PLASMA-FUEL SYSTEMS AND PRINCIPLES OF THEIR FUNCTIONING

This article presents the main types of plasma-fuel systems and the principles of their operation, which provide environmental and economic benefits compared to traditional fuel-use technologies. In plasma-fuel systems, coal of any quality is upgraded before it is burned. In general, a plasma-fuel system is a fuel device (a device into which fuel is supplied) with a plasma source. In plasma-fuel systems, the processes of plasma preparation and/or processing of solid fuels are carried out. The basic principle of the operation of plasma-fuel systems is the organization of electrothermochemical preparation and/or processing of coal dust in electric arc plasma. The use of plasma-fuel systems makes it possible to expand the range of coals burned in the same boiler and, ultimately, reduce the sensitivity of pulverized coal boilers to fuel quality. It is shown that an important advantage of the plasma technology is the quick payback and low cost of its implementation, while reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur and vanadium pentoxide and fuel burnout during plasma stabilization of a pulverized coal flame. This makes them practically the only real means of improving the environmental and economic efficiency of using solid fuels and replacing scarce and expensive fuel oil in the fuel balance of TPPs in the required volumes.