The paper presents some results of numerical simulations of the effects of reburning mechanically-activated micronized coal on reduction of NO_x and unburnt carbon residual in a tangentially fired boiler of 500 t/h steam production. The conventional RANS approach was used to compute two-phase (reactive dispersed particles in gaseous medium) multi-component system, with some modifications related to particle heat transfer and their reactions. The comprehensive model was verified in simulation of the same boiler with conventional firing, as well as in an experimental pilot-scale combustor using micronized, non-activated and mechanically-activated coal. The comparison with the standard dust-coal firing showed that reburning reduces NO_x by 37.5%, but leads to an increase in heat loss due to unburnt carbon residual by 61%, primarily due to the imposed suboptimal stoichiometric ratio. Switching to reburning micronized coal reduced NO_x by 49% while heat loss was still substantial, 42% higher than in the conventional firing. Using mechanically-activated micronized coal of the same granulation brought only marginal further improvement in NO_x reduction (to 50%), but to a remarkable decrease in heat loss, only 3.3% higher than in the case without reburning. The simulations were performed for a set of plausible operating parameters (stoichiometric ratios, flow rates of reburn coal, flue gas recirculation, overfire air), which all need to be optimized to achieve maximum effects. Nevertheless, the simulations demonstrated that reburning of activated micronized coal is a feasible option to achieve significant NO_x reduction without being penalized with excessive unburnt fuel/heat residual.

Recognizing the limitations of the conventional linear-eddy-viscosity (LEVM) Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) models to reproduce complex three-dimensional unsteady flows in hydraulic machinery, we performed a comparative assessment of a second-moment (Re-stress model, RSM) RANS closure and a hybrid RANS/LES method in capturing the flow and vortical structures in the draft tube of a Francis hydroturbine at off-design conditions. Considered is a case of part load (PL) at a flow rate of only 35% of the best efficiency point (BEP) characterised by multiple unsteady vortex systems. Despite some remaining uncertainties in generating the inflow conditions, both approaches reproduced reasonably well the measured mean velocity and the rms of its fluctuations, as well as the pressure spectrum with peaks detecting the precessing vortex core. In contrast to the common LEVMs, the Re-stress closure showed sufficient receptivity to intrinsic unsteadiness and reproduced well the overall flow and vortical patterns as well as the associated pressure pulsations in accord with the experiments. The hybrid RANS/LES method gave similar predictions as the RSM, but resolving a wider range of scales, which however, showed no significant effect on the dynamics of the dominant processing vortex core and the pressure pulsations.