[Back to TOC]

The primary combustion chamber (PCC) is a vital component of fossil-fuel powered power plants. It is here that the gasification process converts the fuel, typically coal, into a carbon-rich gas fuel that can then be burned more efficiently in a boiler or combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT). Despite the importance of this process, numerous challenges and design limitations can often hinder the optimum performance of the power plant. It is crucial that power plant designers, operators and maintenance personnel better understand the design and operation parameters of the primary combustion chamber. In this article, we aim to delve further into the characteristics and operation requirements of the PCC, specifically focusing on various design parameters affecting power plant performance and efficiency, and exploring state-of-the-art technologies that advance the art.

The primary combustion chamber is specifically designed to minimize the amount of unburnt carbon particles which are carried upstream and can ignite the fuel system, resulting in an explosion.

Despite the importance of the PCC, numerous bottlenecks could potentially impact performance and efficiency throughout the power conversion process. Any deviation from desired operating conditions at the PCC can have cumulative effects on upstream and downstream parts of the combined cycle power generating system.

•Temperature: A drop in temperature as the gas fuels exit the carbonization chamber further down the channel, could, for instance cause a significant slowdown in the reactivity of those gas fuels or a significant deviation from the desirable gas composition may occur.

## INTRODUCTION###

The optimization of the secondary combustion chamber by increasing the degree of mixing achieved through the control of gasifying conditions and a better understanding