The effect of co-firing coal and woody biomass upon the slagging/deposition tendency in iron-ore pelletizing grate-kiln plantsShow others and affiliations
2020 (English)In: Fuel processing technology, ISSN 0378-3820, E-ISSN 1873-7188, Vol. 199, article id 106254Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Woody biomass is being considered a potential co-firing fuel to reduce coal consumption in iron-ore pelletizing rotary kilns. An important consideration is the slagging inside the kiln caused by ash deposition that can lead to process disturbances or shutdowns. In terms of ash chemistry, co-firing woody biomass implies the addition of mainly Ca and K to the Si- and Al-dominated coal-ash (characteristic of high-rank coals) and Fe from the iron-ore that are both inherent to the process. An alkali-laden gaseous atmosphere is also present due to the accumulation of alkali via the recirculation of flue gas in the system. The slagging propensity of blending woody biomass with coal in the grate-kiln process was studied based on the viscosity of the molten phases predicted by global thermochemical equilibrium modeling. This was carried out for variations in temperature, gaseous KOH atmosphere, and fuel blending levels. Results were evaluated and compared using a qualitative slagging indicator previously proposed by the authors where an inverse relationship between deposition tendency and the viscosity of the molten fraction of the ash was established. The results were also compared with a set of co-firing experiments performed in a pilot-scale (0.4 MW) experimental combustion furnace. In general, the co-firing of woody biomass would likely increase the slagging tendency via the increased formation of low-viscosity melts. The fluxing behavior of biomass-ash potentially reduces the viscosity of the Fe-rich aluminosilicate melt and intensifies deposition. However, the results also revealed that there are certain conditions where deposition tendency may decrease via the formation of high-melting-point alkali-containing solid phases (e.g., leucite).
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier B.V. , 2020. Vol. 199, article id 106254
Keywords [en]
Biomass-ash, Coal-ash, Deposition (slagging), Iron-ore pelletizing, Pellet dust, Thermochemical equilibrium calculations, Viscosity estimations, Biomass, Blending, Brickmaking, Coal, Coal ash, Coal combustion, Coal dust, Deposition, Iron compounds, Pelletizing, Plant shutdowns, Potassium hydroxide, Viscosity, Zeolites, Alumino-silicate melts, Biomass ashes, Combustion furnaces, Inverse relationship, Iron ore pelletizing, Process disturbances, Thermochemical equilibrium, Viscosity estimation, Iron ores
National Category
Natural Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-40860DOI: 10.1016/j.fuproc.2019.106254Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85074608707OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-40860DiVA, id: diva2:1376831
Note
Funding details: Luleå Tekniska Universitet, LTU, 93_2014; Funding text 1: LKAB (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag) and Luleå University of Technology are acknowledged for their financial support of this study (Dnr 93_2014). Many thanks to the supportive personnel at RISE-ETC (Piteå, Sweden) and Swerea MEFOS (Luleå, Sweden) for their efforts and dedication to the project. Appendix A
2019-12-102019-12-102024-03-03Bibliographically approved