Combustion characteristics of a front-wall-fired pulverized-coal 300 MWe utility boiler

This paper describes the results of an experimental study undertaken in an 300 MWe, front-wall-fired, pulverized-coal, utility boiler. The data reported include local mean gas species concentrations of O-2, CO, CO2, NOx, and gas temperatures measured at several ports in the boiler including those in the burner region, and incident wall heat fluxes taken around the boiler periphery at 39 ports. The incident wall heat fluxes are reported for two boiler operating conditions. During the experimental work reported here, a considerable effort was made to assure minimum variations on boiler operating conditions and coal chemical and particle size characteristics so that the data presented are especially useful for 3-D mathematical model evaluation and development. The results reveal that: (i) the boundary air injected below the first row of burners leads to oxidizing conditions close to the back wall; (ii) local gas temperatures and CO concentrations in the boiler, near the burners, reached maximum values of about 1470 degrees C and 1.6%, respectively; (iii) above the boiler nose the measured NOx concentrations are reasonably uniform with averaged values of about 670 ppm; and (iv) wall radiant heat fluxes present maximum values at the side wall close to the intermediate row of burners.