Temperature Profile Assessment of Sub-Bituminous Coal Using a Single Burner Combustion Test Facility

Abstract

This paper presents a thermogravimetric analysis and combustion test for different coals used in one of the coal-fired power plants in Peninsular Malaysia. The main objective is to investigate the suitability of adopting a newly-introduced sub?bituminuous coal in an existing boiler furnace commonly firing standard design coals. In order to ensure that the new coal will not cause adverse effect to the boiler, detail analytical and thermal performance of the new coal is investigated. The investigation is carried out with standard design and other limiting coals. The combustion test was performed in a scaled down, 150 kW, single swirl burner combustion test facility available in TNB Research Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia. In the study, combustion gas temperature at different sectors downstream of burner region is measured to determine the peak temperature for all tested coals. Based on the investigation, it was noted that coal with the highest fixed carbon content gives the highest temperature measured at all sectors. On the other hand, coal with the lowest fixed carbon gives the lowest temperature. The temperature profile for the newly tested coal was found to be reasonable and comparable to the design and limiting value coals. Even though it was observed that the temperature given by the new coal is the highest slightly downstream of the burner, the temperature was observed to decrease as combustion gas flow further downstream of the combustion test rig. Based on the observation it can be said that the new coal is suitable to be used by the existing boiler furnace.