The Influence of Combustor Operation on Fine Particles from Coal Combustion

This paper discusses the influences observed in laboratory pulverized coal combustion experiments. A Utah subbituminous coal was burned at a rate of 0.5–1.5 kg/hr and at fuel-lean conditions in a laboratory furnace. Experiments were conducted using a number of burners and at a range of combustor wall temperatures. Gaseous and particulate combustion products were sampled downstream of a series of convective heat exchangers. The variation of the mass and composition of the submicron particles with burner aerodynamics and heat transfer rate are discussed, and the relationship between the laboratory observations and aerosols produced by utility boilers is explored.