| In the current global economy, the utility industry is increasingly exploring avenues for less expensive fuels. This has led to an increase in fuel substitution in power plants. While fuel substitution may have economic benefits in the form of fuel cost savings, it also changes the explosion hazard of the plant in both the fuel and ash handling systems. This work examines the dust explosion hazard of fuel substitution in fossil fuel fired power plants.; Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted in a Siwek 20-L spherical explosion chamber to examine the relative explosibility of different fuels and ashes. The fuels tested were Powder River Basin coal, Columbian coal, Venezuelan coal and petroleum coke. The ashes tested were both bottom ash and fly ash from different fuel burns. The tests were conducted using an ignition energy of 5 kJ.; Fuel blend tests were also conducted, with petroleum coke being mixed with Powder River Basin coal and Columbian coal. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
