Combustion and co-combustion experiments with four kinds of straw, specially selected for their different alkali, Cl, and Si contents, and Columbian black coal were carried out in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor at Delft University of Technology. The influence of operating conditions and fuel composition on the release of the alkali compounds to the gas phase was investigated. The amount of the total gas-phase sodium and potassium compounds in the flue gases was measured with excimer laser induced fluorescence (ELIF). The results show that the release of gaseous alkali species depends on fuel composition, in particular the K/Cl and K/Si ratios in the fuel. The fuels with high K and Cl values show higher concentrations of the gaseous alkalis. A synergetic effect of the co-combustion with coal was observed, which led to a strong decrease in gaseous alkali concentrations. Together with experiments, chemical equilibrium modeling was performed to help in interpreting the experimental data. The calculations confirmed that the equilibrium is very strongly influenced by the composition of the fuel blend. Moreover, the simulations provided more information on sequestering of alkali species.

a b s t r a c tThis paper presents a comparative study on ash deposition of two selected coals, Russian coal and lignite, under oxyfuel (O 2 /CO 2 ) and air combustion conditions. The comparison is based on experimental results and subsequent evaluation of the data and observed trends. Deposited as well as remaining filter ash (fine ash) samples were subjected to XRD and ICP analyses in order to study the chemical composition and mineral transformations undergone in the ash under the combustion conditions. The experimental results show higher deposition propensities under oxyfuel conditions; the possible reasons for this are investigated by analyzing the parameters affecting the ash deposition phenomena. Particle size seems to be larger for the Russian coal oxy fired ash, leading to increased impaction on the deposition surfaces. The chemical and mineralogical compositions do not seem to differ significantly between air and oxyfuel conditions.The differences in the physical properties of the flue gas between air combustion and oxyfuel combus tion, e.g. density, viscosity, molar heat capacity, lead to changes in the flow field (velocities, particle tra jectory and temperature) that together with the ash particle size shift seem to play a role in the observed ash deposition phenomena.

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