Coal Pipe Balancing

It is widely recognized within the electric utility industry that coal pipe flow imbalance is responsible for a loss in boiler efficiency, higher NOx and CO emissions, increased unburned carbon in the fly ash, preventing the sale of the ash as a concrete additive, and also responsible for firing system maintenance problems.  Based on fundamental and laboratory research, the Energy Research Center (ERC) has developed CoalCONTROL™, a patented technology for coal pipe coal flow balancing and on-line control.  The CoalCONTROL™ control mechanism is tailored designed for each application, and it can be retrofitted into existing coal pipe networks.  The CoalCONTROL™ technology is marketed by the ERC, and Power & Industrial Services Corp. and Riley Power.  With funding from the Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, the ERC has also performed research for technology to be used for coal distribution balancing for pressurized vertical spindle mills.

The CoalCONTROL™ technology has a track record of approximately 50 installations.  Unique features of those installations include coal flow balancing to within the ± 10% industry standard, low pressure drop, negligible impact on primary air flow balance and pipe network ΔP, low fabrication and installation costs, and durability.  A detailed evaluation of the benefits of the technology at Logan Generating Plant, equipped with double-ended ball tube pulverizers, demonstrated significant reduction in fly ash unburned carbon, elimination of CO spikes, more uniform combustion and furnace temperature profile, and improvements in net unit heat rate.

Related Links:

• "Mixing and dispersion of particle ropes in lean phase pneumatic conveying"
• "CoalCONTROL™ – Emissions Reduction Through Burner Balancing"