Industrial-scale Investigations on Combustion Characteristics and NO_x Emissions of a 300-MW_e Down-fired Boiler: Bituminous Coal Combustion and Coal Varieties Comparison

ABSTRACT

Number of down-fired boilers burning bituminous coal or anthracite blended with bituminous coal has exceeded 10% of the total down-fired boilers in China. However, lacking of the industrial-scale research on the performance of down-fired boiler burning bituminous coal or blended coal, which limits the actual operation adjustment. Industrial-scale experiments on a 300-_MWe down-fired boiler fueled with bituminous coal and blended coal were performed, which boiler was originally designed to burn low-volatile coal. Without the over-fire air, air-staging combustion can still be realized when the down-fired boiler burning bituminous coal. The combustion performance in the down-fired boiler under different coal varieties was compared. Compared with the anthracite case, flue gas temperature is higher, coal flame fullness is greater, O₂ consumption occurs faster and NO_x concentration is lower in the primary combustion zone when burning bituminous coal. Strong reducing atmosphere is formed in the primary combustion zone. The NO_x emissions are low at a level of 410 mg/m³ at 6% O₂ at furnace exit and boiler thermal efficiency reaches 92.590% when burning bituminous coal. The NO_x emissions cannot be further reduced by burning blended coal. In addition, the boiler thermal efficiency reduced by 1.108%. Without the over-fire air, compared with burning anthracite or lean coal, the NO_x emissions and carbon in fly ash significant reduction by 70% and 90%, respectively, and the boiler thermal efficiency increased when burning bituminous coal.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Down-fired boiler
• NO_x
• bituminous coal
• staged air
• primary combustion zone

Highlights

• Industrial experiments of down-fired boiler burning bituminous coal are taken.

• Air-staging combustion can be realized without over-fire air when burning bituminous coal.

• Burning bituminous coal is conductive to reduce NO_x emissions and improve boiler efficiency.

• Bituminous coal blended with lignite cannot further reduce the NO_x emissions.

• Evaluating coal varieties and combustion technologies effect on the low-NO_x combustion.

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0212502), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0203702).

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declare no competing financial interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China. the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People´s Republic of China [2016YFC0203702, 2017YFC0212502].