Modelling of pulverized coal boilers: review and validation of on-line simulation techniques

Thermal modelling of large pulverized fuel utility boilers has reached a very remarkable development, through the application of CFD techniques and other advanced mathematical methods. However, due to the computational requirements, on-line monitoring and simulation tools still rely on lumped models and semiempirical approaches, which are often strongly simplified and not well connected with sound theoretical basis. This paper reviews on-line modelling techniques, aiming at the improvement of their capabilities, by means of the revision and modification of conventional lumped models and the integration of off-line CFD predictions. The paper illustrates the coherence of monitoring calculations as well as the validation of the on-line thermal simulator, starting from real operation data from a case-study unit. The outcome is that it is possible to significantly improve the accuracy of on-line calculations provided by conventional models, taking into account the singularities of large combustion systems and coupling off-line CFD predictions for selected scenarios.