Coal 1

Plasma Coal Burner

A plasma coal burner prototype based on a 50 kW hybrid plasma torch with almost unlimited lifetime for partial coal gasification is currently under development. Its flow diagram is shown in Fig.1. This is the first unit for a so-called “coal fired boilers retrofit program”. A product line of these devices with 50 kW – 1 MW torches can provide:
  • Two-stage process of plasma enhanced thermal activation and processing of coal dust or slurry
  • Energy consumption 0.1 – 0.5 kW * h/ kg
  • Applications – All types of coal fired boilers, cement kilns, other coal and solid fuel burners
  • Advantages – Avoids supplemental fuels for start up and flame control, increases efficiency, reduces pollution.

Fig.1. Coal burner flow diagram:
1 –lasma generation module, 2 – gasification module, 3 – starting gas,
4 – starting gas vortex, 5 – inductor, 6 – plasmoid, 7 – main plasma gas (air, oxygen, blends),
8 – main gas reverse vortex, 9 – feedstock 2 (optionally water steam), 10 – feedstock 2 vortex,
11 – pulverized coal stream #1, 12 – pulverized coal reverse vortex, 13 – reaction products - syngas,
14 – starting torch, 15 – starting torch plume, 16 – main coal swirler, 17 – pulverized coal stream #2 (main stream), 18 - boiler.

Fig.2. Coal burner appearance.