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Title: Natural gas/pulverized-coal cofiring performance testing at an electric-utility boiler. Topical report, June-October 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6147082

A field testing program was conducted at a 570-MW pulverized-coal electric-utility boiler to document the potential of cofiring natural gas with coal. The capacity of the gas equipment is 20% of the boiler rating. The report discusses the use of natural gas for sulfur control, smokeless start-ups, combustion improvement, control of furnace slag, carrying load during coal upsets and improving operation while firing potentially troublesome coals. Gas used for start-up and low load flame stabilization maintained precipitator cleanliness as confirmed by internal inspections. Testing documented the predicted change in flue-gas moisture concentration during cofiring. Also, the flue-gas acid dew point temperature was actually lowered by one to three degrees during cofiring. The optimization test program confirmed that gas use is a convenient and reliable method for maintaining production during coal upsets. The 120-MW design capacity of the gas system was achieved. Gas cofiring can be implemented to achieve an immediate reduction in SO/sub 2/ emissions. This gives greater coal-blending flexibility, while insuring that no SO/sub 2/ violations need occur. Utilizing the warm-up guns resulted in a 15% reduction in nitric oxide emissions.

Research Organization:
Energy Systems Associates, Tustin, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6147082
Report Number(s):
PB-87-222717/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English