Combustion

Factors influencing combustion,

Coal composition
Dr. T K Ray
DGM - PMI

NTPC Limited
E-mail:

rayt3@asme.org

Coal

The most easily and abundantly

available, cheap and transportable,
energy source

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Burning of coal in pulverized form is

one of the most significant
achievement in boiler technology

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Pulverized form of coal

It has made modern steam generating units

highly thermal efficient, reliable and safe.
Pulverized coal is the most efficient way of using
coal in a steam generator..
It provides good control over coal air mixture
proportion, flame stability with minimum level of
unburnt carbon.
Pulverized coal burns like gas, can be easily
lighted and controlled.
Pulverized coal boiler can be easily adapted for
other fuels like gas and oil.
LARGE size boiler could be made
T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Coal pulverizer

Coal pulverizers are essentially volumetric devices,

because the density of coal is fairly constant, are
rated in mass units of tons/hr.

Increased combustible loss can occur if the furnace

volume or mill capacity is less than desirable for a
particular coal.

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Coal pulverizer

Size reduction is energy intensive and generally very

inefficient with regard to energy consumption.
In many processes the actual energy used in
breakage of particles is around 5% of the overall
energy consumption.
There are four operations going concurrently within
the mill body, coal drying, transport, classification
and grinding.
For coal pulverizers the capacity of a mill is normally
specified as tonnes output when grinding coal with a
HGI of 50, with a particle size of 70% less than 75
micron and 1 % greater than 300 micron and with a
moisture in coal of less than 10%.

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

History of coal pulverization

Carnot envisaged a pulverized coal fired engine

in 1824.
Diesel had envisaged using pulverized coal for
his diesel engine in 1890
Pulverized coal firing was first developed in
cement industry
THOMAS ALVA EDISON, NIEPCE brothers were
pioneers in pulverized coal firing

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

History of coal pulverization

After world war I the effort on using pulverized

coal firing got tremendous boost in power
industry
John Anderson Chief engineer of power plants
of Wisconsin Electric power company introduced
pulverized coal firing in power stations.

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Coal an organic complex polymer

Sequential events

Devolatilization (Pyrolysis)

Heating causes its structure to

decompose
Weaker chemical bonds break at
lower temperatures
Stronger ones at higher
temperatures
Volatile yield can be up to 50%

SEM of a de-volatilizing coal particle

greater than indicated by proximate

analysis
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5 January 2013

 Burning of volatile matters

Homogeneous gas phase reaction
around the particle

Char burning
Heterogeneous combustion
Occurs at the char surface and pore
surfaces (porosity~0.7; surface area
~100 m2/g)
Guided through competing effects of

Char particle at the early

stage of burning

heat and mass transfers to the char

surface and chemical reaction
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5 January 2013

Coal Combustion

volatiles

homogeneous
combustion

CO2, H2O,

coal particle
p-coal, d=30-70m

heterogeneous
combustion

char

CO2, H2O,

Heating

De-volatilization

tdevolatile=1-5ms

tvolatiles=50-100ms

tchar=1-2sec
t

Temperature, Turbulence, Time and Size

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5 January 2013

VM, Fineness, Combustion & Residence Time

Vol. combustion intensity, Iv is
in the range 150-250 kW/m3.
FEGT<IDT
For a desired Iv, one can select
tr (~ 2 sec)
The combustion time, tc (~ 1
sec) <tr by a significant margin.
Low VM coal; more fineness
required

5 12
January 2013

Coal particle size distribution

If 1-2% is +50 in BS mesh sieve (300 m), most of

this coarse coal will not burn and end up in C in BA

It also frequently causes slagging around the burners

If -200 mesh (75 m) fineness is poor, results in high

C in FA

If the coal is not properly ground, the distribution to

the burners may not be even

Resulting in air-fuel imbalances at one or more burners

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5 January 2013

Problems Associated With Indian

Coals
Inconsistent Coal Properties

Presence Of Extraneous Matters In Coal

High Quantum Of Ash With High Percentage Of
Quartz
Highly Abbrasive Nature Of Coal Ash
Due To Low Sulphur Content- Extremly High
Electrical Resistivity Of Ash
Low Heating Value Of The Coal

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5 January 2013

Boiler design
Coal Properties influence

The sizing of the boiler heat transfer

surfaces
The flue gas velocities
The size of boiler auxiliaries

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5 January 2013

Ash Analysis
Provides indicators to
Slagging / fouling / deposition
potential
Erosion potential
Corrosion potential

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5 January 2013

The Three Ts & One S Practice

Technology

Time

Temperature

Turbulence

Size

Stoker

large

Medium

Low

Big

Pulverized

Short

High

Medium

Tiny

Cyclone

Short+

V High

High

Medium

Medium

Low

High

Medium

Fluid Bed

Size the Coal and Add the Air !!!

