Experimental investigations of the effect of coal type and coal burner with different oxygen supply angles on gasification characteristics

The IGCC (Integrated gasification combined cycle) is known as one of the coal fueled power generating technologies with the highest efficiency and lowest emissions. To achieve the required higher efficiency and lower emission performance, Korea's 300 MW IGCC RDD&D (Research Development, Demonstration and Dissemination) project was launched in December 2006 under the leadership of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), with the support of the Korea Ministry of Knowledge Economy. Our research group, the KEPCO Research Institute, set up a coal gasifier for the pilot test and conducted many experiments for the parametric study in this project.Our group focused its research on the effect of different types of coal and oxygen supply angles on the optimum O₂/coal ratio for gasification. Through this study we found that using higher oxygen content coal reduced the optimum O₂/coal ratio for gasification. However, there was no apparent relationship between the oxygen supply angle and the optimum O₂/coal ratio. And, two types of coal burners having different oxygen supply angles were used to conduct the feasibility study on a variable angle burner for the coal gasifier.