Ignition of a coal particle on a heated surface

With the use of high-speed (to 6 × 10⁵ frames per second) video recording facilities, the following three physicochemical transformation regimes were recognized on the induction heating of the single particles (4–6 mm in size) of D coal on a steel plate (at a temperature of no higher than 1000 K): thermal decomposition without ignition, smoldering, and ignition. The limiting (minimum) values of heat source temperatures necessary and sufficient for the initiation of combustion of coal particles were established.The effect of particle sizes on the integral characteristics of the test process was found. The particle-size dependence of the time of heating of a natural solid fuel particle to the intense development of an exothermic reaction was obtained. It was found that the characteristic times of the initiation of the ignition and smoldering regimes were no longer than 10 and 20 s, respectively, with variations in coal particle size.