Combustion Behaviour Analysis of Coal and Biomass ash Blends /

Abstract

The major problem induced in power plants by biomass is slagging and fouling. Fusion temperature for Biomass is usually very low and is the main reason for slagging, fouling, and agglomeration in the boiler of biomass power plants. This study examined different methodologies comprising ash characterization, ash fusion analysis, slagging, fouling, and agglomeration indices. Coal fly ash (CFA) is mixed with biomass fly ash (BFA) which raises the fusion temperature and reduces the slagging and fouling propensity of ash in biomass-based power plants. The physiochemical characteristics of BFA, CFA, and their blends were evaluated using different characterizations such as ultimate analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) used to find the elemental composition, which is critical in finding the slagging, fouling through different fouling and slagging indices. Various indices such as slagging index, fouling index, bed agglomeration index, and ash fusibility index were used to assess the fouling and slagging tendency of all ash samples. The base-to-Acid ratio was also used for this purpose. It was concluded from the characterization of ash samples that by adding coal fly ash, the fusion temperature of biomass increases as the weight percentage of acidic oxides like Al2O3 and SiO2. The propensity of slagging and fouling is also decreased by the addition of coal and the sample (50CFA+50BFA) amongst all samples shows a low propensity of slagging and fouling.