Nitrogen migration and gasification characteristics of pulverized coal using the novel gasification-combustion technology

This study proposes a feasible gasification-combustion technology for coal-fired boilers operating at low loads for the purpose of providing strong support for stable output of the power grid system that accommodates more renewable energy power. In this technology, a multi-nozzle impinging entrained-flow gasifier is used for the first time to preheat pulverized coal (PC), and the gasified fuel enters a down-fired combustor (DFC) for complete combustion with air-staged method. A 75 kW novel self-sustained gasification-combustion test rig was constructed. The stability and feasibility of the test rig were verified, and the gasification characteristics and nitrogen migration mechanism of PC under loads of 45 kW, 55 kW, 65 kW and 75 kW were investigated. The results demonstrated that the gasifier could continuously and steadily provide high-temperature gasified gas-char mixture to the combustor. The gas-char mixture, consisting of coal gas which was rich in high-concentration flammable gases (CO, H2, and CH4) and char with enlarged specific surface area, was easy to ignite, which could enhance the flame stability of boilers operating at low loads. Additionally, more than 61.6 % of coal-N was released in the gasifier. The liberated coal-N primarily transformed to N2 and NH3 instead of NOx, while the amount of NH3 produced was influenced by the gasification temperature. The gasified gas-char mixture entering the combustor achieved stable combustion with uniform temperature distribution. Before the injection of tertiary air, the released char-N and the NH3 in coal gas transformed primarily to N2, and there was no production of NO due to the strong reducing environment. The lowest NOx emission was 122.31 mg/Nm3 (@6% O2) at 65 kW, and the combustion efficiencies under all loads exceeded 99.62%, indicating that the gasification-combustion technology could enable efficient combustion and reduce NOx emission. Hopefully, the proposed technology could provide an innovative solution for the stable combustion of PC boilers at low loads and provide a feasible way to achieve clean combustion.