Abstract
Coal is the main fuel of thermal power plants (TPP), which provides more than 40% of electricity generation and about 25% of thermal energy in the world. Unlike renewable energy sources, thermal power plants supply consumers with energy around the clock and without interruption, regardless of the time of year. Expensive highly reactive fuel (fuel oil or natural gas) is burned to kindle pulverized coal boilers of thermal power plants. The burning of heating oil leads to an increase in harmful emissions into the atmosphere and initiates the search for alternative solutions for fuel-free kindling of pulverized coal boilers of thermal power plants. The most effective solution to this problem is the use of innovative plasma technology for fuel-free boiler kindling. Currently, much attention is paid to the fight against global warming and related environmental problems that lead to a negative impact on people, animals, and plants. The installation of plasma-coal burners in the furnaces of power boilers, providing their fuel-free kindling and illumination of the pulverized coal torch, significantly improves the environmental and economic indicators of thermal power plants. Currently, one of the priority tasks is to optimize the design of plasma-coal burners at existing thermal power plants.