| During this work, a 6.8-L furnace assembly was developed at the Department of Chemical Engineering. A LabView program for automated control of this 6.8-L furnace assembly was prepared. Trial runs of this 6.8-L furnace were performed and a standard operating procedure for dust cloud ignition studies was finalized. Commissioning work for the 6.8-L furnace was undertaken, using Pittsburgh coal and lycopodium dust. Results of trials undertaken during the commissioning of the 6.8-L furnace used in the present work were comparable to those reported for similar furnaces at the USBM.; Thermal ignitability of dust samples was studied in a 6.8-L furnace commissioned at the Department. Four different dusts, namely; Pittsburgh coal, petroleum coke, sugar and carbon were included in this study. Different batches of samples with narrow particle size distribution were prepared. Thermal ignitability of the above said dusts at different concentration and particle size were estimated. The results indicated that there was a decrease in ignition temperatures with increase in dust concentration. Ignition temperatures were high in the lean phase and remained constant within a certain concentration range of the dust. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
