August 28, 2023
Development of Hydrogen-Oxygen Burner for Industrial Furnaces
Carbon-Free Fuel and Oxygen Combustion Technologies Contribute to the Reduction of CO2
Emissions in Industrial Furnaces
Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (President: Kenji Nagata; hereinafter "TNSC"), a Japanese industrial
gas company of Nippon Sanso Holdings Group, has developed a hydrogen-oxygen burner fueled byhydrogen gas for industrial furnaces. The development enables TNSC’s oxygen burner series (SCOPEJETⓇ, Innova-JetⓇ, and Innova-JetⓇSwing) to use hydrogen as fuel. Combustion using hydrogen gas
produces zero carbon dioxide (CO2) because the fuel does not contain carbon. By deploying thistechnology, TNSC will contribute to the social implementation of hydrogen energy and the reduction ofCO2 emissions in the industrial furnaces field.
1.

Background to Product Development

Around 1.12 billion metric tons of CO2 is emitted annually in Japan, 35% of which comes from theindustrial sector. CO2 is emitted from many industrial furnaces. The number of industrial furnaces in Japanis estimated to be about 37,000, and to achieve the government's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050; thesefacilities need to take measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
TNSC has been focusing on ammonia as a carbon-free fuel and developing an ammonia-oxygen burner
since 2014. Hydrogen attracts attention as a carbon-free fuel for industrial furnaces along with ammonia.
TNSC has been developing a hydrogen-oxygen burner since FY2021 to offer customers various options
to reduce CO2 emissions in the industrial furnace field.
2.

Outline of the Development and Features

SCOPE-JETⓇ high-speed oxygen lance burner
SCOPE-JETⓇ is a lance burner which forms a supersonic oxygen jet and is an energy-saving technology
for electric arc furnaces (“EAF”) for melting iron scrap. Unlike conventional auxiliary burners, SCOPEJETⓇ functions in the steelmaking process as an oxygen burner that helps scraps to melt faster during the“melting stage” immediately after iron scraps are fed into the EAF and as an oxygen lance during the“refining stage” after the scraps are melted down. These features significantly contribute to productivity
improvement and energy intensity reduction in the EAF steelmaking process.
Hydrogen combustion with SCOPE-JETⓇ results in high flame temperatures and high combustion speeds,
causing high temperatures near the burner and requiring measures to reduce the heat load on the burner.
Applying TNSC’s unique nozzle structure enables stable combustion and acquires jet characteristics
equivalent to those of natural gas fuels.

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[Lance mode]
Natural gas 80 Nm3/h
Oxygen 800 Nm3/h[Lance mode]
Hydrogen 400 Nm3/h
Oxygen 800 Nm3/h[Burner mode]
Hydrogen 500 Nm3/h
Oxygen 800 Nm3/h
Fig.1 SCOPE-JETⓇ combustion flames
Innova-JetⓇ ultra-low NOx oxygen-enriched burner
Innova-JetⓇ is an energy-saving technology for heating furnaces and melting furnaces and contributes
greatly to energy intensity decrease by significantly reducing heat loss due to exhaust gas. When adopting
oxygen-enriched combustion in heating furnaces, a large amount of NOx generated needs to be controlled.
TNSC’s unique nozzle structure and multi-stage combustion significantly reduce NOx emissions, and theburner has been applied to various industrial furnaces.
Hydrogen combustion with Innova-JetⓇ results in a high flame temperature, requiring further NOx control
measures. Improving the conventional nozzle concept so that it is optimal for hydrogen reduces NOxemissions to a level that can be used in industrial furnaces and acquires heat transfer characteristics
equivalent to natural gas burners. TNSC is currently conducting evaluation tests of Innova-JetⓇ in actual
furnaces in Europe.

[100% natural gas fuel]Natural gas 107 Nm3/h
Oxygen 253 Nm3/h[20% hydrogen, 80% natural gas]
Natural gas 86 Nm3/h
Hydrogen 80 Nm3/h
Oxygen 244 Nm3/h[50% hydrogen, 50% natural gas]
Natural gas 53 Nm3/h
Hydrogen 200 Nm3/h
Oxygen 232 Nm3/hFig. 2 Innova-JetⓇ combustion flames-2-Innova-JetⓇ Swing self-induced oscillating oxygen-enriched burner
Innova-JetⓇ Swing is an energy-saving technology for high-temperature heating furnaces and melting
furnaces. It significantly reduces heat loss due to exhaust gas and provides uniform heating over a wide
area by moving the flames left and right using the self-induced oscillation phenomenon for furnaces witha shallow furnace bottom.
Hydrogen combustion with Innova-JetⓇ Swing enables stable combustion by improving the self-coolingtechnology that uses oxidizer gas so that it is optimal for hydrogen to reduce the heat load on the burner.

[100% natural gas]
Natural gas 35 Nm3/h
Oxygen 50 Nm3/h
Air 160 Nm3/h[50% hydrogen, 50% natural gas]
Natural gas 17.5 Nm3/h
Hydrogen 65 Nm3/h
Oxygen 50 Nm3/h
Air 160 Nm3/h[100% hydrogen]Hydrogen 130 Nm3/h
Oxygen 50 Nm3/h
Air 160 Nm3/hFig. 3 Innova-JetⓇ Swing combustion flames
3.

Future Developments

Based on the hydrogen-oxygen combustion technology that has been developed, TNSC will continuously
develop and design optimal burners for various industrial furnaces to satisfy a wide range of customer
needs and propose introducing these solutions into their furnaces. Through the use of this technology, thecompany will aim to implement hydrogen energy in society and reduce CO2 emissions.

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[Company Overview]
Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation
Business description: Manufacture and sale of various industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon,
LP gas, gas for medical uses, and specialty gases, manufacture and sale ofwelding equipment and materials, gas-related devices, and, air separationequipment, assembly, processing, inspection of electrical components, andequipment maintenance
Established:
October 30, 1910
Incorporated:
February 4, 2020
Capital:
1.5 billion yen
Shareholder:
Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation (Investment ratio: 100%)
Revenue:420.4 billion yen*
*Note: This figure shows the revenue of Japan for Nippon Sanso Holdings
Corporation in FYE2023

Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation
Tnsc.Info@tn-sanso.co.jp-4-