Surface Ignition of Coal and Other Fuel Particles in Radiative and Diffusive Environment

Abstract

Ignition of an impervious solid fuel of spherical shape in contact with a quiescent hot oxidizing medium is analyzed. The governing mass and energy balance equations are solved by employing the Laplace transformation technique, Mellin's complex inversion theorem, and the Laplace asymptotic method of evaluating integrals with large parameters. The model is used to study the ignition of coal particles in a typical MHD-open-cycle combustor environment. The effects of the initial coal temperature, combustor pressure, particle size, and combustor temperature on ignition time are discussed