Ash Vaporization and Condensation During Combustion of a Suspended Coal Particle

The results of a theoretical study of the formation and growth of the submicron flyash aerosol around a single burning coal particle are presented. The vaporization of ash and subsequent aerosol formation near the coal particle are studied because the local combustion environment influences these processes strongly. A mathematical model is developed that describes the transport of ash vapor and and the growth of the aerosol. The ash aerosol calculation is superimposed on an existing solution to the combustion problem. Included in the model are the effects of convective transport and of both homogeneous and heterogeneous condensation of the ash vapor. The results of the calculations show that refractory compounds with low surface tension, like silica, nucleate very near the coal particle's surface and produce a substantial mass loading of aerosol. The presence of the aerosol does not greatly affect the ash vaporization rate, which is primarily a function of combustion conditions. The size and amount of the submicron ash aerosol are determined by both the local combustion conditions and the ash's physical properties.