Study on Combustion and NO x Emission Characteristics of Low-Quality Coal with Wide Load Based on Fuel Modification

Hongliang Ding (), Shuyun Li, Ziqu Ouyang (), Shujun Zhu, Xiongwei Zeng, Hongshuai Wang, Kun Su and Zhaoyang Li
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Hongliang Ding: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Shuyun Li: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Ziqu Ouyang: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Shujun Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Xiongwei Zeng: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Hongshuai Wang: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Kun Su: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Zhaoyang Li: State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-25

Abstract: Enhancing the operational flexibility and environmental performance of coal-fired boilers under wide-load conditions presents a critical challenge in China’s low-carbon transition, particularly for low-quality coals (LQCs) with abundant reserves, poor combustibility, and high NO x emissions. To overcome the intrinsically low reactivity of LQC, peak-shaving performance and combustion behavior were systematically investigated on an MW-grade pilot-scale test platform employing the fuel modification strategy in this study. Stable fuel modification was achieved without any auxiliary energy for LQCs and Shenmu bituminous coal (SBC) across a load range of 20~83% and 26~88%, respectively, demonstrating the excellent fuel reactivity and strengthened release control of volatile and nitrogenous species. The modified LQC exhibited ignition, combustion, and burnout characteristics comparable to Shouyang lean coal (SLC), enabling a “dimensionality-reduction utilization” strategy. The double-side fuel modification device (FMD) operation maintained axially symmetric temperatures (<1250 °C) in horizontal combustion chambers, while single-side operation caused thermal asymmetry, with peak temperatures skewed toward the FMD side (<1200 °C). Original NO x emissions were effectively suppressed, remaining below 106.89 mg/m 3 (@6%O 2 ) for LQC and 122.76 mg/m 3 (@6%O 2 ) for SBC over broad load ranges, and even achieved ultra-low original NO x emissions (<50 mg/m 3 ). Distinct load-dependent advantages were observed for each coal type: SBC favored high-load thermal uniformity and low-load NO x abatement, whereas LQC exhibited the inverse trend. These findings underscore the importance of a load-adaptive coal selection and FMD operation mode. This study provides both theoretical insights and engineering guidance for retrofitting coal-fired power units toward flexible, low-emission operation under deep peak-shaving scenarios.

Keywords: low-quality coal; wide load; fuel modification; peak shaving; NO x emission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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