Coal fired furnace operation

The utility company operating a pulverized coal steam plant was having difficulties with a 170 MW unit. Due to heavy slagging and deposits the unit had to be ramped down frequently and was also not able to operate at full load due to excessive steam temperatures. CPS was hired to come up with a solution where several OEM companies had failed:

• CPS conducted a root cause analysis which identified several weaknesses related to the burner design and its operation conditions.
• The in-depth analysis with detailed simulations (CFD) of the aerodynamics gave insight into the mechanisms causing uneven temperature and oxygen levels at the furnace exit.
• By introducing a straightforward and inexpensive burner redesign the combustion process aerodynamics were stabilized which implied significantly improved combustion efficiency.