It is possible to disperse high concentrations of finely pulverized beneficiated coal in water to produce a stable coal-water slurry fuel (CWF). One of the potential applications of CWF is as a fuel in gas turbines. This represents a relatively novel, developing technology. Coal beneficiation to the level needed for gas turbine application (< 1 percent ash) requires fine grinding of the coal particles to less than 15 μm necessitating increase in water content of the slurry to avoid increased CWS viscosity due to the finer particles. The gas turbine cycle is capable of accommodating an increased water content of the fuel without a significant loss in efficiency.
The objective of the present study is to develop and verify a computer model to simulate the heat transfer processes taking place in a gas turbine combustor (GTC) burning a CWF. The model predicts the species and the temperature distribution throughout the GTC, the heat flux patterns and the contribution of both convection and radiation to the total heat transfer rate.
Model verification includes cases of cold flow without combustion, combustion without heat release, combustion without convection and/or radiation, verification of exchange areas and an overall energy balance check.
