Measurement and prediction of the emission of pollutants from the combustion of coal and biomass in a fixed bed furnace

Abstract

The effect of co-combustion of coal and biomass has been studied for a fixed bed appliance originally designed for coal and in widespread use in many parts of the world especially Eastern Europe. Organic, inorganic and gaseous emissions have been measured. Organic compounds have been determined for a range of fuel combinations. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH, alkyl PAH, a range of oxygenated compounds (including phenols, aldehydes and ketones, oxygenated polycyclic aromatic compounds (O-PAC) and dioxins), polycyclic aromatic sulphur hydrocarbons (PASH), nitrogenated polycyclic aromatic compounds (N-PAC) and common volatile organic compounds (VOC). Inorganic species include trace heavy metals, as well as the gases, CO, CO2, SOx and NOx. The concentration of the trace metals in the ash and fly ash have been compared to equilibrium calculations of the emission profiles during co-combustion.