Co-Combustion Characteristics of Biomass and Coal Blends

Co-combustion of biomass and coal blends has emerged as a pragmatic pathway to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the utilisation of renewable feedstocks within existing thermal power infrastructures. By blending biomass—such as agricultural residues, wood chips or energy crops—with traditional coal, operators can leverage complementary fuel properties to improve combustion reactivity, lower ignition temperatures and moderate ash behaviour. The interplay between volatile matter release, char combustion and ash fusion characteristics in blended fuels influences flame stability, burnout efficiency and pollutant formation. Optimising blend ratios often reveals a window—commonly around 20–30 % biomass by mass—where synergistic effects yield faster ignition, reduced burnout temperatures and higher comprehensive combustion performance indices. Rigorous thermogravimetric analysis and kinetic modelling underpin this field, elucidating activation energies, reaction orders and rates for both the volatile and fixed carbon oxidation stages. Practical outcomes include retrofit strategies for coal-fired boilers, co-firing in precalciners and flexible power plant operation that align with decarbonisation targets and economic constraints.

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Co-Combustion Characteristics of Biomass and Coal Blends publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in co-combustion characteristics of biomass and coal blends across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Thermogravimetric analysis: A technique that records mass changes of a sample as it is heated, used to delineate stages of moisture loss, volatile release and char oxidation.

Ignition temperature: The onset temperature at which a fuel blend begins sustained combustion under controlled heating.

Burnout temperature: The temperature at which residual fixed carbon is effectively consumed, marking the end of the combustion process.

Activation energy: The minimum energy barrier that molecules must overcome to initiate combustion reactions.

Synergistic effect: An interaction between coal and biomass components that leads to enhanced or diminished combustion performance relative to the sum of individual fuels.

Combustion performance index: A composite metric incorporating ignition and burnout indices to quantify overall reactivity and efficiency of a fuel blend.

References

1. Co-Combustion Characteristics of Typical Biomass and Coal Blends by Thermogravimetric Analysis. Frontiers in Energy Research (2021).
2. Combustion Characterisation of Bituminous Coal and Pinus Sawdust Blends by Use of Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis. Energies (2021).
3. A Comparison of Combustion Properties in Biomass–Coal Blends Using Characteristic and Kinetic Analyses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021).