Plasma Technology of Coal Gasification

Utility boiler operators seeking to gain the greatest economic advantage from their units are faced with three challenges, namely the obligatory light-up fuel costs, the additional expense of supplementary fuel firing should they wish to use a cheaper fuel that may be beyond the original burner manufacturer’s stability and combustion performance assurances and the immediate environmental impact of both. The novel use of plasma arc technology can provide a solution to these challenges. This paper introduces the work being undertaken through a joint collaboration between the EU, Kazahkstan and Russia in order to develop a tried and tested engineering methodology and a mathematical based application and sensitivity analysis approach for the design and optimisation stage of these plasma devices that, as a consequence, their assist in their universal introduction.