Computational modeling of

pulverized coal combustion

processes in
tangentially fired furnaces

Group Members
-Ayush Agrawal(Y7108)
-Jyotish Mishra()
-Pankaj Singh(Y7276)
-Ras Dwivedi(Y7350)
 Objectives
• To study
-Characteristics of the flow
-Combustion
-Temperature distribution
- NOx emissions (fuel and thermal)
in a tangentially fired pulverized-coal boiler.

• Compare the results obtained with and without OFA (Over

Fire Air) Operation.
Schematic of Thermal Power Plant
Boiler modeling
Tangentially Firing Arrangement
A Tangentially Fired Boiler
 Benefits of using Tangentially fired
Arrangement

• Good Flame Distribution

• Uniform Heat Flux to the Furnace Walls
• Reduction in NOx Emissions
 Numerical modeling
• We first do combustion modeling and obtain temperature
and O2 concentration.

• Amount of NOx formed is highly sensitive to the temperature

and O2 concentration.

• The NOx calculation is performed after the combustion

calculation, based on predicted temperature and species
concentration.
 Combustion Modeling
• Numerical calculations are carried out using CFD code in
order to predict turbulent flow, coal particle motion and
combustion in the boiler.

• Combustion zone, furnace, re-heaters, super-heaters,

economizer and rear pass – each is separately modeled using
different numerical model.

• The re-heaters, super-heaters and economizer are modeled

as porous media with inertial resistances in order to consider
their effects on flow and pressure drops and are treated as
heat sinks in the heat transfer model.
 Combustion modeling
• We calculated the Lagrangian particle
trajectory of pulverized coal particle

• Dispersion of the particle due to gas

turbulence is calculated using stochastic
tracking model

• Discrete ordinates radiation model is

used to simulate the radiation heat
transfer
 NOx modeling
• Transport equation take into account
convection, diffusion, production and
consumption of the NO species.
• NOx formed mainly by -
a)Thermal NOx
b) Fuel NOx
c) Prompt NOx
 Thermal NOx
• Formed when nitrogen and oxygen within
combustion air combine at a high
temperature and fuel lean environment.

• Formation is function of temperature and

residence time.
• Equations

• Transport equation

• Rate equation
 Fuel NOx
• Formed when nitrogen bound in the coal
combines with excess of oxygen in the
combustion air

• Widely accepted intermediate species are

HCN and NH3

• HCN and NH3 generally react to form NO in

fuel lean region and N2 in fuel rich region
 Prompt NOx
• Formed by the Reaction of atmospheric
nitrogen with hydrocarbon derived from fuel
in low temperature and fuel rich condition

• Neglected as it is formed in very fuel rich

condition and contribute to very small amount
RESULTS
 Flow Distributions

Velocity Magnitude
on a Vertical Plane

Velocity Vectors on different Horizontal Planes

Conclusions:
• Flow activity near the burners is high.
• Formation of a clockwise swirl at the center.
• Swirling magnitude decreases as we move
from section A to F.
• As the flow enters SH and RH region swirling
reduces and upward flow tends to be even.
 Particle Trajectories
Conclusions:
•Both trajectories are almost same, but not
coincident due to difference in densities and
turbulent fluctuations.

•Residence Time of flue gas within the boiler

was found out to be 22.2 seconds.

•Residence Time of coal particles within the

boiler was found out to be 21.2 seconds and
this found out to be sufficient for Complete
Char Combustion.

Flue Gas Trajectory Coal Particle Trajectory

Temperature
Distributions
Isothermal Surfaces at
1800 K and 1900 K

Temperature Distribution
on a Vertical Plane

Temperature Distribution on different Horizontal Planes

Conclusions:
• Input Air Temperature 355K.
• Maximum Temperature reached 2132K.
• Mean Temperature increases and Deviation from Mean
Temperature in a Horizontal Plane decreases as we go from A
to C. Former one due to increase in Combustion Intensity and
later one due to increased mixing and swirling.
• Between sections D to F uniformity in Temperature
Distribution increases but Mean Temperature falls due to
Convectional and Radiation losses to Furnace Walls.
• Prior to entering Heat Exchanger region Mean Temperature is
1524K with a Standard Deviation of 89K.
• Isothermal Surfaces at 1800K and 1900K are closely related to
NOx formation.
 (a)
Species Distribution

(b)

Mass Fraction Mass Fraction

Mass Fraction Distribution
Distribution of O2 Distribution of CO2
on Section C of (a) O2 (b) CO2
 Conclusions:
•O2 Concentration is relatively high
near the burners and falls rapidly
thereafter as depicted from the
contour and graph.
•Lower O2 Mass Fraction regions
corresponds to high Temperature and
Variation of Temperature, O2 and CO2 Mass
high CO2 mass fraction regions
Fractions (a) along Furnace (b) along diagonal BD because of active Combustion Process
•As depicted from graph (a), as we move along furnace length there
are three peaks in O2 mass fraction and correspondingly three valleys
in Temperature and CO2 mass fraction. This change is brought due to
supply of air from the burners.
•As depicted from graph (b), as we move along diagonal line on
section C, O2 mass fraction rapidly falls, CO2 mass fraction and
Temperature increases rapidly.
 Nox Emissions

Fuel, thermal and total Nox formation regions; in each pair of figures, the left figure indicates the Nox formation
region and the right figure shows an iso-surface (2* 10^(-4) gmol/m3-s)_

Nox formation rates along the diagonals line BD (a) fuel Nox (b) thermal Nox (c) total NOx
 Conclusions
• The Predicted maximum NOx concentration is around 225
ppm .
• The relatively high NOx concentration zones are found in the
furnace center where the temperature is higher and
combustion processes are more active.
• The percentage of fuel NOx is very high(89.26%) as compared
to thermal NOx (10.74%).
• The total NOx formation is not the same as the combined
region for the thermal and fuel NOx formation.
• NOx formation rates are low since the oxygen concentration
is very low in the central zones, although temperature is very
high.
NOx emissions with OFA operation
 Conclusions
• Heat flux to the furnace wall is slightly decreased and the temperature at
the furnace and boiler exit are increased.
• The fuel and thermal NOx formation are decreased by 8.51% and 5.72%
respectively.
• The reduction in fuel NOx might be the result of decreased contact of
Nitrogen from the fuel with oxygen in the combustion air, which reduces
NO into N2.
• The reduction in thermal NOx might be due to the decreased
temperature in the furnace.
• A relatively high temperature region is moved upward and is slightly
enlarged in the upper furnace due to occurrence of combustion at OFA
ports.
• The NOx concentration decreases more significantly above OFA ports.
Since 10% of the total air is supplied through OFA ports, so O2 mass
fraction in middle of the furnace is lower, therefore HCN or NH3 formed
from the volatiles might be converted to N2 rather than NO.