Numerical Modeling of Co-Firing Chunk Coal and Oat Hulls in a Stoker Boiler

The current study presents a numerical study of co-firing chunk coal and one kind of light weight biomass, oat hulls, in a stoker boiler. First, a standard combustion model was applied to simulate coal combustion in a real size three dimensional boiler; the results were compared with the temperatures measured at different locations of the stoker boiler to assess the accuracy of heat sink and heat transfer model. Once a good accuracy was achieved, a devolatilization model for oat hulls was derived from experimental data and was matched with this combustion model to simulate combustion in a co-firing stoker boiler. The results showed that light biomass burns in suspension, similar to pulverized coal by following the air flow. Also, the peak temperature inside the furnace inversely varies with the increase of co-firing percentage of oat hulls. This numerical study reveals thermal and economic potential of using unprocessed light weight biomass on the existing combustion facility.