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Reduction of Unburned Carbon Release and NO x Emission from a Pulverized Wood Pellet Boiler Retrofitted for Fuel Switching from Coal

Author

Listed:
  • Jiseok Lee

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Seunghan Yu

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jinje Park

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea)

  • Hyunbin Jo

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea)

  • Jongkeun Park

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea)

  • Changkook Ryu

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea)

  • Yeong-gap Jeong

    (Human Resource T/D Institute, Korea South-East Power Co., Jinju 52852, Korea)

Abstract

For renewable electricity production, biomass can fully displace coal in an existing power plant with some equipment modifications. Recently, a 125 MWe power plant burning mainly anthracite in Korea was retrofitted for dedicated wood pellet combustion with a change of boiler configuration from arch firing to wall firing. However, this boiler suffers from operational problems caused by high unburned carbon (UBC) contents in the bottom ash. This study comprises an investigation of some methods to reduce the UBC release while achieving lower NO x emissions. The computational fluid dynamics approach was established and validated for typical operating data. Subsequently, it was applied to elucidate the particle combustion and flow characteristics leading to the high UBC content and to evaluate the operating variables for improving the boiler performance. It was found that the high UBC content in the bottom ash was a combined effect of the poor fuel grindability and low gas velocity in the wide burner zone originating from the arch-firing boiler. This prevented the operation with deeper air staging for lower NO x emissions. Reducing the particle size to <1.5 mm by modifying mills or pretreating the fuel using torrefaction was the only effective way of lowering the UBC and NO x emissions with deeper air staging while increasing the boiler efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiseok Lee & Seunghan Yu & Jinje Park & Hyunbin Jo & Jongkeun Park & Changkook Ryu & Yeong-gap Jeong, 2020. "Reduction of Unburned Carbon Release and NO x Emission from a Pulverized Wood Pellet Boiler Retrofitted for Fuel Switching from Coal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:19:p:5077-:d:421112
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Li, Jun & Brzdekiewicz, Artur & Yang, Weihong & Blasiak, Wlodzimierz, 2012. "Co-firing based on biomass torrefaction in a pulverized coal boiler with aim of 100% fuel switching," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 344-354.
    5. Hyunbin Jo & Kiseop Kang & Jongkeun Park & Changkook Ryu & Hyunsoo Ahn & Younggun Go, 2019. "Optimization of Air Distribution to Reduce NOx Emission and Unburned Carbon for the Retrofit of a 500 MWe Tangential-Firing Coal Boiler," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-20, August.
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