Co-combustion of high alkali coal with municipal sludge: Thermal behaviour, kinetic analysis, and micro characteristic

Blending sludge rich in protein and aliphatic hydrocarbons into the high alkali coal (HAC) has been demonstrated to reduce the ash melting temperature of the HAC/sludge mixture, thereby increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of liquid slagging. However, whether the incorporation of sludge can affect the combustion stability of the original coalfired boiler is still debatable. As the combustion stability of the fuel can directly affect the operational safety of the boiler, it is of great practical value for exploring the effect of sludge incorporation on the combustion performance of HAC. In this work, the thermal behaviour and microscopic properties of individual HAC, municipal sludge (MS) and HAC/MS mixtures were tested using a Thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) and a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, respectively. The exothermic, thermodynamic and functional group evolution patterns during the combustion of these samples were also evaluated. Ignition temperatures (Ti) of the HAC/MS mixtures were relatively lower than that of individual HAC, and decreased with the increase in sludge mass ratio (SMR). The synergistic effect of the co-combustion of HAC and MS resulted in a slightly higher total heat release during the combustion of MS10HAC90 (i.e., the mass percentage of MS and HAC is 1:9) than HAC alone, however, the total heat release of the blend decreased progressively with increasing SMR. The experimental values of the average E alpha for all four mixtures were lower than the theoretical values, indicating that the addition of MS lowered the reaction energy barriers of the mixtures. Consumption rates of the principal groups in samples during the oxidation and combustion all tended to increase progressively with increasing SMR. There are three major synergistic effects existing during co-combustion of HAC and MS: (1) the reaction of free radicals with benzene molecules; (2) the interaction of free radicals; and (3) the catalytic effect of alkali and alkaline earth metals. These findings can provide theoretical guidance for the determination of key parameters (mixing ratio) for the blending of HAC and MS, and can fill the research gap in terms of microscopic reactivity and synergistic effects during the co-combustion of HAC and MS.