Modeling and Simulation of Pulverized Coal Combustion

Modeling and simulation of pulverized coal combustion integrate detailed representations of particle behaviour, gas-phase chemistry and turbulent flow to predict the performance and emissions of industrial furnaces and boilers. Modern computational frameworks employ a two-phase Eulerian–Lagrangian or Eulerian–Eulerian description to capture the motion, heating, devolatilisation and char oxidation of coal particles. Turbulence closure is achieved through Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) or Large Eddy Simulation (LES), allowing trade-offs between computational cost and resolution of unsteady structures. Chemical processes are typically split into heterogeneous steps for devolatilisation and char reaction, and homogeneous gas-phase mechanisms for volatile oxidation and pollutant formation. Recent advances leverage adaptive mesh refinement, flamelet libraries and tabulated chemistry to afford high fidelity while containing run-times. Validation against laser diagnostics, burner rigs and pilot combustors remains essential for model credibility. These tools inform burner design, fuel switching and emissions mitigation strategies, underpinning cleaner power generation and the transition to sustainable co-firing or oxy-fuel operation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Modeling and Simulation of Pulverized Coal Combustion publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in modeling and simulation of pulverized coal combustion across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation: A two-phase approach tracking discrete particles in a Lagrangian frame while solving the carrier fluid in an Eulerian grid.

Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS): A turbulence modelling strategy that averages flow variables over time to close the equations with empirical models.

Large Eddy Simulation (LES): A technique resolving large turbulent structures directly while modelling smaller scales through subgrid-scale closures.

Devolatilisation: Thermal decomposition of coal particles releasing volatile compounds prior to char oxidation.

Char oxidation: Heterogeneous reaction of residual solid carbon with oxidiser leading to CO and CO₂ formation.

Flamelet library: A tabulated set of pre-computed micro-flame structures used to accelerate complex chemistry calculations.

References

1. Advanced modeling approaches for CFD simulations of coal combustion and gasification. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science (2021).
2. Laser diagnostics of pulverized coal combustion in O2/N2 and O2/CO2 conditions: velocity and scalar field measurements. Experiments in Fluids (2015).
3. Fully-resolved simulations of coal particle combustion using a detailed multi-step approach for heterogeneous kinetics. Fuel (2019).
4. Alkali metal emissions in an early-stage pulverized-coal flame: DNS analysis of reacting layers and chemistry tabulation. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute (2019).
5. A Validation Study for RANS Based Modelling of Swirling Pulverized Fuel Flames. Energies (2021).
6. Investigation of the Coupling Schemes between the Discrete and the Continuous Phase in the Numerical Simulation of a 60 kWth Swirling Pulverised Solid Fuel Flame under Oxyfuel Conditions. Fire (2024).