Energy 35 (2010) 4102e4106

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Energy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy

Bituminous coal combustion in a full-scale start-up ignition burner: Influence

of the excess air ratio
Chunlong Liu, Zhengqi Li*, Weiguang Kong, Yang Zhao, Zhichao Chen
School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, PR China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: A start-up ignition burner has been proposed to reduce oil fuel consumption during the firing-up process
Received 4 December 2009 and partial-load operation. To investigate the influence of different excess air ratios on bituminous coal
Received in revised form combustion in the start-up ignition burner, full-scale reacting-flow experiments were performed for an
16 June 2010
experiment setup. The ignition burner was identical to that normally used in an 800 MWe utility boiler.
Accepted 19 June 2010
Gas temperature distributions in the burner were obtained for excess air ratios of 0.56, 0.75, 0.98 and 1.14
Available online 21 July 2010
(corresponding to primary air velocities of 17, 23, 30 and 35 m/s). Coal burnout and the release of C and H
were observed at the exit of the burner nozzle. Gases such as O2 and CO were measured at the center of
Keywords:
Start-up ignition burner
the burner. A change in resistance was obtained within the burner.
Coal-burning utility boiler Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Excess air ratio
Primary air velocity

1. Introduction a reliable and convenient source of energy to ignite the pulverized-

An increase in efficiency and control of pollutant emissions are
the most significant utility boiler projects worldwide [1e5]. In
firing-up a boiler, oil fuel is primarily used to pre-heat the
combustion chamber of a furnace, bringing it to its operating
temperature. Generally, oil fuel is delivered under high pressure by
an oil gun with a delivery capacity of about 1 t/h. In the initial firing-
up of a bituminous coal-fired 300 MWe utility boiler, about 100 t of
oil fuel is consumed. Concerns over increasing economic costs of
pulverized-coal-fired power stations arising from oil fuel
consumed in the firing-up process and partial-load operations has
spurred interest in developing oil-free and start-up ignition
burners. Various investigators have reported studies on oil-free
ignition burners. Gorokhovski et al. [6] and Masaya et al. [7] studied
the stabilization of pulverized-coal combustion using a plasma-
assisted burner, while Kanilo et al. [8] investigated the ignition and
combustion of pulverized coal using a microwave-assisted burner.
In China, Zhang et al. [9] described their application of plasma
ignition technology in bituminous coal-fired boilers. However, for
such burners, two main problems arise: difficulties in extending the
capacity of the burner and the frequent maintenance required
during operation. Li et al. [10] investigated induction-heating
ignition of a pulverized-coal stream. Induction-heating can supply
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ86 4518648854; fax: þ86 45186412528.
E-mail address: green@hit.edu.cn (Z. Li).
coal stream, but this technology has not been previously reported
to have been used in a utility boiler.
A start-up ignition centrally fuel-rich burner (otherwise known
as a tiny-oil ignition centrally fuel-rich burner) has been proposed
(see Fig. 1) [11,12]. The burner features two oil guns arranged in the
central pipe and the firing-up are summarized as follows. Atomized
oil from one oil gun, called the main oil gun, ignites and burns in
a heat-insulated chamber. Subsequently, an oil flame ignites the
atomized oil from the other oil gun, called the auxiliary oil gun.
Cone separators are installed in the primary airecoal mixture duct
to concentrate the pulverized coal into the central zone of the
burner. The fuel-rich primary airecoal mixture passes into the first
combustion chamber whereby the fuel-rich primary airecoal
mixture is ignited by high-temperature fuel oil combustion gases
formed by both the main and auxiliary oil guns. Next, the burning
pulverized coal and oil flame from the first combustion chamber is
directed into the second combustion chamber where the coal is
ignited. After the boiler has been fired-up, both the main and
auxiliary oil guns are shut down and the burner switches operation
to become a centrally fuel-rich burner characterized by high
combustion efficiency and low NOx emission [13e15]. When start-
up ignition burner technology is applied in a power station, control
of the primary air velocity is an effective method to manage the
ignition and burnout of pulverized coal. To investigate the influence
of excess air ratios (corresponding to the primary air velocities),
a series of experiments on bituminous coal ignition in the full-scale
start-up ignition burner were conducted in this study.

0360-5442/$ e see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.energy.2010.06.023
 C. Liu et al. / Energy 35 (2010) 4102e4106 4103

blower auxiliary oil-gun adiabatic combustion chamber

oil tank oil pump

0 x 0 0
air compressor
coal hopper r1
r2
feeder
blower
second
probe locations for cone main central first combustion combustion
resistance measurement separator oil-gun pipe chamber chamber

Fig. 1. Experiment setup.

