Combustion of particles in a large pulverized brown coal flame

✍ Scribed by L.A. Juniper; T.F. Wall

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 767 KB
• Volume: 39
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-2180
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(80)90008-5

✦ Synopsis

A model of the ignition of a polydisperse cloud of brown coal particles, in a known gas environment, is presented and used to predict the behavior of the particles in a burner jet of a utility boiler. The model allows for drying, devolatilization, and char combustion of the particles. It is assumed that the volatiles burn in the free stream so that char combustion can occur during volatiles evolution, the diffusion of oxygen to the particle surface being inhibited due to the net outflow of volatiles. The model is used to calculate the behavior of a cloud ofp. f. size particles along the centerline of a brown coal burner jet in which the gas temperature and composition have been measured. Rates of volatile release and char combustion are calculated and shown to be in agreement with measurements of volatile material in the flame. It is found that particles smaller than about 80/am contribute most to the ignition of the jet and that they closely follow the local gas temperature. The unique character of brown coal of combustion, its high volatile evolution on rapid heating, the high activity of its char at low temperature, and the demonstrated ignition of its char without a jump in temperature make the overlap of devolatilization and char combustion more likely than with other coals. The mathematical formulation that allows this overlap gives oxygen consumption levels consistent with measurement. An analysis is made of the relative importance of radiation from the flame front to the particle, and entrainment of hot combustion gases into the jet. It is found that the radiation is of secondary importance compared to the effect of entrainment which is the controlling mechanism in the initial heating of the particles. Also, the significance of the assumption that the volatiles burn in the free stream is discussed.