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Study of the thermal behaviour of coal/biomass blends during oxy-fuel combustion by thermogravimetric analysis

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Abstract

During oxy-fuel combustion, the gas composition inside the boiler differs greatly from that of conventional combustion with air, involving consequences for different aspects in fuel combustion. Research on oxy-fuel combustion is needed to understand which factors influence the process, especially for coal and biomass co-firing. In this study, the combustion behaviour of coal/biomass blends was determined by thermogravimetric studies (TG) with different CO2/O2 mixtures and compared with similar results for conventional combustion. This approach determines the appropriate conditions for the oxy-fuel combustion for future studies that will be carried out in lab- and bench-scale combustors. One sub-bituminous coal (Puertollano coal) and two Spanish biomasses (olive grove and thistle) were the fuels selected for the study. The combustion behaviour of each pure fuel and several coal/biomass blends, under air and oxy-fuel conditions (70 %CO2–30 %O2, 60 %CO2–40 %O2), was studied. Results obtained for the pure fuels have shown that the temperatures of maximum reaction rate, T max, determined under oxy-fuel combustion were lower than those found during conventional combustion. Similar pattern was encountered for the different coal/biomass blends studied (varying from 80 % coal/20 % biomass to 20 % coal/80 % biomass), with a more reactive behaviour in oxy-fuel conditions than in conventional air combustion. The values of temperatures at maximum mass loss, T m, obtained for these blends in an oxy-fuel atmosphere were 100–200 °C lower than the values found for the air atmosphere. T m values determined for the blends were also dependent on the oxy-fuel conditions, with larger differences observed with the 60 %CO2–40 %O2 mixture than with the 70 %CO2–30 %O2 atmosphere with respect to air combustion. However, the greatest decreasing effect compared to air of biomass addition on T m values was found for the blend with the lowest biomass content (20 % biomass w/w).

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out within the framework of a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Plan Nacional I+D+i, Project ENE2010-17171).

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  1. Unidad de Valorización Energética de Combustibles y Residuos, Departamento de Energía, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    M. L. Contreras, F. J. García-Frutos & A. Bahillo

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  1. M. L. Contreras
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  2. F. J. García-Frutos
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  3. A. Bahillo
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Correspondence to M. L. Contreras.

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Contreras, M.L., García-Frutos, F.J. & Bahillo, A. Study of the thermal behaviour of coal/biomass blends during oxy-fuel combustion by thermogravimetric analysis. J Therm Anal Calorim 123, 1643–1655 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-5067-1

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