Combustion testing of coal-water and coal-methanol-water mixtures in oil-designed boilers

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5537051

Fu, Y C; Bellas, G T; Joubert, J I

The combustion characteristics of coal-water mixtures (CWM) and coal-methanol-water (CMW) mixtures have been evaluated using an oil-designed 100-hp (0.98-MW) firetube boiler and an oil-designed 700-hp (6.87-MW) watertube boiler. Combustion tests were conducted in the 700-hp boiler using CMW mixtures prepared with a high-volatile A bituminous coal and a high-volatile C bituminous coal. Atomizing air with pressure at the burner of 120 to 130 psig was used. With CMW mixtures containing 60 wt % hvAb coal, the minimum level of methanol required without using preheated combustion air was about 16 wt %, while CMW mixtures containing 51 wt % hvCb coal required a methanol level greater than 23 wt %. Only 51 wt % hvCb coal could be added to the CMW mixtures because of the formation of high-viscosity mixtures that resulted in high fuel pump pressure and nozzle-plugging problems. The carbon conversion efficiencies at full load were all better than 99.4% for hvCb CMW mixtures containing 12% to 45% methanol by weight and for combustion air temperatures ranging from ambient to 500/sup 0/F (260/sup 0/C). In comparison, the carbon conversion efficiencies obtained for hvAb CMW mixtures containing 0 to 39% methanol by weight were in the 92 to 98% range for combustion air temperatures ranging from ambient to 500/sup 0/F. Combustion tests were conducted in both boilers with a commercially prepared CWM fuel containing 70 wt % Eastern US bituminous coal to compare performance under similar operating conditions. A 270-h duration test was conducted in the 100-hp firetube boiler at full load using 530/sup 0/F (277/sup 0/C) combustion air to determine the behavior of ash accumulation in the furnace. 4 refs., 12 figs., 13 tabs.

• Research Organization: USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA
• OSTI ID: 5537051
• Report Number(s): CONF-841201-33; ON: DE85014347
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
014000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
AIR HEATERS
ALCOHOLS
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
BOILERS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL SLURRIES
FUELS
HEATERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METHANOL
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER