Prediction of soot formation characteristics in a pulverized-coal combustion field by large eddy simulations with the TDP model

In this study, the soot formation characteristics in a pulverized-coal combustion field formed by a 4 kW Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) jet burner were predicted by large eddy simulation (LES) employing a tabulated-devolatilization-process model (TDP model) N. Hashimoto et al., Combust. Flame 159 (2012) 353–366]. This model enables to take into account the effect of coal particle heating rate on coal pyrolysis. The coal-derived soot formation model proposed by Brown and Fletcher A. L. Brown and T. H. Fletcher, Energy Fuels 12 (1998) 745–757] was employed in the LES. A comparison between the data predicted by LES and the soot volume fraction distribution data measured by laser induced incandescence confirmed that the soot formation characteristics in the coal combustion field of the CRIEPI burner can be accurately predicted by LES. A detailed analysis of the data predicted by LES showed that the soot particle distribution in this burner is narrow because the net soot formation rate is negative on both sides of the base of the soot volume fraction. At these positions, soot particles diffused from the peak position of soot volume fraction are oxidized due to a relatively high oxygen concentration. Finally, the effect of soot radiation on the predicted gas temperature distribution was examined by comparing the simulation results obtained with and without soot radiation. This comparison showed that the maximum gas temperature predicted by the simulation performed with soot radiation was over 100 K lower than that predicted by the simulation performed without soot radiation. From result strongly suggests the importance of considering a soot formation model for performing numerical simulations of a pulverized-coal combustion filed.