Observations of chemical effects accompanying pulverized coal thermal decomposition

John C Kramlich,William Randall Seeker,Gary S Samuelsen

doi:10.1016/0016-2361(88)90034-8

John C Kramlich, William Randall Seeker + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-2361(88)90034-8

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Abstract

A thermal decomposition reactor is used to simulate the environment of a practical coal burner and assess the influence of fuel properties on the chemical behaviour that accompanies the thermal decomposition of pulverized coal particles. The present study complements and extends previous work that explored the physical and thermal behaviour. The rate of component burnout is determined for hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon as well as the evolution of NO and HCN, and the efficiency of fuel nitrogen conversion. The results demonstrate a significant dependency on coal particle size and coal type. Modelling demonstrates that the penetration of oxygen into the fuel-rich devolatilization cloud depends on particle size and coal properties and, as a result, controls to a large extent the evolution and transformation of the chemical constituents associated with the parent fuel.

Highlights

A thermal decomposition reactor is used to simulate the environment of a practical coal burner and assess the influence of fuel properties on the chemical behaviour that accompanies the thermal decomposition of pulverized coal particles
The results demonstrate a significant dependency on coal particle size and coal type
A typical solids composition profile is shown in Figure 2 as a function of the axial distance from the burner, in this case for the 40k~rn Four Corners coal. While these results indicate trends, the elemental analysis of the collected solids are best interpreted in terms of ‘component burnout’, which is calculated from an elemental analysis of the collected solids

Summary

Introduction

A thermal decomposition reactor is used to simulate the environment of a practical coal burner and assess the influence of fuel properties on the chemical behaviour that accompanies the thermal decomposition of pulverized coal particles. The rate of component burnout is determined for hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon as well as the evolution of NO and HCN, and the efficiency of fuel nitrogen conversion. The object of the present study is to complement these observations with an examination of the chemical behaviour that accompanies the thermal decomposition of pulverized coal particles.

Results

Conclusion