Optimization of wood combustion and control of nitrogen oxides formation in the suspension phase of a spreader-stoker furnace

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5043941

Winter, R M

In the USA wood residue is primarily burned in spreader-stoker furnaces. The research herein described focuses on the characterization of the evolution and oxidation of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen from wood and peat particles during suspension combustion. The effects of fuel and combustion parameters on particulate and nitric oxide emissions are also investigated. Experimental investigations were performed utilizing a 44-kW tower furnace. Furnace vertical velocity was shown to have a strong proportional influence on particulate carry-over. Particulate carry-over as a function of excess air was shown to experience a minimum as excess air was adjusted from stoichiometry to super-stoichiometry. Moisture content was found to reduce particulate carry-over by increasing the initial density of the particle, thereby causing decreased entrainment of these particles above the critical burnout size. Fuel segregation was found to be extremely useful in reducing particulate emissions. Removal of particles between 2.0 and 6.0 mm was shown to be the most beneficial. Fuel nitrogen oxidation for typical wood fuels (nitrogen % < 0.2%) is high (ca. 90%). Fuels with nitrogen concentrations greater than 1% exhibited fuel nitrogen oxidation of approximately 40%. The experimental findings were augmented by a mathematical model simulation of the combustion of a single particle. The steady state nonlinear differential equations were solved by the finite element method. Temperature, oxidant, and fuel profiles and mass burning rate were included in the program output.

• Research Organization: Utah Univ., Salt Lake City (USA). Coll. of Letters and Science
• OSTI ID: 5043941
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDATION
SYNTHESIS
WOOD
COMBUSTION KINETICS
CARBON
ENTRAINMENT
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FUEL-AIR RATIO
FURNACES
HYDROGEN
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOISTURE
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICULATES
PEAT
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
KINETICS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
REACTION KINETICS
SIZE
090400* - Solid Waste &amp; Wood Fuels- (-1989)
140504 - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production &amp; Conversion- (-1989)