Abstract
Transitioning to sustainable power generation requires balancing high thermal efficiency with strict emission limits. Co-firing biomass in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers is a promising strategy to achieve this, yet optimizing the process involves complex operational trade-offs. This study develops a plant-validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) multiphase flow model to systematically investigate these dynamics. Using a two-level factorial design, the impact of three key variables was evaluated: woodchip fraction, mixed solid fuel flow rate, and air temperature. The analysis revealed a distinct performance trade-off. Increasing the woodchip content significantly curtails environmental impact, lowering both Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Acidification Potential (AP), but simultaneously reduces thermal efficiency which measured via Stanton number and thermal performance factor due to the lower heating value of the biomass. Conversely, higher fuel flow rates and air temperatures drive thermal performance up, revealing a strong interaction between woodchip content and flow rate. By balancing these competing factors, the optimal operating conditions were identified as a 36.1% woodchip content, a 25.06 kg/s mixed fuel flow rate, and an air temperature of 250°C. This specific configuration yields a robust thermal performance factor of 1.249 and a Stanton number of 0.01, while successfully suppressing emissions to a GWP of 0.136 kg-CO₂ eq. and an AP of 0.886 g-SO₂ eq. per kg of flue gas. Ultimately, these quantitative baselines offer actionable guidelines for designing and operating high-efficiency, low-emission industrial boilers.
Publication details
- Authors: Tanprasert, S., Kuang, S., Korkerd, K., Nimmanterdwong, P., Piumsomboon, P., Chalermsinsuwan, B.
- Published in: (2026) Results in Engineering, 32, pp. 111747.
- Year: 2026
- DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.111747
Graphical abstract reproduced from the publisher’s record of this article.