Correlation of fireside boiler fouling with North Dakota lignite ash characteristics and power plant operating conditions
- Energy Research and Development Administration, Grand Forks, ND
Studies are reported on ash fouling when burning North Dakota lignites, conducted during the past year by the Grand Forks Energy Research Center (GFERC) in cooperation with electric utilities. It was found that the test probe fouling rate for the cyclone-fired boiler was about one half that of the pulverized coal-fired unit at similar temperatures. This indicates an important advantage for cyclone firing, subject to the qualifications discussed in the text. If the proposed New Source Performance Standard for lignite of 0.6 lb NO/sub x//MM Btu is imposed, no further cyclone-fired boilers will be built. Imposition of the standard at this time suggests a possible risk of greater fouling, lower plant availability, and higher operating cost for future boilers based on the present findings. Sodium is indicated to be the most reliable predictor of ash fouling. The other factors tending to increase fouling were SiO/sub 2/, ash, and an increase in boiler load (or gas temperature). The only reported variable acting to decrease fouling was calcium, and the statistical validity of this effect is questionable based on the current data. The level of ash fouling was shown to be predicted with high statistical validity for data sets representing moderate load, but with far less validity for all data representing the total range of load. The validity of the trends observed would, it is believed, be greatly improved by treating a much larger number of data sets. For the data available at this time, the trends which can be identified have been previously established in both field and laboratory tests, and the current work cannot be said to have identified any previously unrecognized effect. The principal limitation of this method of study is that the observed fouling at any one time is not only a function of the operating conditions at that time, but also of all previous fouling since the last boiler cleaning.
- OSTI ID:
- 6984290
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-770403-
- Journal Information:
- Proc. Am. Power Conf.; (United States), Vol. 39; Conference: 39. annual meeting of the American Power Conference, Chicago, IL, USA, 18 Apr 1977
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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200108 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Fuels- (1980-)