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Journal of Chemistry
Volume 2020, Article ID 4363016, 9 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4363016
Research Article
Influence of the Inner and Outer Secondary Air Ratios on the
Combustion Characteristic and Flame Shape of a Swirl Burner
with a Prechamber
Pengzhong Liu,1,2 Fang Niu ,2 Xuewen Wang,1,2 Fei Guo,2 Wei Luo,2 and Naiji Wang2
1
China Coal Research Institute, Beijing 100013, China
2
China Coal Research Institute Company of Energy Conservation, Beijing 100013, China
Received 22 February 2020; Revised 30 May 2020; Accepted 15 June 2020; Published 24 July 2020
Copyright © 2020 Pengzhong Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The swirl burner with a prechamber was used in a 14 MW pulverized-coal combustion experiment to investigate the influence of
inner and secondary air ratios (ISA/OSA) on the combustion characteristic and flame shape in this work. The temperatures and
species concentrations in the prechamber were measured via the flue gas analyzer and thermocouples. The flame shape beyond the
prechamber outlet was captured by using a high-speed camera. The results showed that the combustion efficiency was increased
and low nitrogen combustion was achieved by adopting the swirl burner with a prechamber. The high temperature corrosion and
slagging phenomenon did not occur in the prechamber. The influence of ISA/OSA on temperature and species concentration
profiles at different areas in the prechamber was different. The flame shape size exhibited an inflection point with increasing ISA/
OSA. Considering, comprehensively, the temperature peak, near wall temperature, oxygen-free zone, CO concentration, flame
length, flame diameter, and divergence angle, the case of ISA/OSA �1 : 2 had great processing on combustion efficiency and NOx
emission. Thus, ISA/OSA � 1 : 2 was selected as the optimized case under experiment conditions.
1200 1200
X = 268 mm X = 536mm
Temperature (T/°C)
Temperature (T/°C)
800 800
400 400
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2 :1 2:1
1 :1 1:1
1 :2 1:2
(a) (b)
1200 1200
X = 670mm X = 804 mm
Temperature (T/°C)
Temperature (T/°C)
800 800
400 400
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2 :1 2:1
1 :1 1:1
1 :2 1:2
(c) (d)
Figure 3: Temperature profiles along radial distance for different ISA/OSA. (a) X � 268 mm. (b) X � 536 mm. (c) X � 670 mm. (d)
X � 804 mm.
R � 307–357 mm area, indicating that the ISA or OSA high-temperature corrosion was avoided. The influence of
remaining mainstream position helped to reduce wall ISA/OSA on different position temperature in the pre-
temperature of the prechamber downstream. chamber was significant.
Figure 4 shows the temperature profiles of the central
axis (Figure 4(a)) and the wall position in the prechamber
(Figure 4(b)) with different ISA/OSA. Along axis distance, 3.2. Effect of the ISA/OSA for Flue Gas Species Concentrations
the low-temperature zone could be seen for all ISA/OSA in in the Prechamber. The O2 and CO concentration profiles
Figure 4(a). The reason was that the mixing of ISA decayed with different ISA/OSA are shown in Figures 5 and 6, re-
and the endothermic process of PC pyrolysis appeared. spectively. The O2 concentration increased from near 0% to
Comparing different ISA/OSA, the temperature for ISA/ near 21%, and the CO concentration decreased from high
OSA �2 : 1 was lower than that of others. It was indicated concentration to near 0 ppm along radial direction for
that Tp was lower and farther at the same PA and PC feeding different ISA/OSA at all cross sections. The oxygen-free and
speed. In Figure 4(b), the distance from the measurement high CO concentration zone (O2 <1%, CO >5 × 104 ppm)
point to the prechamber inner wall was 10 mm, and tem- could be found in the prechamber. It could be attributed to
peratures for all ISA/OSA were lower than 400°C. It was PC incomplete combustion and species diffusion.
indicated that high temperature corrosion could be avoided, For the case of ISA/OSA �2 : 1, the O2 concentration
and the prechamber adopted general steel material. The (R > 120 mm) and oxygen-free zone, respectively, were
results showed that OSA designed had a cooling effect in the higher and smaller than others, and the CO concentration
prechamber. Besides the X � 804 mm point, temperature for was lower first and higher than others, as shown in
ISA/OSA � 1 : 2 was lower than that of others, indicating that Figures 5(a), 5(b), 6(a), and 6(b). The reason was that the
increasing OSA enhanced the cooling effect. divergence ability of strong swirl inhibited species diffusion.
