Analysis of the possibilities of using a sulfur-free solid fuel at CET Deva-Romania

For Romanian's power plants that use solid fuel as coal, at present the main concern is to comply with emission limits for SO
₂
. The majority of thermoelectric power stations resorted to the implementation of some Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems using limestone. After, a solid fuel with a very low sulfur content has appeared on the world fuel market (Sc<; 0.1%). The use of this fuel at CET Deva will appeal only to hammer mills, with drying agent represented only by primary air, at a fairly high temperature of about 300°C. This new fuel that allows integration into SO
₂
emission limits, however, raises other problems. Thus, the moisture content is very high which implies a strict control of the drying process during the grinding process. The high content of volatile matters, as well as the very low ash content, are positive elements for the ignition and combustion process, but negative for the grinding process, when only air drying can lead to the ignition of the volatiles and thus to the possibility of explosion in the mill. The paper includes an analysis of the following aspects: - the possibility of drying the fuel in the hammer mills only with the help of the primary air; -the possibility of carrying out the grinding operation without ignition of the volatile matters avoiding the explosion in the mill.