Mathematical models of microwave heating of a coal mass with release of absorbed energy by the heat radiation law

Abstract

Innovation development of coal power engineering, besides qualitative improvement of traditional technologies, should be based also on invoking novel methods and means both in preparation and efficient combustion of coal and for reduction of toxic emissions. The most activating action on coal fuel is provided by microwave radiation. A microwave field intensifies energy-consuming processes such as drying of coal, its dispersion, removal of impurities, qualitative heating, combustion with improved ecological characteristics, etc. Base information for development of microwave technologies in coal power engineering is a temperature field. In this paper we study approximately analytically a mathematical model of flat coal mass heating when the heat release source, due to absorption of microwave energy, obeys the Bouguer law. A specific feature of this model is the presence of nonlinearity caused by dissipation of energy from the mass surface due to heat radiation. The obtained dependences on the temperature field are the base for calculation of ignition and burnout of coal substance, search for the optimal microwave regimes, estimation of thermal destruction parameters, etc. The present paper is a continuation of authors’ publication in this journal [1].