Ammonia–coal co-firing is emerging as a promising technological pathway to reduce carbon production during coal-fired power generation. However, the coupling effects of the ammonia energy ratio (ENH3) and equivalence ratio on the ignition mechanism and emission characteristics—particularly under staged injection conditions—remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates these characteristics in a laboratory-scale furnace. Spontaneous chemiluminescence imaging and flue gas analysis were employed to decouple the effects of aerodynamic interactions and chemical kinetics. The experimental results reveal that the ammonia injection strategy is the critical factor governing coal ignition performance. Compared to the premixed mode, staged injection—which establishes an independent, high-temperature ammonia flame zone—provides a superior thermal environment and circumvents oxygen competition between the fuels, thereby markedly promoting coal ignition. At an ENH3 of 50%, the staged configuration reduces the ignition delay time of coal volatiles by a striking 60.93%. Within the staged configuration, increasing either the co-firing ratio or the overall equivalence ratio further enhances coal ignition. Analysis of pollutant emissions elucidates that the formation of NO, N2O, and NH3 is intimately linked to the local combustion conditions of ammonia. An excessively lean local equivalence ratio leads to incomplete ammonia combustion, thereby increasing N2O and NH3 slip.
Lou et al. (Sat,) studied this question.