2. Experiment setup
Fig. 1 shows the start-up ignition apparatus. The ignition burner
was identical to the burner that had been used in an 800 MWe utility
boiler. The measurement and control of the feed rate were as follows.
Pulverized coal was stored in the coal hopper. A sensor in the coal
hopper weighed the pulverized-coal online. The feeder transported
pulverized coal from the hopper. The rotational speed of the feeder
was adjusted by a frequency converter to control the coal feed rate. The
coal feed rate was equal to the reduction in weight in the coal hopper
divided by experimental time. The feeder rate was calibrated multiple
times and the magnitude of the feed rate variation was found to be 5%.
The down pipe of the feeder was connected with the primary air pipe.
The pulverized coal was then carried to the start-up ignition burner by
the primary air. Oil fuel was drawn from the oil tank and sent to the
main and auxiliary guns. The oil guns employed mechanical and air
atomization. Administered as atomization air, compressed air entered
the oil guns. A small fraction of the atomization air was also consumed
in oil combustion. Primary air consumed in oil combustion was
supplied by another blower. The pulverized coal was ignited in the
primary air duct. In the experimental setup, there was no separation
into inner and outer secondary air.
A nickel chromiumenickel silicon thermocouple was placed
inside a stainless steel probe. The end of the sheath was exposed in
the burner while taking temperature measurements and the
measurement error was less than 8%. All gas temperatures were
measured at the center of the burner as well as the exits of the first
and second combustion chambers. Ash samples were sampled at the
exit of the start-up ignition burner. Gases were sampled using
a water-cooled stainless steel probe and analyzed online on a Testo
350 M instrument [11]. The probe, consisting primarily of a water-
inlet pipe, water-outlet pipe, sampling tube, outer pipe and sup-
porting components, was bracket-mounted at the exit of the burner.
A sample of the high-temperature gas is collected in the sampling
tube and cooled by high-pressure cool water delivered through the
water-inlet pipe cooling the sampling tube, and after heat change
flow, ejected via the water-outlet pipe. A water pump provided
continuous water circulation. When gas enters the sampling tube,
temperatures decrease rapidly and the pulverized coal stops
burning. Samples are drawn up by a pump through filtrating devices
into a Testo 350 M gas analyzer for subsequent analysis. The accuracy
of the analyzer for each species measurement is 1% for O2 and 5% for
CO. Each sensor was calibrated before measurement. The maximum
CO concentration is 10,000 ppm in this experiment.
The difference in pressure before and after ignition is referred to
as the burner resistance. A static pressure method was used to
measure the ignition resistance at the position of the straight
section (see Fig. 1). One end of the u-tube differential manometer
was connected with a static pressure hole, and the other end was
open to the atmosphere.
Table 1 lists the equipment used along with their technical
characteristics. Table 2 lists operating parameters. Table 3 lists the
final analysis results and characteristics of 0 # light diesel oil used
in the experiments. Table 4 records the characteristics of the bitu-
minous pulverized coal used in the experiments. The methods used
to measure the calorific value, for proximate analysis and for ulti-
mate analysis were in accordance with 213-2003, 212-2001 and
476-2001 of the Chinese standards code respectively. The pulver-
ized-coal fineness was R90 ¼ 9.2%; i.e., 90.8% of all particles pass
through a 90 mm aperture sieve.
3. Result and discussion
3.1. Gas temperature distribution
Fig. 2 depicts gas temperature profiles measured along the
burner center line; here, x is the measured distance from the central
pipe exit (see Fig. 1). Using the two oil guns in the absence of coal
during firing-up, gas temperatures gradually decreased with
increasing distance. Most of the oil fuel from both the main and
auxiliary oil guns burnt out in the central pipe. High-temperature
gas was then formed. As the gas flowed toward the burner nozzle,
cold air diffused into the gas, resulting in a gradual decrease in the
gas temperature. As the excess air ratio increased, the heat absor-
bed by cold air increased and the gas temperature decreased. When
the excess air ratio increased from 0.56 to 1.14, the gas temperature
at the exit center of the burner decreased from 1045  C to 646  C.

