Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Decoupling Combustion Characteristics of a Burner with Flame Stabilizer

In order to integrate renewable electricity into the power grid, it is crucial for coal-fired power plant boilers to operate stably across a wide load range. Achieving steady combustion with low nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions poses a significant challenge for boilers burning low-volatile coal in coal-fired power plants. This study focuses on developing a decoupling combustion technology for low-volatile coal-fired boilers operating at low loads. A three-dimensional numerical simulation is employed to analyze and optimize the geometrical parameters of a burner applied in a real 300 MW pulverized coal fired boiler. Detailed analysis of the burner’s decoupling combustion characteristics, including stable combustion ability and NO x reduction principles, is conducted. The results indicate that this burner showed three stages of coal/air separation, and the flame holder facilitates the stepwise spontaneous ignition and combustion of low-volatile coal. By extending the time between coal pyrolysis and carbon combustion, the burner enhances decoupling combustion and achieves low nitrogen oxide emissions. Based on optimization, a flat partition plate without inclination demonstrates excellent performance in terms of velocity vector field distribution, coal air flow rich/lean separation, combustion, and nitrogen oxide generation. Compared with the initial structural design, the average nitrogen oxide concentration at the outlet is reduced by 59%.