Bed material agglomeration during fluidized bed combustion. Technical progress report, January 1, 1995--March 31, 1995

Experiments performed support the hypothesis that a reducing atmosphere during fluidized bed coal combustion contributes to the formation of agglomerates. Reducing conditions are imposed by controlling the amount of combustion air supplied to the combustor, 50% of theoretical in these experiments. These localized reducing conditions may arise from either poor lateral bed mixing or oxygen-starved conditions due to the coal feed locations. Deviations from steady-state operating conditions in bed pressure drop may be used to detect agglomerate formation. Interpretation of the bed pressure drop was made more straightforward by employing a moving average difference method. During steady-state operation, the difference between the moving point averages should be close to zero, within {plus_minus}0.03 inches of water. Instability within the combustor, experienced once agglomerates begin to form, can be recognized as larger deviations from zero, on the magnitude of {plus_minus}0.15 inches of water