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Show Ttb -I New Method of Post-Flame Combustion Diagnostics based on Continuous Monitoring of Unburned Carbon and Combustibles Mark Khesin Richard Sharbaugh Anatole Khesin Craig Clark M K Engineering, Inc. Russell Wingard Wilmington, M A 01887 HomerCityGenerating Station mark@mkengineering.com Homer C ity, P A 15 74 8 tel: 978-988-2130 cclark@gpu.com fax: 978-988-2138 tel: 412-479-6229 fax: 412-479-6302 Summary MK Engineering Inc. recently developed a new method of combustion diagnostics based on analysis gas turbulence to provide continuous on-line monitoring of combustion parameters in the post-flame zone. Based on this new approach, the new M P V combustion diagnostic systems have been developed and tested on large utility boilers. One system - MPV-1 Combustion Diagnostic System - receives signals from optical sensors mounted in the furnace exit zone and provides continuous monitoring of LOI and flue gas temperatures. It was installed and tested on three coal-fired units at Homer City Generating Station (Units 1 and 2 - 6 2 0 M W each with Foster-Wheeler boilers, Unit 3 - 650 M W with a Babcock-Wilcox boiler). In another system - MPV-Plus - signals from individual burners are added to enhance system capabilities. Using available boiler adjustments, such as O F A dampers, S A dampers and individual burner registers, the operator can now balance the boiler and adjust individual burners to enhance combustion performance and reduce N O x . During the first several months of using the new systems, Homer City reported significant N O x reduction on all 3 units. All MPV systems are PC-based, generate output signals characterizing combustion characteristics furnace and monitor the distribution of combustion parameters across the furnace to identify and correct combustion imbalances and to achieve the optimum compromise between N O x and products of incomplete combustion (LOI and C O ) . These systems require no power supply, no cooling air, no extraction and are virtually maintenance-free, reliable and inexpensive. The M P V systems are universal and applicable to almost any type of combustion systems. These new M P V Combustion Diagnostic Systems offer an effective new tool to enhance boiler performance. Introduction In recent years, MK Engineering Inc. (MKE) conducted extensive experimental studies of combustion and flame turbulence in effort to develop effective, reliable and low-cost tools for combustion diagnostic and optimization1"8. The new M P V systems are based on utilizing temporal fluctuations of signals from optical sensors measuring flame and post-flame radiation. These fluctuations are converted, via signal processing algorithms, into certain calculated values which correlate with main combustion variables and can be conveniently utilized for burner adjustments, boiler balancing leading to N O x reduction and combustion optimization. Our research of flame fluctuations in the burner ignition zone confirmed that parameters extracted flame fluctuations can be correlated with air-fuel ratio, N O x and possibly with gaseous combustibles, but not 1 |