Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Sawdust-Coal Fine Pellets

Authors

  • Peter Y. S. Chen
  • Edward C. Workman, Jr.

Keywords:

Underfire/overfire air, sulfur dioxide, combustion efficiency, volatile matter, firing rate

Abstract

Pellets made from wood and coal residues at various ratios (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% wood, and 50% wood-plus-limestone) were burned at different underfire/overfire air mixtures (20, 40, 60, and 80%) in a laboratory stationary bed burner to determine the effects of wood/coal ratio and underfire/overfire air mixture on the combustion and emission characteristics of wood-coal pellets.

The results indicated: 1) the oxygen depletion periods appeared to increase with increasing percentages of wood in the pellets and also to increase with increasing underfire air (UFA); 2) increasing wood percentages in pellets decreased flame temperature and total run time, and, thus increased the firing rate; 3) increasing percentages of wood in pellets reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2 emissions but increased carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) emissions; 4) increasing UFA increased the CO, CH4, and SO2 emissions; and 5) adding a small quantity of limestone to wood-coal pellets greatly increased the capture of sulfur in the bottom solids and thus reduced the SO2 emission substantially.

References

Bhagwat, S. B. 1987. Future of Illinois basin coal: 1994 and beyond. Processing and utilization of high sulfur coals II. Page 589 in Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Processing and Utilization of High Sulfur Coals, September 28-October 1, 1987, Carbondale, IL.nCarman, E. P., E. G. Graf, and R. C. Corey. 1957. Combustion of solid fuel in thin beds. U.S. Bureau of Mines Bull. 563. 92 pp.nGoetzl, A., and S. Tatum. 1983. Wood energy use in the lumber and wood products industry. For. Prod. J. 33(3):44-48.nHelmer, W. A., K. Caraker, E. C. Workman, Jr., and J. E. Phelps. 1988. Effect of wood-to-coal fuel percent and underfire air on sulfur emissions amd percent fuel energy loss during cofiring of wood and coal. For. Prod. J. 38(11/12):49-54.nKreisinger, H. 1939. Combustion of wood-waste fuels. Mechanical Eng. 61(2):115-119.nNicholls, P., and M. G. Eilers. 1934. The principles of underfeed combustion and the effect of preheated air on overfeed and underfeed fuel beds. Transactions of the Amer. Soc. of Mechanical Eng., vol. 56, pp. 321-336.nReed, T. B., ed. 1981. Biomass gasification. Noyes Data Corporation, Park Ridge, NJ. Pp. 36-39.nSinger, J. G. 1981. Combustion-fossil power systems. Combustion Engineering, Windsor, Connecticut. 1,042 pp.nStarley, G. P., D. M. Slaughter, J. M. Munro, and D. W. Pershing. 1982. Formation and control of NO emissions from coal-fired spreader-stoker boilers. Presented at the 19th Symposium (International) on Combustion, Haifa, Israel.nU.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1976. Final report on the feasibility of utilizing forest residues for energy and chemicals. A report to the National Science Foundation and the Federal Energy Administration, Washington, D.C. Report No. NSF-RA-760013. 191 pp.nVillesvik, G., and D. A. Tillman. 1983. Co-firing of dissimilar fuels: A review of some fundamental and design considerations. In Proceedings of the American Power Conference. April 1983. Pp. 1-11.nYang, R. J., K. L. Maloney, and F. J. Garcia. 1982. Laboratory evaluation of combustion modifications for coal-fired stoker boilers. Western States Section/The Combustion Institute, Salt Lake City, UT. Paper No. WSCI 82-13.n

Downloads

Published

2007-06-28

Issue

Section

Research Contributions