An investigation in 20 kWth oxygen-enriched bubbling fluidized bed combustor using coal and biomass

The current article presents the experimental finding of co-firing coal with biomass under air-fired and oxygen enriched conditions in a 20 kW bubbling fluidized bed (BFB). For the same, rice husk (RH), Prosopis juliflora (PJ), pine needles (PN) and plant litter (PL) are used as biomass alongside the coal. The bounteous accessibility of biomass in Northern region of India is the primary explanations behind its choice. The best possible usage of these biomass can possibly fortify the economy and additionally decreases the pollution. The experimental results show that the coal-biomass blend burns successfully inside the combustor, and the maximum temperature observed in the splash zone. A maximum conceivable combustion efficiency of 97.09% is accomplished with 75%coal/25%PJ under oxygen-enriched condition. The measured percentage of NOx, CO2 and other gasses is highly influenced by oxygen intake. The energy consumption, exergy destruction, and exergy efficiency are also assessed for fuels used. Exergy efficiency is varying from 30% to 58% for all the cases. The effect of particle size distribution on combustion efficiency is additionally studied. Among the four biomass fuels tested, PJ and PN have the best execution in co-firing mode. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.