For the swirl burner with a prechamber, the function of In Figures 5(c) and 6(c), the difference of O2 concentration
PA, ISA, and OSA, respectively, was ignition, ensuring stable profiles for three ISA/OSA was not obvious besides
combustion and decreasing temperature in the prechamber. R � 90–140 mm, and CO concentration for ISA/OSA �1 : 2
Also, the endothermic process of PC pyrolysis appeared, and was slightly higher than others besides the central axis point.
Journal of Chemistry 5
1200 1200
Wall position of
Temperature (T/°C)
Temperature (T/°C)
the prechamber
800 800
R = 0 mm
400 400
0 0
250 350 450 550 650 750 250 350 450 550 650 750
Axis distance (X/mm) Axis distance (X/mm)
2 :1 2:1
1 :1 1:1
1 :2 1:2
(a) (b)
21 21
X = 268 mm X = 536mm
Oxygen concentration (%)
7 7
0
0
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2: 1 2:1
1: 1 1:1
1: 2 1:2
(a) (b)
21 21
X = 670 mm X = 804 mm
Oxygen concentration (%)
14 14
7 7
0 0
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2:1 2:1
1:1 1:1
1:2 1:2
(c) (d)
Figure 5: O2 concentration profiles along radial distance for different ISA/OSA. (a) X � 268 mm. (b) X � 536 mm. (c) X � 670 mm. (d)
X � 804 mm.
It was indicated that ISA and OSA gradually mixed. In Figures 7 and 8 showed the O2 and CO concentration
Figures 5(d) and 6(d), the oxygen-free zone and O2 con- profiles of the central axis (Figures 7(a) and 8(a)) and the
centration (R > 120 mm), respectively, were bigger and lower wall position of the prechamber (Figures 7(b) and 8(b)) for
than others, and the CO concentration was higher than three ISA/OSA. There were oxygen-free and high CO
others for ISA/OSA �1 : 2. The reason was that the mixing of concentration on the central axis with different ISA/OSA.
PA and SA was weak, under the diversity of ISA and OSA The CO concentration for ISA/OSA �2 : 1 was higher than
was larger condition. that of others, indicating that pyrolysis processing was
6 Journal of Chemistry
0.0 0.0
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2 :1 2 :1
1 :1 1 :1
1 :2 1 :2
(a) (b)
0.0 0.0
360 300 240 180 120 60 0 360 300 240 180 120 60 0
Radial distance (R/mm) Radial distance (R/mm)
2 :1 2 :1
1 :1 1 :1
1 :2 1 :2
(c) (d)
Figure 6: CO concentration profiles along radial distance for different ISA/OSA. (a) X � 268 mm. (b) X � 536 mm. (c) X � 670 mm. (d)
X � 804 mm.
21 21
R = 0mm
Oxygen concentration (%)
14 14
Wall position of
the prechamber
7 7
0 0
250 350 450 550 650 750 250 350 450 550 650 750
Axis distance (X/mm) Axis distance (X/mm)
2 :1 2:1
1 :1 1:1
1 :2 1:2
(a) (b)
strong to decrease temperature. At the side wall of the inhibited NOx generation and decreased NOx emission. ISA/
prechamber, the O2 concentration and CO concentration OSA had impacted on no oxygen boundary and CO con-
were close to 21% and 0 ppm with different ISA/OSA, in- centration of different regions. The high temperature cor-
dicating that the cooling effect of ISA was evidenced. Also, rosion and slagging phenomenon did not occur.
the high temperature corrosion and slagging could be
avoided.
In the prechamber of the swirl burner, the zone of 3.3. Effect of the ISA/OSA for a Flame Shape beyond the
oxygen-free and high CO concentration was found on the Prechamber Outlet. Figure 9 shows different flame shapes
centre. The results showed that strong reducing atmosphere and profiles for different ISA/OSA. All images in Figure 9
Journal of Chemistry 7
2 :1 2 :1
1 :1 1 :1
1 :2 1 :2
(a) (b)
2400
Flame diameter
1800
1200
600
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Flame length
Fitting line
2:1
2400
Flame diameter
1800
1200
600
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Flame length
Fitting line
1:1
2400
Flame diameter
1800
1200
600
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Flame length
Fitting line
1:2
(a) (b)
Figure 9: Flame shapes and profiles for different ISA/OSA.
