What the study found
The study found that coal-biomass co-firing in a 1000 MW tangential-fired tower boiler could maintain normal and stable furnace operation across a wide range of loads. It also changed flue gas temperature, nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions, and burnout performance.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say biomass co-firing is an important technical pathway to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. They also note that understanding how co-firing behaves under frequent and deep load changes is crucial for flexible operation as renewable energy is accommodated.
What the researchers tested
The researchers built a numerical model of a 1000 MW tangential-fired tower boiler with biomass injected through standby burners. They simulated coal-biomass co-firing under different load conditions, injection positions, and co-firing ratios, and examined flue gas temperature, major product concentrations, and burnout ratio.
What worked and what didn't
Compared with pure coal, co-firing reduced furnace outlet flue gas temperature by up to 76 K and decreased wall heat flux, which lowered heat transfer to the water-steam system. It improved total burnout ratio by 0.1 to 1.7 percentage points, reaching 99.9% at most, while also reducing NO emissions; however, increasing the co-firing ratio from 10% to 20% improved temperature uniformity and lowered NO but reduced burnout, especially at medium-high loads by up to 1.4 percentage points. Biomass injection through bottom burners performed better than top burners, especially at medium-low loads.
What to keep in mind
The summary provides numerical simulation results rather than experimental measurements. It focuses on one 1000 MW tangential-fired tower boiler configuration, and the abstract does not describe limitations beyond that scope.
Key points
- A numerical model of a 1000 MW tangential-fired tower boiler was used to study coal-biomass co-firing.
- Co-firing kept the furnace operating normally and stably across the tested load range.
- Furnace outlet flue gas temperature dropped by as much as 76 K compared with pure coal.
- Total burnout ratio improved by 0.1 to 1.7 percentage points and reached a maximum of 99.9%.
- Bottom burner biomass injection reduced NO emissions by up to 55.6 mg/m3 and performed better than top burner injection.
- Raising the co-firing ratio from 10% to 20% reduced NO emissions but could worsen burnout, especially at medium-high loads.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Coal-biomass co-firing improved burnout and lowered outlet temperature
- Authors:
- Lingxiao Chen, Meihong Wang, Xiao Wu
- Institutions:
- Southeast University, Southeast University, University of Sheffield
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-18
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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