A Comparison of Industrial-Scale Radiometer Heat Flux Measurements Between Pulverized-Coal and Coal/Biomass Co-Firing Combustion

This work evaluates and compares radiative heat transfer measurements conducted at the 471−MWE Hunter Power Plant Unit 3 utility boiler in Utah, United States, during standard operation with coal and also co-firing with biomass. The coal used was a Utah-sourced bituminous coal, which was mixed with torrefied wood (15% by weight) for the co-firing test. Radiation from the flame was measured using radiometers of three different designs. Data were gathered at three elevations along the boiler wall. Overall, the measured heat fluxes and corresponding temporal variations decreased with increasing boiler elevation. While the variation in the replicates of the heat flux data is notable, a statistical analysis indicates that the heat flux profile at the elevations investigated is not significantly affected by the change in fuel.