Combustion behaviour of single pellets of coal–wood mixtures in a hot gas flow field

Abstract

This experimental study explores the burning characteristics of single pellets made of wood and coal mixtures for co-firing. Three types of pellets were prepared with different wood–coal ratios (100:0, 80:20, and 50:50). Experiments were carried out in a laboratory reactor at rapid heating rates and under oxygen concentrations between 10 and 40%. To investigate their combustion behavior, single pellets were suspended on a wire injected into a hot gas stream at 1340 K and flame and char combustion were recorded through an observation window by means of a high-resolution (4K) camera. The sequential combustion time, volatile flame characteristics, and mass reduction rate were obtained over a time profile by carefully controlled particle injection. The results demonstrated that the char combustion time increased significantly in comparison to the volatile combustion time, which only varied a little, when the pellets contained coal in the mixture. Partially detached flames were also predominantly observed on pure biomass pellets at oxygen concentrations between 21 and 40%. During the homogeneous combustion period, the cross-sectional area of a pellet shrunk by 26.3–37.5% depending upon the type of pellet.