Operating Parameter Optimization using DOE Method to Reduce Unburned Carbon of Fly Ash for Tangential Fired Subcritical Coal Fired Power Plant

Power Generation Unit, Institute of Power Engineering (IPE), Universiti Tenaga Nasional, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: pogganes@gmail.com

Abstract

As electric demand increasing due to rapid economic growth, most developing country are sourcing for cheap fuel and low maintenance power plant which coal fired power plant become the more preferable plant. The cheap and abundant coal resources have played a major factor for coal power plant selection compare to other type of power plant. Although this plant type has low maintenance and operating cost but its emission of by product has a great effect on daily plant operation and environment. The one of the major emission was unburned carbon which by product of incomplete combustion where remaining of coal that unburned exits the furnaces with ash. Presence of higher percentage of unburned carbon indicates the low efficiency of furnace combustion and this directly affects financial status of the power plant operators. This condition causes severe damages on the boiler tube by formation of slagging and clinkering which reduces heat transfer and efficiency of the furnace. Current method proved to be more time consuming and plant operator facing difficulty to reduce unburned carbon in real time. As a solution for this problem, a best parameter was predicted to achieve low percentage of unburned carbon.