On the prospect of introduction of plasma ignition in power boilers

One of the most important issues for modern domestic power industry is the creation and further widespread introduction of solid propellant energy units for super-critical steam parameters with high efficiency (43–46%) and improved environmental parameters. This will significantly reduce the use of natural gas.

At the same time, one of the major drawbacks of the operation of pulverized coal power units is the need to use a significant amount of fuel oil during start-up and shutdown of boilers to stabilize the burning of the coal torch in the variable boiler operating modes.

In this regard, solid fuel TPPs need to be provided with fuel oil facilities, with all the associated problems to ensure the performance (heating of fuel oil in winter), reliability and safety. All of the above problems increase both the TPP capital construction costs, and the electricity generating cost.

A practical solution to the above problems at present is the use of a plasma technology for coal torch ignition based on thermochemical preparation of fuel for combustion. The materials of the developments of JSC “NPO CKTI” on application of plasmatrons in boilers of thermal power plants at metallurgical complexes of the Russian Federation are also considered.

Plasma ignition systems for solid fuels in boilers were developed by Russian specialists and were introduced at a number of coal-fi red power plants in the Russian Federation, Mongolia, North Korea, and Kazakhstan. Plasma ignition of solid fuels is widely used in China for almost 30% of power boilers.

The introduction of plasma-energy technologies will improve the energy efficiency of domestic solid-fuel thermal power plants and can be widely implemented in the modernization of boilers.

During the construction of new TPPs, the construction of fuel oil facilities can be abandoned altogether, which will reduce the capital costs of the construction of thermal power plants, reduce the construction footprint, and increase the TPP safety.

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