Effect of Burner Outage Configuration and MRC-LRC Segregated Firing on the Thermal Performance of A 660 MW Tangentially Fired Boiler: A CFD Study

Feina Faizah Nabila; Prabowo Prabowo

doi:10.70716/reswara.v4i4.811

Authors

Feina Faizah Nabila Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Author
Prabowo Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70716/reswara.v4i4.811

Keywords:

burner outage, segregated firing, MRC-LRC, CFD, tangentially fired boiler

Abstract

Pulverized coal boilers commonly use medium-rank coal (MRC) and low-rank coal (LRC), which are blended before combustion. This study evaluated segregated firing, in which both coal types are allocated to different burners without prior blending. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations examined four configurations in a 660 MW tangentially fired boiler at a constant fuel energy input of 1,840.19 MW. Case 1 represented the existing blended-fuel configuration, while Cases 2–4 applied segregated firing with different burner outage positions. Four criteria were used to evaluate thermal performance: FEGT proximity to the field reference, local maximum temperature, outlet temperature within the design range, and temperature uniformity in the Main Combustion Zone. Case 2, with burner A deactivated, showed the most favourable overall performance. Its furnace exit gas temperature (FEGT) was 1,304.11 °C, close to the field reference of 1,320 °C. Its local maximum temperature was 1,955.81 °C, 171.97 °C lower than Case 1. The Main Combustion Zone temperature standard deviation decreased from 232.18 °C in Case 1 to 100.43 °C in Case 2. Its outlet temperature of 384.68 °C remained within the design range of 320–391 °C. Although outlet CO concentrations were near zero in all scenarios, average CO mass fractions in the Overfire Air Zone varied substantially. These findings suggest that segregated firing may improve thermal performance under simulated conditions. Further field validation and technical and economic assessments are required to establish its operational feasibility and potential cost benefits.

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