Sensitivity analysis of different kinetic factors for numerical modeling of Serbian lignite devolatilization process

Abstract Numerical modeling is widely used tool for prediction of combustion processes. Computational Fluid Dynamics – CFD models use three kinetic rates for description of the coal combustion processes: coal devolatilization, volatile combustion and char combustion. Reported rates for coal devolatilization vary considerably among the authors depending on the type of experimental systems used in describing the phenomenon. Accurate representation of devolatilization process is necessary in order to perform successful CFD calculations of pulverized coal combustion and gasification. The subject of this work is numerical modeling of Serbian lignite pulverized coal devolatilization in drop tube type laboratory scale reactor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of different devolatilization kinetic factors on total devolatilization time in numerical modeling of pulverized Serbian lignite devolatilization. Nine different devolatilization kinetic rates mostly used in devolatilization numerical modeling are compared in the presented work.