Table 2
Operation parameters.
Table 1
Equipment used with the technical characteristics. Oil type 0 # light diesel oil
Oil pressure 1.0 MPa
Oil tank 1.2 m3 Oil flow rate of main oil gun 35 kg/h
Oil pump 0.5e2.0 MPa Oil flow rate of auxiliary oil gun 65 kg/h
Main oil gun 30e50 kg/h Compressed air pressure 0.4 MPa
Auxiliary oil gun 0e100 kg/h Compressed air flow rate 0.9 Nm3/min
Air Compressor 0e0.8 MPa/0.9 Nm3/min Primary air velocity 17e35 m/s
Primary air blower 5000 Pa/0e20,000 m3/h Primary air temperature 15  C
Coal feeder 2e5 t/h Coal feed rates 4 t/h
4104 C. Liu et al. / Energy 35 (2010) 4102e4106

Table 3 Table 5
Ultimate analysis and other characteristics of 0 # light diesel oil used in the Gas compositions of the center point at the burner exit and the burner resistance.
experiments.
Excess air ratio 0.56 0.75 0.98 1.14
Carbon (%) Hydrogen (%) Sulfur (%) Nitrogen (%) Oxygen (%) O2 0.01% 0.01% 0.21% 3.70%
85.33 13.29 0.25 0.04 0.66 CO more than 10,000 ppm
Burner resistance during firing-up 440 Pa 600 Pa 650 Pa 620 Pa
Ash (%) Moisture (%) Gross calorific Flash Density in the presence of coal
value (kJ/kg) point ( C) (kg/m3)
0.38 0.05 41,320 62 870
the first and second combustion chambers. The oil flow rates of the
Table 4 auxiliary and main oil guns were 65 and 35 kg/h respectively (see
Characteristics of bituminous pulverized coal used in the experiments. Table 2); that is, the oil flow rate of the auxiliary oil gun was higher
Proximate analysis (as air dry basis, wt.%) than that of the main oil gun. The heat released on the side of the
Volatile matter Ash Moisture Fixed carbon Gross calorific auxiliary oil gun (r1 < 0, r2 < 0) was higher than that on the side of
value (kJ/kg) the main oil gun (r1 > 0, r2 > 0). Hence, gas temperatures on the
30.97 13.91 2.81 52.32 27290 side of the auxiliary oil gun were higher than those on the side of
the main oil gun. Gas temperatures at the second combustion
Ultimate analysis (as air dry basis, wt.%)
chamber exit were lower than those at the first combustion
Carbon Hydrogen Sulfur Nitrogen Oxygen
chamber exit. Most of the oil of the main and auxiliary oil guns
70.10 3.84 0.50 0.92 7.92 burned out in the central pipe. As the gas flowed from the first
combustion chamber to the second, it was mixed with cold air, and
Using the two oil guns with coal feed rate of 4 t/h during firing-up, thus the gas temperature gradually decreased. As the primary air
the high-temperature oil flame ignited the pulverized coal, velocity increased, the amount of heat absorbed by cold air
releasing heat as it continuously burned. As a consequence, the gas increased and the gas temperature decreased. During firing-up
temperature increased along the direction of the primary air flow; with the two oil guns in the presence of coal, the pulverized coal
i.e., along the burner center line. As the excess air ratio increased, burned adequately, releasing heat in the process. Gas temperatures
there was an increase in the oxygen concentration at the burner at the second combustion chamber exit were higher than those at
center, and the oxygen concentration at the exit of the burner the first combustion chamber exit. As the excess air ratio (corre-
center was low (see Table 5). This indicates a greater degree of full sponding to primary air velocity) increased, the air-coal dust
combustion of pulverized coal at the burner center. With an
increase in the primary air velocity, the mixing of the unburned a 1200
pulverized coal and the coal flame became worse. Therefore, the
gas temperature at equivalent points on the burner center line 1000
increased gradually with an increase in the excess air ratio.
Gas temperature/

Fig. 3 shows the gas temperature profile measured at the exits of 800
the first and second combustion chambers, at distances r1 and r2
600
respectively from the center line of the burner (see Fig. 1). During
firing-up with the two oil guns operating in the absence and then 400
later in the presence of coal, gas temperatures were observed to be
highest near the center line. As the radial distance increased, gas 200
temperatures decreased gradually. Wall temperatures of the first
and second combustion chambers were less than 135 and 403  C 0
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200
respectively. At low temperatures, the burner wall was safe. r1/mm
During firing-up with the two oil guns operating in the absence
of coal, gas temperature distributions were similar at the exits of b 1400
1200
1300
1000
Gas temperature/

1200
800
1100
Gas temperature/

600
1000
400
900
800 200

700 0
-300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300
600 r2/mm
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.56
x/mm without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.75
without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.56 without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.98
without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.75 without coal feed and excess air ratio 1.14
without coal feed and excess air ratio 0.98
with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.56
without coal feed and excess air ratio 1.14
with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.56 with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.75
with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.75 with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.98
with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 0.98 with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 1.14
with coal-feed rate 4t/h and excess air ratio 1.14
Fig. 3. Profiles of gas temperatures at the exits of (a) the first and (b) second
Fig. 2. Profiles of gas temperatures measured along the burner center line. combustion chambers.
 C. Liu et al. / Energy 35 (2010) 4102e4106 4105

