Laboratory-scale study of the combustion of coal-derived liquid fuels. Final report. [Air flames]

Technical Report · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5758802

Beer, J M; Farmayan, W F; Teare, J D; Toqan, M

Results are reported of Phase II of a comprehensive experimental study aimed at clean efficient (low excess air) combustion of minimally processed coal liquid fuels, and carried out using the 1.2 m x 1.2 m x 10 m MIT Combustion Research Facility. In Phase I of the work (EPRI Report AP-2517, August 1982) staged combustion methods were developed which permitted substantial reductions of NO/sub x/ emissions without attendant penalties in particulates emission. Two critical aspects of staged combustion were further examined during Phase II: (a) matching of patterns of air flow and fuel spray close to the burner to minimize soot formation in the fuel-rich flame zone, and (b) admixing of secondary air to the products of the fuel-rich zone to obtain complete combustion with low excess air (about 5%) and without additional downstream formation of NO/sub x/. Results are presented in terms which can be translated into criteria of burner and combustion chamber design. The Phase II studies were also concerned with high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) species, and with ensuring that staged combustion control of NO/sub x/ and soot emissions does not yield increased PAH emission, since some PAH compounds found in flames have been shown to be potentially hazardous to human health. Soot and PAH concentrations are higher in the fuel-rich zone of the EDS flame than in an equivalent No. 6 fuel oil flame, but in both cases satisfactory burn-out of these species can be achieved by effective management of the heat extraction and mixing patterns. Coal liquid fuel flames, however, have increased propensity for the emission of excessive amounts of these species under adverse combustion conditions wich may arise from burner malfunction or from poor mixing and very low flame temperatures at part load operation. 47 refs., 68 figs., 28 tabs.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5758802
• Report Number(s): EPRI-AP-4038; ON: TI85920652
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL LIQUIDS
COMBUSTION
STAGED COMBUSTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DISTILLATES
EMISSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXXON LIQUEFACTION PROCESS
FLAMES
FUEL-AIR RATIO
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
H-COAL PROCESS
NITROGEN OXIDES
PARTICULATES
RECOMMENDATIONS
SOOT
SRC-II PROCESS
STABILITY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
AROMATICS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CONTROL
DATA
DISTRIBUTION
FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUIDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
POLLUTION CONTROL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
014000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Combustion