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5 January 2013

Normally specified Coal Properties

Proximate Analysis
Ultimate Analysis
Calorific Value
Ash Constituents
Ash Fusion Temperatures
Hard Grove Index
YGP Index

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5 January 2013

Coal Analysis -Typical Indian Coals

Proximate Analysis

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5 January 2013

Coal Analysis -Typical Indian Coals

Ultimate Analysis

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5 January 2013

Ash Characteristics -Typical Indian

Coals

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5 January 2013

Coal Analysis - 500 MW Units

Stn 1
Units-1 & 2
2 x 500MW

Stn 2
Units-3,4,5&6
4 x 500MW

Stn 3
Units-5 & 6
2 x 500MW

DC

WC

DC

WC

DC

WC

24

20

22

20

23.5

20.5

VM %

22

19

21

19.5

17

15

14

15

15

16.5

16.5

18.5

Ash %

40

46

42

44

43

46

HHV kcal/kg

3300

2800

3300

3000

2850

2450

Ash kg/Mkcal

121

165

128

147

151

188

IDT oC

1100

1100-1200

1150

1100

1100

1100

FC

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5 January 2013

Nomenclature-Bowl Mills

583 XRS / 803 XRP Bowl mills

58,80 stands for bowl diameter in inches
If the number is even then its shallow bowl mill.
If the number is odd then its deep bowl mill
3 - number of rollers three nos.

X - frequency of power supply 50 cycles. In USA

x means 60 cycles.
R- Raymond, name of the inventor
S- suction type with exhauster after mill
P- pressurised type with P.A. Fan before mill.

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

To Boiler

Spring-Assly
Inner Cone

Roller
Bowl

Hot Air

Gear
T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Motor

Factors affecting Mill performance

Moisture in the coal.

Coal grindability index.
Mill inlet and outlet temp.
Mill differential Pr. (DP)
Mill loading.
Air Flow in the Mill.
Mill Motor current.
Coal Mill fineness

Grindability
Moisture content
Fineness
Pri air quantity &
temp

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Grindability

The grind ability of the coal is an empirical index

It is not an inherent property of coal
Relative ease of grinding as compared with standard
coal
It is determined in laboratory using 50 g of air dried
sample of properly sized coal in a miniature
pulveriser which is set to rotate exactly 60
revolutions grinding the coal sample.
The hard grove Gindablility index is calculated

G.I. (hardgrove) = 13+6.93W

Where W= weight of dust passing through 200
mesh sieve.
T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Grindability
Higher the HGI more is
the capacity
Normally mill capacity
is indicated at 50/55
HGI.
Actual Mill capacity
varies with HGI

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Grindability

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Moisture in Coal

Moisture: Inherent and surface

Inherent moisture locked up within the structure
Inherent moisture is constant for a particular seam
Surface moisture varies
Coal must be dried to remove the surface moisture
totally before grinding
Beside drying primary air also

Create circulation
Transport coal

Provide initial oxygen for combustion

PA quantity is 15 to 28% of total air

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Moisture in Coal

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Moisture

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Temperature Of Coal Air Mixture At

Mill Outlet

The temperature of pulverised coal and air

mixture at pulveriser outlet should be maintained
at least 15 C Above the dew point of air at
pulveriser pressure to avoid condensation and
consequent plugging of the coal pipes.
The pulveriser mill outlet temperature should be
maintained above 65 C.
The higher limits are 90 C For high volatile
(above 24%) coals and 110 C for low volatile
coals (below20% VM)..
T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Fineness

Fineness of pulverised coal

More the fineness less is the capacity
70% through 200 mesh
Number of opening per linear inch.
50 mesh sieve will have 2500 openings per
square inch
Volatile content below 16% would required higher
degree of fineness i.E.75 to 80% through 200
mesh sieve, whereas the higher volatile coals
(above 24%) will ignite and burn with ease with
lower fineness of 60% through 200 mesh sieve.

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of Fineness

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Effect of fineness

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013

Thanks

T K Ray NTPC

8 January 2013