Impacts and implementation of fuel moisture release and radiation properties in modelling of pulverized fuel combustion processes

Pulverized fuels (PF) prepared and fired in utility boilers usually contain a certain amount of moisture, either free moisture or chemically bound moisture. In PF furnaces, radiation which is the principal mode of heat transfer consists of contribution from both gas and particle phase. This paper presents different methods for fuel moisture release and new models for gas and particle radiative properties, and demonstrates their implementation, importance and impacts in PF combustion modelling via a comprehensive CFD study of a pulverized coal-fired utility boiler. To conclude, it is recommended to add the free moisture into the primary air stream while lump the moisture retained in the feed after the mills with volatiles in PF combustion modelling. For gas and particle radiation in PF boilers, it is found that particle radiation largely overwhelms gas radiation due to high particle loading. Therefore, cares must be taken in particle radiation, especially particle radiative properties. The refined weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model (WSGGM) and conversion-dependent particle radiative property models presented in the paper are recommended for use in generic CFD modelling of PF combustion.