Effect of an Acoustic Field on the Combustion of Coal Particles in a Flat Flame Burner

Abstract

The effects of an acoustic field on the enhancement of coal combustion are investigated. A flat flame burner using methane-air mixtures as the fuel is used for the experiments. Micronized coal particles 20–70 μm in diameter are injected into the burning gas stream at the same velocity as the gas. The light intensity emitted from the flame, temperature and pictures of the flame with and without an acoustic field are recorded. The nominal values of the intensity of the acoustic field are between 140–160 dB and the frequency is between 500–3500 Hz. A definite increase in the rate of combustion of the coal particles is observed with the application of an acoustic field. The enhancement can be seen from the increased light intensity of the flame and the flame width. This paper presents the data and a discussion of light intensity emitted by the flame as a function of acoustic parameters.