Industrial-scale investigations of anthracite combustion characteristics and NO_x emissions in a retrofitted 300 MW_e down-fired utility boiler with swirl burners

To burn anthracite and reduce NO_x emissions, a new combustion system was applied to a 300 MW_e Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) down-fired boiler that included overfire air (OFA) and a decreased flow area of the inner and outer secondary air ducts of the installed swirl burners. Industrial-scale measurements (adjusting OFA ratios from 15.4% to 22.6%) were conducted to evaluate the overall performance of the retrofitted boiler. The experimental results demonstrated that the new combustion system promoted coal/air flow ignition and combustion stability. When the OFA ratio was less than 19.7%, the influence of the burner secondary air ratio on coal/air flow ignition was greater than that of the recirculation region below the arches. The overall combustion level in the primary combustion zone depended on the oxygen content and the recirculation region in the lower furnace instead of the early or late ignition of the coal/air flow. Oxygen and carbon monoxide concentration measurements in the near-sidewall region revealed that the fullness degree of the coal flame varied under different OFA ratios. Considering both environmental and economic effects, 19.7% was chosen as the optimal OFA ratio, thereby achieving a significant NO_x reduction of 47% without increasing carbon content in the fly ash.