100

80

Coal burnout/%
60

40

20

100

80

Carbon Release/%
60

40

20

100

80
Hydrogen release/%

60

40

20
Fig. 4. The flame produced while operating the two oil guns (a) in the absence of coal
and (b) with coal at an excess air ratio of 0.75 (corresponding to a primary air velocity
of 23 m/s). 0
-300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300
r2/mm
momentum in the axial direction increased. The coal residence with coal-feed rate 4t/h and with excess air ratio 0.56
times in the burner decreased. The mixing of unburned coal near with coal-feed rate 4t/h and with excess air ratio 0.75
the burner wall and the coal flame became worse. Therefore, the with coal-feed rate 4t/h and with excess air ratio 0.98
gas temperature near the burner wall decreased gradually with an with coal-feed rate 4t/h and with excess air ratio 1.14
increase in the excess air ratio at equivalent points.
Oil fuel from the main oil gun was ignited by a high-energy Fig. 5. Coal burnout and release rates of C and H at the exit of the burner.

igniter and burnt in a heat-insulated chamber. Subsequently, the oil

flame formed by the main oil gun ignited the atomized oil from the
auxiliary oil gun. Afterward, the igniter was closed, and the oil
flame was maintained by the two oil guns and burned steadily.
During firing-up using the two oil guns in the presence of coal,
instantaneous ignition was achieved by the oil flame and a steady
burn of the pulverized-coal developed. The flame formed by the
two oil guns and pulverized coal was bright and steady during the
whole process with an excess air ratio of 0.56e1.14 (corresponding
to a primary air velocity of 17e35 m/s). Fig. 4 presents photographs
of the oil fuel and coal flame at an excess air ratio of 0.75 (corre-
sponding to a primary air velocity of 23 m/s).
3.2. Coal burnout and release rate of C and H at the exit
of the burner
Fig. 5 shows the coal burnout and release rate of C and H at the
exit of the start-up ignition burner. Coal burnout was calculated
using
J ¼ ½1  ðwk =wx Þ=ð1  wk Þ (1)
where J is the coal burnout factor, wk is the ash weight fraction in
the input coal, and wx is the ash weight fraction in the char sample.
b is the percentage release of components (C and H), which is
calculated using
b ¼ 1  ½ðwix =wik Þðwk =wx Þ (2)
where wix is the weight percentage of the species of interest in the
char sample and wik is the weight percentage of the species of
interest in the input coal [16].
The distributions of coal burnout and release rates of C and H
were similar for different excess air ratios. The oil and coal flame
mainly combusted in the burner center zone. Therefore, the coal
burnout and the release rates of C and H were greatest near the
burner center. With the flame flowing in the direction of the burner
exit, the unburned coal mixed with the flame and was ignited
gradually. The coal closer to the burner wall had a shorter
4106 C. Liu et al. / Energy 35 (2010) 4102e4106
combustion time because it was ignited late by the flame. There-
fore, the coal burnout and release rates of C and H decreased with
radial distance. With an increase in the excess air ratio, the axial
momentum of the unburned coal and coal flame increased and the
residence time in the burner decreased. The mixing of unburned
coal and coal flame became worse. On the whole, the coal burnout
and the release rates of C and H decreased with an increase in the
excess air ratio.
3.3. Gas composition and burner resistance
Table 5 lists the gas compositions at the center of the burner exit
as well as the burner resistance. For an excess air ratio of 0.56e1.14,
O2 concentrations were in the range of 0.01e3.70% and CO concen-
trations were more than 10,000 ppm O2 at the center of the burner
exit was almost exhausted. When the primary air temperature and
coal feed rate were 15  C and 4 t/h respectively and the oil fuel flow
rate was 100 kg/h, the burner resistances with the two oil guns in
operation in the presence of coal were 440, 600, 650 and 620 Pa for
excess air ratios of 0.56, 0.75, 0.98 and 1.14 (corresponding to
primary air velocities of 17, 23, 30 and 35 m/s) respectively.
4. Conclusion
At a low excess air ratio (corresponding to a low primary air
velocity), the axial momentum of the unburned coal and coal flame
was low, which was beneficial to their mixing. At the same time, the
residence time of coal in the burner increased because of the low
primary air velocity, which was beneficial to the ignition and
combustion of bituminous coal in the burner. Therefore, the gas
temperature in the burner, the coal burnout and the release rates of
C and H at the burner exit were all higher at a lower excess air ratio.
Thus, a low excess air ratio is recommended for starting up a coal-
burning utility boiler.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Hi-Tech Research and Devel-
opment Program of China (Contract No. 2007AA05Z301), Post-
doctoral Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (LRB07-216), Hei-
longjiang Province via 2005 Key Projects (Contract No.GC05A314),
and the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (863
Program) (Contract No.2006AA05Z321).
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