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  • Use of chemical fractionation to understand partitioning of biomass ash constituents during co-firing in fluidized bed combustion
    Publication . Teixeira, P. Alexandra; Lopes, Helena; Gulyurtlu, Ibrahim; Lapa, Nuno
    Three species of biomass origin (straw pellets, olive cake and wood pellets) and two coals from different countries (Coal Polish and Coal Colombian) have been studied to understand the fate of their ash forming matter during the combustion process and to investigate the influence of co-firing biomass with coal. Three different approaches to investigate the ash behaviour were employed: (1) chemical fractionation analysis to evaluate the association/reactivity of ash forming elements in the fuels as a prediction tool, (2) establishment of elements partitioning in ash streams produced in the combustion and co-combustion trials, and (3) evaluation of enrichment factors of elements in the ash streams. The chemical fractionation analysis was applied to all fuels used to evaluate how the association/reactivity of elements making up ash may influence their behaviour during combustion. Combustion tests were carried out on a pilot scale fluidized bed combustor (FBC). Four ash streams were obtained at different locations. The uncertainty of measurements was estimated allowing a critical evaluation of mass balances over the combustion system and the partitioning of elements in the ash streams. The enrichment factors of elements in the several ash streams were estimated, incorporating uncertainties associated with analytical measurements. Results obtained showed that for FBC the relation between the chemical fractionation and the experimental partitioning is strongly affected by elutriation of particles. The element enrichment factor estimated for each ash stream, using Al as a reference element, revealed better correlations with the elements reactivity obtained by chemical fractionation because it overcomes particles elutriation effects. Nevertheless, it was observed that the reactivity estimated by chemical fractionation could not be solely interpreted as tendency of the elements to volatilize on FBC system, as reaction in bed zone of boiler may also occur retaining reactive elements.
  • Evaluation of slagging and fouling tendency during biomass co-firing with coal in a fluidized bed
    Publication . Teixeira, P. Alexandra; Lopes, Helena; Gulyurtlu, Ibrahim; Lapa, Nuno; Abelha, Pedro
    Over the last decades, several indices based on ash chemistry and ash fusibility have been used to predict the ash behaviour during coal combustion, namely, its tendency for slagging and fouling. However, due to the physicalechemical differences between coals and biomass, in this work only the applicability of an ash fusibility index (AFI) to the combustion and co-combustion of three types of biomass (straw pellets, olive cake and wood pellets) with coals was evaluated. The AFI values were compared with the behaviour of ash during combustion in a pilot fluidized bed and a close agreement was observed between them. For a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with bed ash sintering, they were evaluated by SEM/EDS and the elements present on the melted ash were identified. Evidences of different sintering mechanisms were found out for the fruit biomass and herbaceous biomass tested, depending on the relative proportions of problematic elements. The particles deposited on a fouling probe inserted in the FBC were analyzed by XRD and the differences between the compounds identified allowed concluding that the studied biomasses present different tendencies for fouling. Identification of KCl and K2SO4 in the deposits confirmed the higher tendency for fouling of fruit biomass tested rather than wood pellets.