrogen operation
- Fires high hydrogen and various fuel blends
- Uses internal flue gas recirculation for NOx reduction
- Stable and robust flame over a wider operating range
- Simple retrofit solution
Hydrogen Flame Scanners
ZEECO ProFlame™ Scanner
The ZEECO ProFlame scanner is one of the only flame scanners on the market capable of reliably detecting flames when firing high-hydrogen. Conventional flame scanners are configured to detect combustion radiation across the UV, visible, and IR spectra, providing a wide spectral range when firing various gas and liquid fuels. However, when firing high-hydrogen, the lack of carbon significantly narrows the spectral range and shifts it toward the UV. This results in weakened peak flame signals, leading to nuisance trips in conventional scanners. Because the ProFlame uses just the UV spectrum to detect flames, the absence of carbon does not affect its ability to detect combustion radiation from the target burner.
Hydrogen Burner and Flare Pilots
Most pilots/igniters used on fired heaters are self-aspirated, meaning the air is naturally induced to mix with the fuel gas prior to combustion. When using high-hydrogen pilots, the risk of flashback in the pilot tube increases. It is crucial to employ pilot designs capable of firing on pilot gas compositions up to 90% hydrogen without flashback, to avoid damage to the pilot and any internal components. For example, some pilot designs use an adjustable air door to manually control airflow and prevent flashback when firing high-hydrogen fuels. As the hydrogen content increases, the air door must be closed further to maintain the jet speed and prevent flashback.
Related Resources
Produtos para o mercado de reposição de energia
Não importa se o seu equipamento foi fabricado pela Zeeco ou por outro fornecedor de equipamentos de combustão. Temos o que você precisa para restaurar e, muitas vezes, melhorar a eficiência, a funcionalidade e o desempenho do seu equipamento.
Folheto de energia
Leia sobre os recursos expansivos da Zeeco no mercado de queimadores de energia e caldeiras
Queimador de energia JET® GRÁTIS
O queimador de energia ZEECO® GLSF FREE JET® é um exemplo de nosso implacável compromisso de ajudar as indústrias geradoras de vapor
GB - Queimador de baixo NOx
O queimador ZEECO® GB foi projetado para resolver problemas complexos, de forma simples. Este queimador axial, de fluxo paralelo, tipo registro, é baseado em um projeto comprovado na indústria de combustão por mais de 40 anos.
Atualizações de processos e caldeiras, retroajustes, e controles
A atualização de seus aquecedores de processo ou caldeiras pode melhorar drasticamente a segurança da planta, reduzir as emissões de NOx, maximizar a eficiência da planta e permitir mudanças de combustível mais fáceis.