showed that the flame surface had a typical turbulence indicated that the prechamber had the advantages in en-
structure, which was favorable for mass, heat diffusion, and hancing flame stability when it was adopted in the swirl
flame propagation beyond the prechamber outlet. This burner. Also, the interaction with external air flow indicates
8 Journal of Chemistry
that it was diffusion flame. Therefore, the flame was judged beyond the prechamber outlet. It was evidenced that
as a turbulent diffusion structure. A long low-speed flow the swirl burner with the prechamber had certain
region was formed to stabilize flame, because high-speed jets ability of increasing the combustion efficiency and
and the prechamber structure were used. According to the low nitrogen combustion. The high-temperature
scale placed on the central axis section of the swirl burner, corrosion and slagging phenomenon of the pre-
the flame profiles were drawn to obtain the flame length data chamber were avoided by designing OSA.
beyond the prechamber outlet. At the same time, the slope (2) The influence of ISA/OSA was reflected on the
and intercept of the fitting line were used to obtain the flame temperature peak, near wall temperature, oxygen-
diameter and divergence angle data at the prechamber free boundary, and CO concentrations in the pre-
outlet. The specific data are shown in Table 3. chamber. In the prechamber upstream, the tem-
The divergence angle decreased from 12.1° to 10.5° at first perature peak and oxygen-free zone decreased, with
and, later, rose to 11.9° with decreasing ISA/OSA. The increasing ISA/OSA, near wall temperature, and CO
finding indicated that the flame divergence angle for ISA/ concentrations. In the prechamber downstream, the
OSA � 1 : 1 was lower than that for others. Also, the flame oxygen-free zone increased, with decreasing ISA/
length was longer than that of others, and the diameter was OSA, and CO concentrations increased. The tem-
narrower than that of others. The length value varied from perature peak had a slight difference.
4194 mm to 5926 mm at first and, later, to 5504 mm with
(3) The influence of ISA/OSA on the flame shape was
decreasing ISA/OSA, and the diameter varied from
analyzed by flame length, diameter, and divergence
762.8 mm to 386.1 mm and to 424.8 mm. The rough and
angle. Flame length had a maximum inflection point,
short flame for ISA/OSA � 2 : 1 were caused due to its ro-
with decreasing ISA/OSA, and flame diameter and
tational divergent ability. The flame length was shortened,
divergence angle had a minimum inflection point. The
and the diameter was widened due to the low-speed flow
relation between flame length and others was a con-
region slight shortening beyond the prechamber outlet.
tradiction and needed to consider comprehensively.
The gradient of jet velocity along the radial direction was
low for ISA/OSA �1 : 1 which stretched the low-speed flow (4) According to temperature profiles, species concen-
region of flame stability. trations profiles, and flame shapes size, the ISA/
The swirl burner with the prechamber had stable PC OSA � 1 : 2 case had higher temperature peak and
combustion flame with different ISA/OSA. An inflection CO concentrations, larger oxygen-free zone, and
point of flame shape was found, indicating that reasonable lower near wall temperature. Also, flame length was
ISA/OSA needed to be considered. longer, and flame diameter and divergence angle
Temperatures and species concentrations in the prechamber were larger. Therefore, the ISA/OSA � 1 : 2 experi-
reflected PC burning out, low nitrogen combustion, corrosion, mental condition was selected as a reasonable op-
and slagging. Flame shape beyond the prechamber outlet erating condition, under the experimental coal, 63%
exhibited a jet characteristic and high temperature zone in the load, and ISA swirl number S � 1.6 of the swirl
future boiler. Also, the flame shape was affected by the com- burner with a prechamber.
bustion characteristic in the prechamber. Thus, the combustion
efficiency and NOx emissions were predicted by temperatures, Data Availability
species concentrations, and flame shapes. Combining with the
influence of ISA/OSA, reasonable ISA/OSA was selected to the No data were used to support this study. The burn of the
optimize operation condition of the swirl burner with the experiment is available from the authors.
prechamber.
Conflicts of Interest
4. Conclusions The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest
The temperatures and flue gas species concentrations in the regarding the publication of this paper.
prechamber and flame shapes beyond the prechamber outlet
of the burner were researched and analyzed with variable Acknowledgments
ISA/OSA, and conclusions were obtained as follows:
This research was financially supported by the Foundation
(1) The high temperature, the oxygen-free zone, and of China Coal Technology Engineering Group
high CO concentrations were found in the pre- (2018TDMS007) and China Coal Research Institute
chamber, and a long stable flame shape was observed Company of Energy Conservation (2020JNCX01-04).
Journal of Chemistry 9