An integrated instrumentation system for combustion plant optimisation

The instrumentation technologies required to achieve optimized combustion in pulverized fuel power plants represent an important challenge under increasing economical and environmental pressures. The present paper reports on the final results of a British government funded project to bring together various new and emerging sensing technologies aimed at achieving this goal. Both fuel flow and burner conditions are monitored. The former are studied here through electrostatic velocity metering and non-invasive imaging based particle sizing. For the latter flame stability monitoring and on-line fuel tracking are achieved by analyzing optical signals received from the flames. Details of individual technologies employed are introduced and power plant trials and some results are presented. In general the integrated instrumentation system has performed well during plant trials. The unique combination of novel technologies employed represents an important step forward in this area.