Abstract
The results of an experimental study of one of the promising options for alternative steam boiler ignition technology, based on replacing traditional fuel oil ignition with plasma activation of coal dust ignition, are presented. The experiments were carried out at the V.E. Kuateladze Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, on a laboratory setup using coal from the Karazhyra deposit. A series of experiments on cold ignition showed that the use of a plasma ignition system (PSI) when supplying coal dust with R-90 mkm characteristics together with air at speeds of 6-18 m/s ensures the formation of a torch core use a temperature of about 1000°C at on air excess coefficient of 0.7 –0.5 and an ignition time of about 200 s. In addition, it has been established that an increase in coal dust consumption leads to an increase in temperature in the afterburner chamber, contributing to the intensification of the combustion process and accelerated heating of the furnace volume.