Sensitivity of NOX formation to nitrogen release and char surface area: An estimation approach for CFD modelling of pulverized coal combustionShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Fuel processing technology, ISSN 0378-3820, E-ISSN 1873-7188, Vol. 292, article id 108594Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
To effectively mitigate NOX emissions in pulverized coal combustion, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is frequently employed as a predictive tool. Because fuel-bound nitrogen is the primary source of NOX in these applications, modelling largely relies on coal characterization—data that are often uncertain even with costly experimental measurements.This study introduces a systematic framework for estimating missing fuel‑nitrogen characteristics from standard proximate and ultimate analyses based on correlations from rapid coal devolatilization experiments. Utilizing a conventional CFD approach, we simulated coal combustion in a 150-kW facility, which mimics rotary kiln conditions. A sensitivity analysis evaluates the impact of uncertainties in volatile nitrogen yields, precursor compositions (HCN/NH3), and char surface reactivity on NOX predictions. Results indicate that input uncertainties may account for up to 25% of the total predicted NOX. The ratio of nitrogen released as volatiles versus char-bound nitrogen and the initial char surface area of the coal particles are both critical parameters, while variations in volatile precursor ratios had a negligible effect (<1%). The model was validated against measured NOX emissions from the 150-kW facility, demonstrating that while the framework provides a robust estimation tool, high-fidelity characterization of char properties remains vital for precise emission modelling.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier B.V. , 2026. Vol. 292, article id 108594
Keywords [en]
Coal Combustion, NOX-emissions, CFD modelling, Nitrogen Partitioning, Sensitivity, Study
National Category
Energy Engineering
Research subject
Energy Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-119924DOI: 10.1016/j.fuproc.2026.108594ISI: 001883562900001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105050607150OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-119924DiVA, id: diva2:2106216
Funder
Swedish Energy Agency, P2022-00196
Note
Funder: LKAB; European Union;
Fulltext license: CC BY
2026-09-292026-09-292026-09-29Bibliographically approved