Improvement of coal-water fuel combustion characteristics by using of electromagnetic treatment

Abstract Using of coal-water slurries as fuel for heat and power generation is interesting for researchers for a long time. Coal-water fuel (CWF) application has two major aspects of investigation: rheological properties to provide its transportation and atomization; and improvement of fuel combustion parameters. CWF combustion characteristics improvement can be achieved with the help of different physical and chemical methods. Influence of electromagnetic field on the structure and properties of hydrocarbon fuels is known. However, influence of electromagnetic treatment on the combustion parameters of coal-water fuel produced from coal of different metamorphic stages was not investigated before. Experimental investigations of coal-water fuel combustion parameters: ignition time, time-temperature correlations, ignition temperature, maximal temperature of flame and others were performed. Fuels produced from coal of 6 basic metamorphic stages, which cover a wide range from Brown coal to Anthracite, were used for research. Investigations were carried out in two cases: without fuel pre-treatment with an electromagnetic field, and with it. It is shown in the article that electromagnetic pre-treatment of coal-water fuel improves fuel ignition and combustion stability, increases combustion process efficiency and reduces the total time of fuel burning.